WCAT Radio The Open Door (August 2, 2019)

The Open Door looks to South America. Co-host Mario Ramos-Reyes, returning from his travels to S.A., will help us answer questions that include the following. Feel free, friends, to submit others!How did you find Paraguay, your homeland? What is the political reality there?What is the overall situation of democratic regimes in South America?Some say that there are new signs of a return to authoritarian-populism, for instance, in Argentina. Might that happen, and if it does how might it affect the whole region?Does the Catholic Church still have cultural and political influence in South America? Does Christian Democracy still have influence?Latin America faces serious challenges. Environmental changes, inequality, and increasing violence force millions of its people to live inuncertainty. Of all of these challenges, which poses the greatest threat?How can the US help make Latin American democracy more stable?Can Latin American governments guarantee the rule of law?What is the situation in Venezuela? In Puerto Rico people succeeded in winning the Governor’s resignation. Can that happen in Venezuela?Inequality is a painfully visible and historical stigma in Latin America. Do you see a “solution” to this problem?It is said that Latin America has restrictive and undemocratic laws against “reproductive rights.” Is that true?Some say that in Argentina, where Pope Francis is widely revered, the Catholic Church’s influence on politics is stronger than in Ireland. Is this true? (August 2, 2019)