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Dive into the complete episode list for Under the Shadow. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Chooses Sides in Brazil's Election | Ep. 16 | 23 Oct 2026 | 00:54:21 | |
In the first round of voting on October 4, Trump-ally, far-right presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro came in two points ahead of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silvia. Lula supporters have been responding both in the streets and online. And they have been closing the gap, but it’s an uphill battle. Big Tech—and in particular Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp—have been helping to lift Bolsonaro’s presence online over that of President Lula. Meta temporarily suspended Lula’s campaign page on Facebook, blocked more than 1,000 pro-Lula accounts, and allowed its algorithm to benefit Bolsonaro while hindering Lula’s campaign. Meta admits that there has not been parity in its treatment of the candidates but it blames mechanical glitches. Meanwhile, a Meta AI chatbot admitted to one graduate student that “Meta indeed has a clear political and economic interest in the election of Flávio Bolsonaro.” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is a close political ally of US President Donald Trump. Flávio Bolsonaro has promised that if he is elected, he will join Trump’s Counter Cartel Coalition and open up Brazil’s rare earth minerals to the United States. That is something that Big Tech companies are interested in, because those minerals are necessary for their hardware, AI, and data centers. Brazilians have protested at Meta’s headquarters in São Paulo. And they have turned to creativity to try to break the bubble of the algorithm and spread their message to precious undecided voters, who can make or break this election. Meta and its secret algorithm have become the latest tool of US intervention in Latin America. It is not a branch of the US government. But it’s working in tandem. In this episode, host Michael Fox speaks with Brazil-based journalist Brian Mier. They discuss where things are now, what’s at stake, and in particular look at the role that Meta is playing ahead of the second round of the Brazilian elections on Sunday. Brian Mier has master’s degrees from Loyola University Chicago and the University of London. He’s lived in Brazil for more than 30 years and he co-hosts a weekly Portuguese-language web TV program called Globalistas on Brasil 247. Mier is an editor of Panamerican Dispatch, which was launched ahead of the Brazilian vote. Guests: Resources About Meta in Brazil:
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Trump's Plan to Swing Brazil's Election for Bolsonaro | Ep. 15 | 01 Oct 2026 | 00:47:39 | |
Brazil votes this Sunday, and the Trump administration has spent months trying to tilt the outcome toward far-right presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro. Tariffs. Terrorist designations. Revoked visas. Frequent meetings with the Bolsonaro family. Taken alone, each move looks random. Put the pieces together, and a picture emerges: U.S. interference in Brazil's 2026 elections. Over the last year, Trump has met frequently with members of the Bolsonaro family. In June, the State Department put two Brazilian gangs on the terrorist list. Just a few weeks later, Trump shared an article on Truth Social that said Brazil was his next big challenge. Less than a month later, in July, Trump imposed new 25% tariffs on Brazilian goods. In August, Trump revoked the U.S. visa of the Brazilian ambassador. The Brazilian Intelligence Agency recently raised the risk of external influence and interference by the United States in Brazil’s 2026 elections to a quote, “critical level.” This is Episode 15 of Under the Shadow, Season 2. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. Season 2 responds in real time to the Trump administration’s onslaught on Latin America. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. It is supported, in part, by Global Exchange. VOTE by October 15: Under the Shadow has been nominated for three podcast Signal Awards. Please consider voting for Under the Shadow and The Real News:
Panamerican Dispatch You can check out Michael Fox's new reporting project on Brazil, Panamerican Dispatch. It's a project of The Real News in partnership with Global Exchange. The website is www.panamericandispatch.org. You can also follow us on social media below:
Theme music by Michael Fox’s band, Monte Perdido. Monte Perdido's 2024 album Ofrenda is available on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound. Script editing by Heather Gies. Hosted, written, produced, mixed, and edited by Michael Fox. Guests: Resources:
Support Under the Shadow Please consider supporting this podcast and Michael Fox’s reporting on his Patreon account: patreon.com/mfox. There you can also see exclusive pictures, video, and interviews. You can subscribe to Michael Fox's new free speech podcast, The Battle for Free Speech On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033olXvh3dLzQFJc1HSd6O?si=7eda46a92fe14894 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-battle-for-free-speech/id1896829044 Or wherever you get your podcasts. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Fernando Cerimedo: Revealing Trump's Election Interference in Latin America | Ep. 14 | 17 Sep 2026 | 00:37:33 | |
Fernando Cerimedo. A name that unless you follow Latin America closely, you likely have never heard. He’s been called “MAGA’s man” in Latin America. And he is at the heart of a shocking scandal that includes “attempted femicide,” election rigging, fake news, disinformation and powerful political ties to far-right presidents across Latin America, and even the White House, under Donald Trump. It’s big news in Latin America, even though it's been largely under the radar in the United States, until now. The scandal has dire implications for the legitimacy of elections up and down the Americas, including elections where U.S. President Donald Trump has been throwing his weight around over the last year. Elections where right-wingers have won close, but shocking victories. And big elections are coming up in Brazil and elsewhere. This is Episode 14 of Under the Shadow, Season 2. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. Season 2 responds in real time to the Trump administration’s onslaught on Latin America. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. It is supported, in part, by Global Exchange. Theme music by Michael Fox’s band, Monte Perdido. Monte Perdido's 2024 album Ofrenda is available on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound. Script editing by Heather Gies. Hosted, written, produced, mixed, and edited by Michael Fox. Guests: Resources:
