Episode III: Resolutions to Democratic Challenges in Latin America?

In this podcast, Joseph and Josh discuss with Benjamin Gedan, Deputy Director of the Wilson Center, the pathway forward for democracies in Latin America. Latin America faces multiple challenges, including a pandemic, democratic backsliding, and centralization of power in the executive branch. With such a grim image, the cause for hope seems fleeting, but there is always a reason for hope. In this episode, the resilience of Latin American democracies is analyzed, with Uruguay potentially being a democratic model to be followed. Dr. Benjamin Gedan is the deputy director of the Wilson Center’s Latin American program and the director of its Argentina Program. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University. He formerly served as the South America director on the National Security Council at the White House. Previously, Benjamin was responsible for Honduras and Argentina at the U.S. Department of State, and covered Central America and the Caribbean as an international economist at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. He was a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. As a Latin America scholar, he has published opinion pieces in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Miami Herald, and Foreign Policy, and his analysis has been quoted by The New York Times, NPR, CNN, Bloomberg, and the BBC. Special thanks to the Keck Center for International and Strategic Studies, and Professor Terril Jones. Music Credit to: Victor Jara, El Derecho de vivir en paz