The story is a fascinating one, and the book traces through several generations, from the 20th century context which provided the context for the military junta to emerge, the complex personal struggles which still take place today when someone discovers their links to one of Argentina's darkest episodes, and that they are not who they thought they were.

In the first episode we look at the political, social, and economic context of the scheme to understand why it happened. We introduce its main proponent, and the idealistic laws which would govern the colony.

In this first part of a short series on the subject, I describe Potosi today using my observations from when I visited. It is a strange place, haunted by it's history and marked by poverty. Crumbling Spanish buildings hint at its former wealth, and the miners still enter the hill and work in dangerous conditions which feel like they haven't changed much since the colonial era.

This is the first of a four part series on Brazil's experience of the Second World War. Today we look at the state of the military before they started to fight, the challenges that needed to be overcome to get them there, and the events which led the country into the war.

The book examines a set of tragic stories which occurred in the years following the conquest of Mexico, involving the use of high-class indigenous children by missionaries to aid in the conversion of the colony. Through these stories we gain a fascinating glimpse into life in those early years. The tell us a lot, not just about how missionary work was done, but also how this new society was functioning as a whole, and how those missionaries themselves saw actions.

In today's episode we outline how the trade worked and the deep cultural influences it had on all those involved.

Compounding things was the fact that this was coupled with a severe economic crisis, and so this episode we examine how these factors led to the end of most dictatorships, as well as the dampening of many left-wing insurgencies.

The 1990s were a time of democracy and orthodox liberal economics. There were - and still are - lingering exceptions however, so we look at examples such as Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, as well as the Zapatista uprising in Mexico.

We begin however, by outlining the war between Argentina and Britain - an outlier in the wider trends of the region - but one which still holds a lot of importance to Argentines today.

To finish our look at the cold war, we tie up some of the loose ends. We discuss a couple of exceptions to the dictatorship phenomenon - the so called 'perfect dictatorship' of Mexico where power was concentrated in a party rather than a person and elections were still held, and Panama where a left-wing dictator did things slightly differently but who's successor provoked a US invasion. Finally, we outline a couple of unique political ideas which developed in Latin America at the time - Dependency Theory and Liberation Theology - and which still influence thinking in the region today.

We begin though, by looking at the Latin American contribution to the world wars.

Of course, these political ideas were adapted to the conditions of Latin America, and so they manifested themselves in unique and interesting ways. In this episode we look at the rise of the 20th century dictators, the Mexican Revolution, the rise of working class politics, and the wave of immigration to Latin America which took place during the period.

We follow the Central American nation's on-off relationship with each other, and the rise of the USA. The later will lead to war with Mexico, and intervention to win independence for Spain's last remaining colonies, and an independent adventurer to invade Nicaragua on his own accord.

Today we look at the major disagreements which created conflict - between liberal republicans and conservative traditionalists, and between centralists and federalists.

We also look at the future of slavery, and the series of wars which swept South America as the new countries defined their borders.

In today's episode we look at the causes behind the biggest change in Latin America since colonisation began, as well as the men who waged the campaign against Spain. We also examine the very different path which Brazil took when it broke with Portugal.

This then, is a series which provides a very rough overview of the major events and ideas which shaped Latin America from the end of the conquests to the present day. Hopefully it will help listeners place future episodes into the greater story, and make them more enjoyable.

This first episode looks at the colonial era.

There is much more to this story, however. Connected to that interest in oil and the desire of US corporations to make profit from it, were the games of the cold war and fears of communism, dictatorships, civil war, and personal ambition

Despite being uninhabited for most of human history, this remote atoll has drawn in everyone from pirates to presidents on fishing trips, would-be tyrants and people hoping to make their fortune collecting animal dung.

Several nations have claimed it, and its story has been shaped by the first circumnavigation of the globe, the Mexican revolution, world war 2, and an international arbitration overseen by a pope.

The book is a collection of essays which detail Marcos' work in the Amazon rainforest, and chronicle the threats which the region, its people, and its non-human inhabitants face.

In the interview we talk about how Brazil's recent political history, the pandemic, its colonial legacy, and how popular and scientific conceptions have impacted the Amazon and its prospects for the future.

More information about the book can be found here: https://practicalactionpublishing.com/book/2997/the-amazon-in-times-of-war

Marcos' website Amazonia Latitude can be found here: https://www.amazonialatitude.com/

Then, we look at drinks. Everyone and everything from protectionist tax laws and Filipino immigrants to Russian religious sects and smuggler-priests have played a role in the liquids consumed in Mesoamerica.

