Did you know that one of the most influential writers in history is actually from Latin America? Colombia, to be exact – I’m talking of Gabriel García Márquez, of course!   Father of the amazing and refreshing genre known as “Magical Realism”, this Aracataca-born man changed the course of Latin American literature forever with his classic “One Hundred Years of Solitude”.   In this latest episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we’ll cover his life, his inspiration, the way he...

Do you know what’s one of the strangest things in Latin America? The fact that the biggest country in a Spanish-majority region (with a third of the total population in Latin America) speaks a different language: Portuguese.   You’d think that somehow, Brazil would have adopted Spanish like their neighbors, but they never did, and even today, it is a minority language among many others. So… why? Why does Brazil speak Portuguese?   Basically, it has a lot to do with its origins and how the...

Have you ever wondered why Paraguay isn’t really a big, star destination in South America? In fact, it’s actually one of the least talked about locations in all of Latin America despite its size and location.   Well, this might have a lot to do with the fact that it went through a truly terrible war in the 1800s that decimated its infrastructure and even its population (up to HALF of Paraguayans died!), leaving the country more or less in ruins, and in need of serious rebuilding.   And who...

Many of the best heroic stories end in tragedy. Such is the case of Kiki Camarena, the ace DEA agent with a magnificent sixth sense and an ability to sniff out the bad guys unlike any other.   Although his career was centered on U.S. law enforcement, this Mexican-born special agent was transferred to Mexico to keep an eye on the ongoing events of the criminal underworld and soon realized that things were getting really bad, really quickly, way before anyone else did.   Infiltrating himself...

Some people are born different. Talented, special, prodigies… whatever you want to call them, they are able to do things others could only dream of. Gustavo Dudamel is one such man – from a young age, he demonstrated an immense ability in the world of music.   This music conductor not only became the best of his nation, Venezuela, by the age of 18, but also soon dominated South America, Europe, and the entire world with his ability to lead orchestras of all shapes and sizes.    Discover the...

In 1985, Colombia was going through one of its most terrible periods in all its history. On one side, Pablo Escobar was destabilizing the nation with his drug trade and violence, and the Cali Cartel was growing in power. On the other, only two years before, a terrible earthquake had destroyed the city of Popayán, scarring the memories of local citizens and bringing fear to those around the nation.   But before the nation could recover, an even more horrific event struck – one that would be...

Welcome back to the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast by Lingo Mastery! We’ve arrived once more, this time with Season 3, to bring you the best in Spanish learning.   This time, we want to travel across the world, away from Latin America… all the way to the Philippines, where a very interesting Spanish-related development happened between the 1500s and late 1800s – the colonization of these enchanting islands by the Spanish Crown.    In this episode, we want to tell you more about what...

We’ve reached the Season Finale of another wonderful season, and we want to thank you for your support all throughout the year, in which we became one of the biggest Spanish learning podcasts and reached thousands more than we ever had. And, to end Season 2, we want to take you on a journey like no other in this special DUAL-NARRATOR episode. Have you ever felt the threat of burnout, wanted to travel across Latin America and discover the hidden gems and beautiful locations that are nowhere...

When you think of the most impressive empires in the world, you cannot avoid thinking of the Aztec Empire, the powerful Mesoamerican civilization that conquered much of modern-day Mexico and was comprised of several million people. This is because, for a civilization that ruled over 500 years ago, the Aztecs accomplished many impressive feats in terms of medicine, society and technology, and were extremely skilled at the arts of diplomacy and war.   However… this civilization also had a great...

In the history of Latin America, political extremes have caused great pain and suffering, especially to innocents throughout the rural areas of Central and South America. Communism has not been an exception to this rule. And in Peru, during the 70s, 80s and 90s, one particular Communist party made Peru an extremely dangerous and unwelcome place to live in. Led by a narcissistic leader who believed in using violence to further his goals, Sendero Luminoso is a fantastic example of terrorist...

Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez. You may love him, hate him, or wonder who we’re even talking about – but the truth is that Nayib Bukele has changed the direction of El Salvador’s history forever, simply by turning it from the world’s most dangerous nation to one of its safest, practically overnight. But we must ask the important question here: is he the Central American nation’s savior? Or is he a tyrant slowly controlling the population’s lives with an iron fist?   In this episode of the Learn...

Did you know Panama has no army? Probably not, but it wasn’t an arbitrary or random decision. You see, it was all due to one man: a dictator, a tyrant, an enemy of the United States of America. Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno, who grew from low-ranking soldier in the Panamanian Army to the most powerful man in the country in just a few decades. And – while they initially loved him as a strong ally against Latin American communism – his relationship with the U.S. soon turned sour and brought...