Support Under the ShadowPlease consider supporting this podcast and Michael Fox’s reporting on his Patreon account: patreon.com/mfox. There you can also see exclusive pictures, video, and interviews. You can subscribe to Michael Fox's new free speech podcast, The Battle for Free Speech on: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033olXvh3dLzQFJc1HSd6O?si=7eda46a92fe14894 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-battle-for-free-speech/id1896829044 Or wherever you get your podcasts. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| 'American Dominance': Boat Strikes, Cuba, and Latin American Pushback | Ep. 13 | 03 Sep 2026 | 00:54:32 | |
This week marks the 1-year anniversary of Trump’s boat strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific oceans. On September 2, 2025, President Donald Trump announced the first air strike on a boat in the Caribbean. Trump said the boat allegedly carried drugs off the coast of Venezuela. It marked the beginning of a hostile U.S. foreign policy that has seen the U.S. invade Venezuela, unleash a devastating oil blockade on Cuba, and justify it all under a renewed Monroe Doctrine, which the President is calling his Donroe Doctrine. Meanwhile, the boat strikes have continued until today, even though Trump administration officials say they have not actually decreased the amount of drugs arriving on U.S. soil. As of this week, the U.S. government has attacked at least 68 boats over the last year, killing more than 220 people. The Trump administration is now using his foreign policy to attack progressive opponents at home, labelling them pawns of Cuba, and "one of the single largest, most sophisticated and dangerous vectors for hostile foreign influence in modern American history." In this episode, Michael Fox walks through the anniversary of the boat strikes. He dissects a new Cuban report published by the State Department to attack dissidents at home, and then looks at the regional resistance to Trump at the Panamerican Congress, which was held in August in Montevideo, Uruguay. This is Episode 13 of Under the Shadow, Season 2. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. Season 2 responds in real time to the Trump administration’s onslaught on Latin America. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. It is supported, in part, by Global Exchange. Theme music by Michael Fox’s band, Monte Perdido. Monte Perdido's 2024 album Ofrenda is available on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound. Script editing by Heather Gies. Hosted, written, produced, mixed, and edited by Michael Fox. Guests: Resources:
“Helping” Cuba While Destroying Its Economyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TRYNU9-h5A This History Professor Graded Marco Rubio's Cuba Report. He Got an F. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8hqJI4kOWc
Support Under the Shadow: Please consider supporting this podcast and Michael Fox’s reporting on his Patreon account: patreon.com/mfox. There you can also see exclusive pictures, video, and interviews. You can subscribe to Michael Fox's new free speech podcast, The Battle for Free Speech On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033olXvh3dLzQFJc1HSd6O?si=7eda46a92fe14894 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-battle-for-free-speech/id1896829044Or wherever you get your podcasts. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Brazil’s Battle Against Fake News & the US War to Undermine it | Ep. 12 | 16 Jul 2026 | 01:20:19 | |
Just over the last 24 hours, Trump announced that he is levying new 25% tariffs on Brazilian goods. This is supposed to combat supposed quote "UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES” by Brazil. In reality, Trump is rolling out these tariffs out in defense of his personal interests and those of his allies. That includes powerful US credit card companies. And as I look at in depth in this episode… Silicon Valley tech billionaires and their far right allies. There is one other important thing at stake in Brazil right now: the upcoming presidential elections in October. President Lula is running for reelection. The Bolsonaro family is trying to take the presidency back. Trump has already said that he sees this as his next big challenge. This episode is a joint collaboration together with my podcasts Brazil on Fire, Under the Shadow, and The Battle for Free Speech. The Battle for Free Speech is my latest. It’s an 8-part investigative narrative podcast series. I’ve been working on it for the last year. It looks at the attacks on free speech today from the Trump administration. But also how people are standing up and pushing back. This is episode 6 of that podcast. If you like what you hear, please consider subscribing and listening, wherever you get your podcasts. OK. I hope you enjoy the show… This is really a tale of two countries: the United States and Brazil. In both countries, far-right presidents come to power — Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro. In both those countries, the presidents spent several years unraveling democratic institutions and public policy. Both presidents then ran for reelection. Both presidents lied about their country's voting systems in order to undermine the elections and whip up their base. Both those presidents lost their reelections — Trump in 2020. Bolsonaro in 2022. They both claimed fraud and tried to carry out a coup to stay in power. But that is where these two paths diverged. In the United States, President Donald Trump continued to peddle his lies about the elections. He created his own social media platform and he used it to push his agenda. He was reelected in 2024 and returned to power. In Brazil, however, the country’s Supreme Electoral Court blocked former President Jair Bolsonaro from running for office for eight years, because of the lies he told about the country’s electoral system. It wasn't censorship. it was a different interpretation of free speech. One that said the right to free expression must be balanced with the other rights in the country and the country’s democratic system. The United States doesn’t agree. And the Trump administration has been pushing to bend Brazil toward its definition of "free speech." In this episode, Michael Fox journeys to Brazil to understand the lengths that the country has gone to fight disinformation. Michael is joined in the episode by Maximillian Alvarez, editor-in-chief and co-executive director of The Real News Network and the host of the Working People Podcast. The Battle for Free Speech is a production of The Real News Network. Hosted by Michael Fox and Marc Steiner. Theme music by Michael Fox, Jordan Klein and Daniel Nuñez. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound. Production and Sound Design by Michael Fox and Stephen Frank. Editorial support by Kayla Rivara. Research by Ben Schweiger. Guests: Resources:
