Central America at a Crossroads: Crime, the Shift to the Right, Economic Challenges, and Geopolitical Games

In this episode of Sustainable LatAm, the panel dives deep into the complex geopolitical, economic, and social forces shaping Central America today. The discussion analyzes the region's political shift toward the populist right, highlighting recent elections in Honduras and Costa Rica. It alsotackles the escalating security crisis across the region. The experts examine the potential fallout from the death of El Mencho, the leader of the powerful Jalisco Nueva Generacion Cartel, and contrast the regional drug violence with the aggressive, militarized anti-crime approach taken by President Bukele in El Salvador.Beyond regional politics, the episode explores the intensifying superpower competition between the U.S. and China for control of infrastructure and resources, using the Panama Canal ports as a prime example. Finally, the panel addresses the looming economic threat that Artificial Intelligence poses to Central America's crucial call center industry, wrapping up with their mixed predictions for the region's outlook in 2030.Production: Sustainable LatAmPresenters Andrew Thompson - International journalist & political-risk analyst with deep LatAm coverage (OBG, EIU, Latin News; ex-Head BBC Learning English).Alberto Souviron - International journalist and digital comms leader for EM investors; ex BBC/Newsweek/Lloyd’s Register. Julian Seydoux - AI-driven finance entrepreneur (FirmView AI, Fast Audit AI); ex-Moody’s/Consilium; cross-border EM & LatAm focus.