So, by you now you know your Latin American beaches, your mountains and waterfalls - of which there are many, so congrats for that – but you probably haven’t yet heard of the lesser-known “bizarre” or even “haunted” places in Latin America. But what makes a place bizarre? Any number of things, starting from a worryingly high number of suicides having occurred there, or a horrific backstory of drowning or demonic possession… anything goes when it comes to the weirdest places in Latin...

While today we may recognize Medellín as a beautiful city that is not only welcoming of tourists and digital nomads but also a safe place to live, it was not this way just a few decades ago… You see, in the 1980s and early 1990s, a wanted criminal known Pablo Escobar had made this city – as well as much of Colombia – his personal territory in which he would grow what was the biggest drug trade business in history. It didn’t only earn him much riches and recognition, even being named on the...

Diego Maradona. Lionel Messi. Cristiano Ronaldo. They have all been the greatest of their times at some point… but there is a player who is even greater than these footballing giants. The winner of 7 Ballons d’Or (you’ll understand in a minute), 3 World Cup trophies (sorry Cristiano), Player of the Century and so many more awards, O Rei Pelé was on a whole different level. Furthermore, having been born into extreme poverty was unable to destroy his self-belief or his willpower, and you’ll...

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo Calderón. You may know her simply as Frida Kahlo… An artist with a tragic past. A woman who knew suffering and sadness. A wonderful warrior who fought like no other, both against the societal reality of her time, as well as the difficulties of disability and chronic pain. And yet, her story is not always well told, as it also seems to leave out some important events.    You see, for all her strengths and virtues as an artist and a human, she had one massive...

South America is fascinating and has some incredibly remote areas, but what if you want to go even more south and even more remote? Well, good news for you, as you would find yourself in Antarctica, the land of the penguins and sea lions, the place where the coldest temperature in history has ever been recorded.    But what is the link between Antarctica and Latin America, how do you get there, and what crazy story surrounds its discovery and exploration? Find out in this week’s episode of...

This is it. The episode you’ve been waiting for… the long-awaited What If? episode, in which we travel through realities and find out what could have happened in Latin American history. Join Anthony and Li as they make use of a time machine to move across realities and witness the greatest moments of Latin American past, present and future transformed into something very different, with quite surprising outcomes...   This special edition episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories will blow...

Over time, more and more Latin Americans have left their nations and traveled across the world – sometimes out of necessity, other times out of the desire to triumph in a nation that offers them opportunities. However, this has sometimes brought conflict with the locals, who have disregarded them or their culture.   In this episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we want to remind the world of how special Latin Americans can be, whether in the arts, the sciences or any other fields...

In September 2017, life changed forever for Puerto Ricans and other inhabitants of the Caribbean. With an estimated cost in damages of over $91 billion dollars and causing the death of over 3,000 people, Hurricane Maria was a disaster that will never be forgotten.   Whether affected directly through damages or indirectly due to the long-term loss of services in their nations, Caribbeans are still reeling from the memory of this disaster. But just how bad was it and how did the storm start?...

You know the Brazilian Carnival, but have you heard how incredible all of the other famous parties and celebrations across South America can be? They get really wild – there is nobody in the world that can party like Latin Americans, after all. But where to find the best ones? And we don't just mean ANY best ones... we mean those that will turn into life-changing experiences!   In this episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we travel all around the Latin American region to...

Let’s talk about Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll – better known as Shakira –but also known as the world’s top Latin American singer, an extremely successful businesswoman, and a dancing and songwriting icon. She is one of Latin America’s great figures and has become the face for Latin music, impressing us all with her hips that simply don’t lie. Whether surrounded by praise for her charity work or shrouded in controversy over her relationship and tax issues, this wonderful artist is rarely out...

Today, Colombia is one of the most wonderful tourist destinations for those looking to escape for a while to South America, and is considered a safer option than several other nations in Latin America… but a few decades ago, this was not the case. With kidnapping, bombing and assassinations taking place as daily events, Colombia was a total hellscape that led to a mass exodus of its inhabitants to other nations.   But what actually was happening behind the scenes, and how did Colombia end up...

There is a famous historic figure who eclipses most others who have ever existed in Latin America, especially South America. His glorious cause led to the liberation of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela, with this latter nation being the country where he was born. We’re talking about Simón Bolívar, “el Libertador”.   And the most interesting part about The Liberator is the fact that he was born into privilege – a young man with all of the wealth and support anyone could...

Shakira, Lionel Messi, Elton John… What do these and other high-profile celebrities have in common? That they have all been in the news lately is one feature they share, of course, but the other is the fact that they’ve all recently been caught evading taxes. But what is tax evasion, and what does this have to do with the Cayman Islands?   The Cayman Islands is probably the world’s most famous tax haven and a place where a countless number of companies have been formed, and… that’s probably...