Never miss an episode — sign up for The Real News newsletter at therealnews.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Fired and Jailed: Attacks on Free Speech under Trump (BONUS) | 25 Jun 2026 | 01:09:19 | |
A bonus drop for Under the Shadow listeners: we're introducing The Battle for Free Speech, a new multipart narrative series from The Real News, hosted by Michael Fox and Marc Steiner. In this first episode, "Fired and Jailed," we look at how hundreds of people have been fired, suspended, investigated, or detained for speaking out under the Trump administration — and why it's just the tip of the iceberg. Follow The Battle For Free Speech on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Sign up for our newsletter and never miss an episode Show notes: Mahmoud Khalil was detained and arrested at his Manhattan apartment. The video is chilling. Plainclothes agents are there. They refuse to give their names. He’s handcuffed and shoved into the back of a car. His wife — eight months pregnant — watches and tries to understand what’s happening. This is not a scene from some dark chapter of a distant past filled with black-and-white photos of bygone dictatorships. This happened here, in the United States of America, in 2025. In this podcast series, in the lead-up to the country’s 250th anniversary, journalists Michael Fox and Marc Steiner look at the battle for our free speech rights today, and attacks on people speaking out in the United States. Hosted by Michael Fox and Marc Steiner. Theme music by Michael Fox, Jordan Klein, and Daniel Nuñez. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound. Production and Sound Design by Michael Fox and Stephen Frank. Editorial support by: Kayla Rivara and Heather Gies. Research by Ben Schweiger. Guests:
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| HondurasGate: Leaks Reveal Right-Wing Plot to Dismantle Latin American Left | Ep. 11 | 28 May 2026 | 00:57:55 | |
On the morning of April 30, the Spanish website Diario Red and the television channel Canal Red began to release a series of leaked audio recordings between powerful right-wing figures in the Americas. They called it HondurasGate. By May 6, the outlets had released a total of 37 WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram messages. What they reveal is a shocking network pushing undermine leftist leaders in the region. It’s one of the biggest political scandals in the Americas in years… and it implicates the Trump administration, Israel, Argentina's libertarian president, a load of right-wing Honduran officials in underhanded activities to take down political opponents… with thousands of dollars funneled into a right-wing propaganda outlet, allegedly located in the United States. The messages have been independently verified twice, confirming that they are not AI-generated. And you have likely heard little, if nothing, about them. Today, host Michael Fox walks you through the leaks. What they are, what they mean, and the repercussions for the region. This is Episode 11 of Under the Shadow, Season 2. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. Season 2 responds in real time to the Trump administration’s onslaught on Latin America. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. It is supported, in part, by Global Exchange. Theme music by Michael Fox’s band, Monte Perdido. Monte Perdido's 2024 album Ofrenda is available on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound. Script editing by Heather Gies. Hosted, written, produced, mixed, and edited by Michael Fox. Guests: Resources:
Under the Shadow, Season 1: You can check out the first season of Under the Shadow by clicking here
Support Under the Shadow Please consider supporting this podcast and Michael Fox’s reporting on his Patreon account: patreon.com/mfox. There you can also see exclusive pictures, video, and interviews. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Trump Re-ups the Forever Drug War — How US Policy Fueled Mexico's Cartel Crisis | Ep. 10 | 09 Apr 2026 | 00:49:13 | |
The U.S. has funneled billions into allies in the region under the guise of fighting the drug traffickers. It has ripped apart countries. And the violence has only gotten worse. Decades of fighting, with little to show for it except human rights abuses, displacement, and tens of thousands of dead and disappeared. In the last episode, host Michael Fox took you to Mexico City to walk through Mexico's Museum of Interventions and witness, first hand, the long history of foreign and, in particular, U.S. intervention in the country. Today, he brings listeners up to the present…. Diving headfirst into the U.S.-backed drug war in Mexico, which has overtaken the country in recent decades and fueled an epidemic of violence that has disappeared more than a hundred thousand people over the last 20 years. We’ll look at Trump’s threats, the repercussions they are having in the country. And we’ll also hear the voices of Mexicans who are standing up. This is Episode 10 of Under the Shadow, Season 2. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. Season 2 responds in real time to the Trump administration’s onslaught on Latin America. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Theme music by Michael Fox’s band, Monte Perdido. Monte Perdido's 2024 album Ofrenda is available on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound. Script editing by Heather Gies. Hosted, written, produced, mixed, and edited by Michael Fox. Guests: Christy Thornton, Associate Professor of History at NYU John Lindsay-Poland Please check out the Global Exchange campaign… Stop US Arms to Mexico Many thanks to the Mexico-based journalists Clayton Conn and Tamara Pearson for their reporting in this episode. You can find their work at… Clayton Conn: https://www.instagram.com/clayton.conn/ Tamara Pearson: Resistancewords.com Resources:
Under the Shadow, Season 1: You can check out the first season of Under the Shadow by clicking here
Support Under the ShadowPlease consider supporting this podcast and Michael Fox’s reporting on his Patreon account: patreon.com/mfox. There you can also see exclusive pictures, video, and interviews. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| How the United States Stole Mexico | Ep. 9 | 26 Mar 2026 | 00:36:55 | |