In this episode we examine the varied peoples who have had political reasons to perpetuate what some call the black legend, and discuss the problems inherent in creating truly neutral history.

Almost two centuries after the fall of the Aztec, a transplanted Maya kingdom ruled from this island, unmolested by the Spanish empire which had taken over most of the rest of the continent.

In this episode we look at the Itzá - the builders of the famous Chichén Itzá in Mexico, how they relocated to retain their independence, and the kingdom they built once they had done so.

That's the story at least, the reality is much more complex. Could he have done it without the help of Peruvians? Was he really the first outsider to get there? And what does it really mean for a ruin to be 'lost'?

In this one we look at the significant contribution made by Latin America's Afro-descended populations on many of the region's genres. We discuss some of the musical techniques used in genres such as Salsa, Son, Cumbia, Samba and Bachata, the anthropological reasons that these grew up, as well as the social history within which these genres were birthed.

In this episode we look at the contemporary kings of Iberia and why, although their reigns did saw huge growth in their New World empires, they generally considered them to be an afterthought.

It is a story which spans the full spectrum of human experience – involved in it are meetings with presidents and successful business ventures, but also revolution, discrimination, and massacre.

The book has already been published and is available to buy now.

In it we discuss the origins of the Aztec, the workings of their calendar, the codices which provide us with a vital insight into the Aztec world, and how Aztec religious practices were impacted by Christianity after the conquest.

The book can be pre-ordered here:

https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/books/the-aztec-myths-a-guide-to-the-ancient-stories-and-legends-hardcover

Where there are slaves however, there is resistance and in Venezuela a group managed to break free and form their independent settlement. This is the story of Miguel de Buria and battle against the Spanish

Kevin's Occasional Pod - https://kevinsoccasionalpods.com/

The link to the article about the new research into De Coronado's route:

https://knowridge.com/2024/02/scientists-discover-possible-coronado-expedition-relic-in-texas-panhandle/

Today we follow de Coronado as he begins his search for the golden city of Cibola, and reunite with Estevanico who we met on the Narvaez expedition.

Allen's book examines the 20th century and argues that, despite the preoccupations within the USA about the Cold War, for many inside the region a different battle was playing out. Not Communism versus Capitalism, but democracy versus dictatorship.

The book will be published by Yale University Press and it is out now,

Would he be any more successful this time?

Upon arrival, he faced a difficult natural environment and a Maya population who had no intention of giving up their sovereignty.

It would be a patchy and difficult process, but eventually they managed to establish an administration on which they could start to build.

One of these, Francisco de Orellana, set out on an expedition to find the mythical land of cinnamon, said to be somewhere to the east.

In this episode we look at the first attempts to move into the interior and connect up Peru with the Atlantic Ocean.

The Enlightened Patrolmen focuses on a proto-police force in Colonial Mexico City, and uses primary sources to examine both the day to day lives of these men, and the larger socio-political ideas behind their work. In the process it brings the streets of the city to life, providing a fascinating glimpse of what it might have been life to venture out onto the city streets of the Northern Hemisphere’s largest city two hundred years ago.

Apologies for the sound quality of this episode! I only discovered upon editing that there are a few car horns and dog barks which I was unable to remove. I wanted to get it out rather than re-record and delay putting it up. I will make sure to find a quieter place to record the next episodes!

Thank you to everyone who has made a donation! It makes me very happy to know that people are enjoying the podcast enough to do so. https://app.redcircle.com/shows/db4d04b0-02b5-4691-81a7-b583a8052e89/donations

As I mentioned in today's episode, the audio quality might not always be the highest as I am recorded wherever I can find a reasonably quiet place in noisy Latin America. This is particularly true of this and the next episode which were recorded in a flat on a busy park in central Bogota - apologies!

The donation link mentioned in the episode: https://app.redcircle.com/shows/db4d04b0-02b5-4691-81a7-b583a8052e89/donations

You can find his podcast on his website or wherever you get your podcasts from:

https://ahistoryoftheinca.wordpress.com/

More information about the book can be found here: https://www.sas.ac.uk/publications/new-world-objects-knowledge

You can find some general background about the phenomenon of creating cabinets of curiosities here: https://artsandculture.google.com/theme/the-cabinet-of-curiosities/4QKSkqTAGnJ2LQ?hl=en