Increasingly, Trump has his sights set on Mexico—promising to send in US troops in the name of fighting cartels and advancing a so-called drug war policy. But Trump’s actions harken back to an era of US empire much, much older. See, Mexico has withstood a long history of foreign intervention by the Spanish, French, and multiple times by the United States. In 1848, Mexico lost more than half its territory to the United States. The US states of California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and more used to be part of Mexico. Today, host Michael Fox visits Mexico’s National Museum of Interventions in Mexico City, and we look back at the devastating history of foreign intervention in Mexico amid Trump’s threats against Mexico and elsewhere in the region today. This is Episode 9 of Under the Shadow, Season 2. https://therealnews.com/under-the-shadowUnder the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. Season 2 responds in real time to the Trump administration’s onslaught on Latin America. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Theme music by Michael Fox’s band, Monte Perdido. Monte Perdido's 2024 album Ofrenda is available on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound. Script editing by Heather Gies. Hosted, written, produced, mixed, and edited by Michael Fox. Guests
Please consider supporting this podcast and Michael Fox’s reporting on his Patreon account: patreon.com/mfox. There you can also see exclusive pictures, video, and interviews. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Shield of the Americas: Trump's Donroe Coalition | Ep. 8 | 12 Mar 2026 | 01:06:21 | |
At least 17 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are on board with Trump’s new military alliance. They are calling it the America’s Counter Cartel Coalition. Latin America’s top right-wing leaders are involved, including El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele and Argentina’s Javier Milei. They met in Florida for the event on March 7th. The United States has promised to use lethal force to destroy cartels and narco-traffickers in those nations. Kristi Noem, the former head of Homeland Security, is the new special envoy for the coalition. This is a new phase of Trump’s plan for Latin America. Trump’s Donroe Doctrine — Monroe 2.0. The first was the offensive against his enemies in the region. Now, Trump is shoring up his allies and building a coalition where the US military can continue to take action in collaboration with countries allied with Trump. We’ve already begun to see this unfold in Ecuador. This is Episode 8 of Under the Shadow, Season 2. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. Season 2 responds in real time to the Trump administration’s onslaught on Latin America. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. Many thanks to Belly of the Beast for the interview with Liz Oliva Fernandez and the use of the sound from several of their videos. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Theme music by Michael Fox’s band, Monte Perdido. Monte Perdido's 2024 album Ofrenda is available on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Guests:
Script editing by Heather Gies. Hosted, written, produced, mixed and edited by Michael Fox. Resources:
Support Under the Shadow: Please consider supporting this podcast and Michael Fox’s reporting on his Patreon account: patreon.com/mfox. There you can also see exclusive pictures, video, and interviews. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Trump’s War on Cuba: Crisis Made in the USA | Ep. 7 | 05 Mar 2026 | 01:02:26 | |
Cuba is facing the greatest existential threat it has seen in decades. Trash is filling streets, because garbage trucks can’t make the rounds. Rolling blackouts, rising food prices and cuts to transportation, university classes, and hospitals amid a gas shortage, the likes of which the country hasn’t seen in years. US President Donald Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other officials have made it clear that they aren’t interested in anything less than regime change. And they’re going after that goal full throttle. The United States is now imposing an oil blockade on the island nation that is pushing it to the brink – and hitting its most vulnerable residents the hardest. In this episode, we look at Cuba, the history of the more than 65-year-old US embargo on Cuba and Trump’s actions, which are pushing the country to the brink. This is Episode 7 of Under the Shadow, Season 2. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. Season 2 responds in real time to the Trump administration’s onslaught on Latin America. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This episode was made in collaboration with Belly of the Beast. Many thanks to them for the interview with Liz Oliva Fernandez and the use of the sound from several of their videos. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Theme music by Michael Fox’s band, Monte Perdido. Monte Perdido's 2024 album Ofrenda is available on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Guests:
Script editing by Heather Gies. Hosted, written, produced, mixed and edited by Michael Fox. Resources Please visit Belly of the Beast for their excellent coverage of the situation in Cuba. You can see a copy of the Mallory Memo on the National Security Archive’s website: https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/cuba/2022-02-02/cuba-embargoed-us-trade-sanctions-turn-sixty This is the 1960 document that created the justification for the Eisenhower’s first sanctions on Cuba. Here is the link to Peter Kornbluh’s co-authored book, Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana https://www.amazon.com/Back-Channel-Cuba-Negotiations-Washington-ebook/dp/B00W1VH9LE To get involved in the flotilla to carry aid to Cuba this month, you can find out more on the Code Pink website, here: https://www.codepink.org/convergecuba Under the Shadow, Season 1: You can check out the first season of Under the Shadow by clicking here
Michael Fox’s recent reporting on the boat strikes and the ramp-up for war in Venezuela:
Please consider supporting this podcast and Michael Fox’s reporting on his Patreon account: patreon.com/mfox. There you can also see exclusive pictures, video, and interviews. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Homeland Empire: Venezuela to Minneapolis | Ep. 6 | 19 Feb 2026 | 00:48:30 | |
Since the beginning of 2026, US forces have killed people in Caracas, Venezuela, on boat strikes in the Pacific, and in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This is a new era, where US law enforcement kill people in plain sight and then blame it on the victims, accusing them of being agitators or terrorists — domestic or foreign — whether they are in fishing boats in the Caribbean and Pacific or protesting on the streets of Minneapolis. Today's episode turns the lens back on the United States. Because the shadow of the United States itself is hanging dangerously over US cities and communities like never before. This is episode 6 of Under the Shadow, Season 2. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. Season 2 responds in real time to the Trump administration’s onslaught on Latin America. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Theme music by Michael Fox’s band, Monte Perdido. Monte Perdido's 2024 album Ofrenda is available on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Guests: Script editing by Heather Gies. Hosted, written, produced, mixed and edited by Michael Fox. Please consider supporting this podcast and Michael Fox’s reporting on his Patreon account: patreon.com/mfox. There, you can also see exclusive pictures, video, and interviews. Resources:
Under the Shadow, Season 1:https://therealnews.com/under-the-shadow
Michael Fox’s recent reporting on the boat strikes and the ramp-up for war in Venezuela:
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| When the Bombs Fell on Caracas | Ep. 5 | 02 Feb 2026 | 00:44:05 | |
On January 3, 2026, the United States invaded Venezuela and kidnapped president Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. It was the first U.S. invasion of a Latin American country since the 1989 invasion of Panama. The United States fired missiles and bombs that blew out windows and hit residential apartment blocks. Helicopters. Explosions. Firebombs. They cut electricity. They destroyed a medical supplies warehouse. Testimonies say helicopters fired on innocent people. They traumatized thousands, if not, millions of Venezuelans. The aftermath for everyday Venezuelans has been completely ignored. The voices of those on the ground — the voices of the victims — have been largely silenced in the international press and then forgotten as the news cycle hurtles on and our attention shifts elsewhere — to Greenland, Minneapolis, Iran, Gaza, or whatever Trump happens to be blustering about on social media. So today, we’re heading to Caracas to speak to people who experienced the invasion first hand, whether sheltered in place in their homes or running for their lives in the streets of their city. We’ll hear their stories of Trump’s “impressive” attack, their messages for the U.S., and how they’ve promised to resist the ongoing attack on their sovereignty. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. Season 2 responds in real time to the Trump administration’s onslaught on Latin America. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Theme music by Michael Fox’s band, Monte Perdido. Monte Perdido's 2024 album Ofrenda is available on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. All of the ambient sound of the invasion in this episode was taken from cell phone videos filmed and posted on social media or shared over WhatsApp on January 3rd, during the pre-dawn U.S. invasion. Script editing by Heather Gies. Hosted, written, produced, mixed and edited by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. Translator and freelance journalist Coromoto Jaraba Pineda helped with reporting for this episode. You can find her on Facebook and Instagram. Many thanks to Ricardo Vaz and Jessica dos Santos. Resources: Today’s episode features filmmaker Angel Palacios. Below are some links to his documentary films:
Check out the previous Under the Shadow episodes on the U.S. invasion of Venezuela:
Under the Shadow
Support Under the ShadowPlease consider supporting this podcast and Michael Fox’s reporting on his Patreon account: patreon.com/mfox. There you can also see exclusive pictures, video, and interviews. You can check out Michael’s recent episode of Stories of Resistance about the protests against US intervention in Venezuela. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Debunking the US Narrative on Venezuela | Ep. 4 | 23 Jan 2026 | 00:48:20 | |
In the hours after the Jan. 3 US invasion of Venezuela, social media was inundated with fake videos and images. Some showed Venezuelans holding huge rallies in favor of the US invasion. Others showed US troops landing or firing from helicopters. Others showed Maduro being kidnapped. Not all were AI. Some were old, showing anti-government rallies from years past. Or from other places—other invasions or bombing raids, unrelated to the current US attack. But these videos racked up tons of views, misleading millions of people about what was happening on the ground. Many of those people still don’t know the truth. It was only the tip of the iceberg. Today, host Michael Fox looks at the misconceptions, myths, and misinformation that has been spread about Venezuela in the wake of the US invasion and, together with political scientist Steve Ellner, dives headfirst into the biased reporting and slanted truths that have underpinned the mainstream narrative on Venezuela in recent weeks, years, and decades. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. Season 2 responds in real time to the Trump administration’s onslaught on Latin America. Hosted, written, and produced by Michael Fox. Script editing by Heather Gies. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Theme music by Monte Perdido and Michael Fox. Monte Perdido's new album Ofrenda is now out. You can listen to the full album on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Guests: Steve Ellner Tal Hagin Resources
You can check out Michael’s recent episode of Stories of Resistance about the protests against US intervention in Venezuela. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Hands Off Latin America | Ep. 3 | 16 Jan 2026 | 00:49:42 | |
Thousands have marched against Trump’s invasion of Venezuela. And leaders are leading the charge against U.S. intervention in the region, in some unexpected places. But Trump is now also pointing elsewhere in the region. Cuba, Colombia and Mexico are in his sights. Today, host Michael Fox looks at the response around the world to Trump's invasion of Venezuela. He also takes a deep dive into Trump’s threats elsewhere across the region, and introduces you to some of the leaders and the people standing up to Trump both inside the United States and far beyond. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. Season 2 responds in real time to the Trump Administration’s onslaught in Latin America. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Theme music by Monte Perdido and Michael Fox. Monte Perdido's new album Ofrenda is now out. You can listen to the full album on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Guests: Steve Ellnerhttps://resistancewords.com/tamara-pearson/ Tamara Pearsonhttps://muckrack.com/soyinigrey Soyini Grey Alexander Aviña Alexander Main Rafael Ioris Camila Feix Vidal Gilma Camargo Script editing by Heather Gies Resources for Under the Shadow:
Other Resources: Here is NACLA’s Curated Guide to the U.S. Attack on Venezuela Here is Truthout’s ongoing reporting on War and Peace and the US invasion of Venezuela Visit https://therealnews.com/ for all of The Real News’s coverage on this and so much more. Support Under the Shadow:Please consider supporting this podcast and Michael Fox’s reporting on his Patreon account: patreon.com/mfox. There you can also see exclusive pictures, video, and interviews. You can check out Michael’s recent episode of Stories of Resistance about the protests against US intervention in Venezuela. Written and produced by Michael Fox. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Understanding the US Invasion of Venezuela | Ep. 2 | 05 Jan 2026 | 00:41:15 | |
In the early hours of Saturday morning, January 3rd, Venezuelans were awoken by the sounds of bombs falling. US helicopters whirled overhead. Explosions struck across the capital Caracas and in surrounding states. Hours of chaos, fear, and uncertainty. President Donald Trump would post over social media that the US had “captured” Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores amid a “large-scale” strike against the country. This is the first US invasion of another country in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama, when the US kidnapped and detained Panamanian President Manuel Noriega under charges of drug trafficking. The Trump administration used the same excuse to detain Maduro, despite lack of evidence linking Maduro to drug trafficking. With this strike, the United States has taken an unprecedented step: This is the first time the United States has used its own military to invade a South American country. Today, we go to Caracas to look in-depth at the January 3rd US invasion of Venezuela. Host Michael Fox speaks with Caracas-based reporter Ricardo Vaz. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. Season 2 responds in real time to the Trump Administration’s onslaught in Latin America. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Theme music by Monte Perdido and Michael Fox. Monte Perdido's new album Ofrenda is now out. You can listen to the full album on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Resources for Under the Shadow:
You can check out Ricardo Vaz’s reporting at www.venezuelanalysis.com.You can follow them on X at https://x.com/venanalysis For more English-language reporting on Venezuela, you can follow the Orinoco Tribune, Kawsachun News, and Sovereign Media. You can check out Michael’s recent episode of Stories of Resistance about the protests against US intervention in Venezuela. Please consider supporting this podcast and Michael Fox’s reporting on his Patreon account: patreon.com/mfox. There you can also see exclusive pictures, video, and interviews. Written and produced by Michael Fox. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Trump’s Piracy in the Caribbean | Ep. 1 | 23 Dec 2025 | 00:44:01 | |
On September 2, 2025, President Donald Trump announced from the Oval Office that the U.S. Navy had carried out an air strike on a boat in international waters. That boat strike rewrote U.S. policy for Latin America overnight. Three months later, 26 boats have been hit, killing more than 90 people. The United States has codified its justification for the boat strikes as part of a new National Security Strategy, published in early December 2025. In the National Security Strategy, Trump announced a new Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, which he hopes can propel the United States and the U.S. military to preeminence in the hemisphere. Trump’s actions suggest he believes he has broad latitude to take whatever measures he deems necessary, regardless of international law, the sovereignty of other nations, or the impact on human life. This reenvisioning of U.S. policy for Latin America has disastrous implications for the region. More missile strikes. Loss of innocent lives. And even wrapping the United States into war close to home. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. Season 2 will respond in real time to the Trump Administration’s onslaught in Latin America. We begin today where we started in the last episode of Season 1… in Panama. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. Edited by Heather Gies. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Theme music by Monte Perdido and Michael Fox. Monte Perdido's new album Ofrenda is now out. You can listen to the full album on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Resources: Under the Shadow
Other Resources
Support Under the Shadow
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Introducing: Stories of Resistance | 23 Jul 2025 | 00:05:24 | |
Hi folks, this is Michael Fox, the host of Under the Shadow. If you've enjoyed this series, you will be happy to know that I’ll be bringing you Season 2 next year. Over the last year, I’ve been traveling across South America and this season will be a deep dive into the dictatorships of the 1970s, Plan Condor, the fight for justice and memory today, and of course, the role of the United States. But before we get there, I wanted to let you know about a podcast I’ve been writing, hosting and producing this year. It’s called Stories of Resistance. It’s investigative journalism, prose, poetry, historical memory, and above all — story. Think vignettes… Eduardo Galeano-style, for a new Trump era. For a few minutes each day, I transport you to another place, in another time, where others also stood up, resisted, and planted seeds of hope, despite the circumstances. A little bit of hope and inspiration in these dark times. There’s a lot of crossover between Under the Shadow and Stories of Resistance. So today, I’m bringing you the first episode of Stories of Resistance. It dropped on January 20, 2025. Donald Trump’s inauguration day. You can listen to more episodes just like this wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for Stories of Resistance, or you can follow the links in the show notes. If you like what you hear, please subscribe, like, share, comment or leave a review. You can also support my work and this show, and find out what I’ve been up to lately on my Patreon. That’s patreon.com/mfox Subscribe to Stories of Resistance podcast here Become a member and join the Stories of Resistance Supporters Club today! Sign up for our newsletter Follow us on Bluesky Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/supportDonate to support this podcast Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| US Invasion of Panama | 05 Sep 2024 | 00:54:07 | |
On December 20, 1989, the United States invaded Panama with tens of thousands of troops. It was the largest US invasion since Vietnam. The first US military action since the fall of the Berlin Wall one month before. The testing ground for the Iraq Wars. The US invading forces destroyed 20,000 homes and killed hundreds of innocent Panamanians, dumping bodies into mass graves. And the United States government and the mainstream media ignored or whitewashed the violence. The story told to the American people was that of a tremendous success: The liberation of the people of Panama. All in the name of "democracy" and the so-called "war on drugs." In this episode, host Michael Fox takes us to the working-class Panama City neighborhood of El Chorrillo, which received the brunt of the US attack. He meets with Panamanians who have long fought for justice, and visits a former US military barracks that was the first home of the US School of the Americas. This is Episode 13. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Guests: John Lindsay Poland, Olmedo Beluche, Celia Sanjur, Gilma CamargoGrahame Russell, Pedro Silva, Efrain Guerrero, Omar Gonzalez Edited by Heather Gies. Sound design by Gustavo Türck. Theme music by Monte Perdido and Michael Fox. Monte Perdido's new album Ofrenda is now out. You can listen to the full album on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Additional links/info:
Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| The Legacy of Monroe | 13 Aug 2024 | 01:04:11 | |
In December 1823, US president James Monroe delivered his State of the Union address in which he coined what would become known as the Monroe Doctrine. It was a framework that would later be used to legitimize US intervention up and down the hemisphere. But in those early days, Monroe’s statements were applauded by Latin American leaders as supporting their independence struggles. They were even embraced at Simon Bolivar’s Panama Congress of 1826. In this episode, host Michael Fox travels to see what’s left of the former site of the Panama Congress, and then dives in to the past and present with Yale historian Greg Grandin. They look at Simon Bolivar’s Panama Congress, but also Monroe and the legacy of US imperialism in the region until today, including US-backed death squads, the Iran Contra Scandal, Manifest Destiny, and so much more. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Additional info:
Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Donate to support this podcast Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Venezuela. Media War. | 06 Aug 2024 | 01:00:08 | |
On Sunday, July 28th, President Nicolas Maduro won reelection there. According to the country’s national electoral council, he took 51% of votes over 44% for his rival Edmundo González Urrutia. But the opposition called fraud, claiming that they actually won the vote. Most international media have been on board with that narrative. In fact, the United States, and several other right-wing led Latin American countries have now recognized the opposition candidate as the victory. At the same time, more than 40 other countries have recognized Maduro. To make sense of it all, and the media spin that’s influencing this story, we speak with Alan MacLeod, a journalist and the senior staff writer at Mint Press News, with a PhD focused on media coverage of Venezuela. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. Additional links:
Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Donate to support this podcast Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| The Panama Canal | 23 Jul 2024 | 00:56:26 | |
Panama is, perhaps, the country in Central America that has suffered under the longest US shadow, right from the very beginning. The country and its famous canal would grow to become the United States's most important asset in the region. During World War II, the US installed as many as 100 military bases throughout Panama, and it was the base of Washington’s Latin American military training apparatus. Panama became the heart of the United States in Latin America, and the US ripped apart the country to do it, clearing and flooding whole cities, installing its own walls and fences, segregating its new territory into an apartheid system on foreign soil. In this episode, host Michael Fox walks us from present-day Panama to the very beginning, to the genesis of what was once the United States’s most important asset in Latin America. This is Episode 12 of Under the Shadow. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Guests: John Lindsay Poland Marixa Lasso Olmedo Beluche Celia Sanjur Gilma Camargo Claire Nevache-Weill Edited by Heather Gies. Sound design by Gustavo Türck. Theme music by Monte Perdido and Michael Fox. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Follow and support journalist Michael Fox and Under the Shadow, and listen to his new podcast Panamerican Dispatch at https://www.patreon.com/mfox Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Donate to support this podcast Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| The US hand in Costa Rica | 09 Jul 2024 | 01:00:39 | |
In this episode of Under the Shadow, host Michael Fox takes us to Costa Rica to examine the so-called peaceful and democratic beacon in a region beset by dictatorships and violence, and the myths surrounding the elimination of the country's military, along with how the United States did its utmost to encourage San Jose to do its bidding. This is Episode 11. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Guests: Ciska Raventós David Díaz Ivan Molina Rotsay Rosales Gustavo Fuchs Edited by Heather Gies. Sound design by Gustavo Türck. Theme music by Monte Perdido and Michael Fox. Monte Perdido's new album Ofrenda is now out. You can listen to the full album on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. You can see pictures of Costa Rica’s National Museum and Butterfly Garden here. Follow and support journalist Michael Fox and Under the Shadow, and listen to his new podcast Panamerican Dispatch at https://www.patreon.com/mfox Here’s the link for Kyle Longley’s book, Sparrow and the Hawk: Costa Rica and the United States during the Rise of Jose Figueres. Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Donate to support this podcast Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Chomsky on US Intervention in Central America | 25 Jun 2024 | 00:13:45 | |
Noam Chomsky needs no introduction. He’s a celebrated linguist, who has long denounced U.S. empire at home and abroad. And he has a long relationship with Latin America. Chomsky’s 1985 book, Turning the Tide: U.S. Intervention in Central America and the Struggle for Peace, was formative for many academics and activists analyzing the U.S. role in the region. In 2012, NACLA awarded him the Latin America Peace and Justice Award for his ongoing commitment to social justice in the Americas. Chomsky’s wife, Valeria Wasserman, is from Brazil. That’s where he is now. Chomsky suffered a stroke last year and was recently in a hospital in São Paulo, though he has since been released. You can think of this as our small tribute to the great Noam Chomsky. In this second bonus episode of Under the Shadow, host Michael Fox takes us to a October 26, 1983 lecture by Noam Chomsky, at the University of Colorado, on the impact of U.S. military intervention in Central America. It’s fascinating to look into what we knew then, even as the events were still unfolding, and hear the historical context from someone like Chomsky. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Additional info/links:
Donate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donate Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribe Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Hollywood. Empire. | 11 Jun 2024 | 00:34:37 | |
In the late 1980s, British film director Alex Cox spent several months in Nicaragua filming Walker, a movie about the U.S. filibuster who invaded and took over the country in the mid-1800s. As Cox puts it, he was trying to make “a revolutionary film in a revolutionary context." That did not go over well in Hollywood. The movie would get him blacklisted. Even today, you still can’t find the movie streaming. In this bonus episode for Under the Shadow, host Michael Fox speaks with Cox about his 1987 movie Walker and his filming of the movie in Nicaragua in the 1980s. They also look at U.S. intervention and the film industry. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. You can listen to the first episode of Michael Fox’s new podcast, Panamerican Dispatch, here. Follow and support him and Under the Shadow, at https://www.patreon.com/mfox Theme music by Monte Perdido and Michael Fox. Monte Perdido's new album Ofrenda is now out. You can listen to the full album on Spotify Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Here is the Trailer to Alex Cox’s movie Walker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XImi7fT7-J0 You can purchase the DVD to the movie Walker, here: https://www.amazon.com/Walker-Criterion-Collection-Marlee-Matlin/dp/B000ZM1MJ6 You can hear Joe Strummer’s soundtrack to Walker, here. And, if you liked this episode, don’t forget to check out Episode 8 of Under the Shadow that looks back on William Walker. The Real News Network Donate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donate Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribe Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews Guests:Alex Cox Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Nicaragua, 1980s. Contra War. (Part 2) | 28 May 2024 | 01:07:40 | |
In the early 1980s, U.S. President Ronald Reagan launched a covert war to destroy the fledgling Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua. It was brutal: Paramilitary war, CIA attacks, economic blockade, and more. It would wreak havoc on the country, killing tens of thousands and ravaging the economy. But an international solidarity movement stood up in response. And the Reagan government's hubris, and drive to fuel its war on Nicaragua, would break U.S. laws and lead to a shocking scandal in Washington: Iran Contra. In this episode, host Michael Fox walks back into the 1980s, to the U.S. response to revolution in Nicaragua and to the international solidarity that pushed back.This is Part 2 of Episode 10. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Guests: Alex Aviña William Robinson Alex Cox Marvin Ortega Rodriguez Eline Van Ommen Peter Kornbluh Coleen Littlejohn Grahame Russell Jose Francisco Artola Edited by Heather Gies. Sound design by Gustavo Türck. Theme music by Monte Perdido and Michael Fox. Permanent links
Donate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donate Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribe Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Nicaragua, 1980s. Revolution. (Part 1) | 14 May 2024 | 00:38:07 | |
The 1979 Nicaraguan revolution that overthrew a brutal U.S.-backed dictator ushered in a wave of hope in the Central American country. The new Sandinista government launched literacy and healthcare campaigns, carried out land reform and promised to improving the lives of all. But the United States, under president Ronald Reagan, feared the dominos would fall across Central America, and they unleashed assault on the country: paramilitary war, CIA attacks, economic blockade, and much more. In this episode, host Michael Fox, walks by into the 1980s, to the overthrow of dictator Anastasio Somoza and the beginning of both the Sandinista government and the U.S. response.This is Part 1, of episode 10. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Guests: Alex Aviña William Robinson Marvin Ortega Rodriguez Eline Van Ommen Peter Kornbluh Edited by Heather Gies. Sound design by Gustavo Türck. Theme music by Monte Perdidoand Michael Fox Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox You can also see pictures and listen to full clips of Michael Fox’s music for this episode. For Declassified documents on the U.S. contra war on Nicaragua, and Iran Contra, you can visit Peter Kornbluh's National Security Archives here and here. Eline van Ommen’s book, Nicaragua Must Survive: Sandinista Revolutionary Diplomacy in the Global Cold War (University of California Press, 2023), is available here. For the 2007 documentary American Sandinista, you can visit the website of director Jason Blalock. https://jasonblalock.com/ Here are links to the 1980 documentaries about Nicaragua's literacy campaign that I mention in this episode: La Salida & La Llegada The Real News Network Donate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donate Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribe Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Nicaragua. Sandino. | 23 Apr 2024 | 01:12:14 | |
In 1912, the United States invaded Nicaragua and began what would become the longest US occupation in Latin American history. The occupation would birth both a dictatorship and one of Latin America’s most important revolutionary heroes: Augusto Sandino. Sandino would wage a six-year-long guerrilla insurgency to rid Nicaragua of the US Marines. And he would win. The United States finally pulled out in 1933, the year before Sandino was assassinated by the forces of the man who would take power and rule for decades. In this episode, host Michael Fox takes us on the trail of Augusto Sandino. We visit his hometown and then speak with University of Pittsburgh historian Michel Gobat about Sandino’s life, the US occupation, and how it set the scene for everything that would come decades later, including the 1979 Sandinista Revolution. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Guests: Michel Gobat Edited by Heather Gies. Sound design by Gustavo Türck. Theme music by Monte Perdido and Michael Fox Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox For background, see Michel Gobat’s book Confronting the American Dream: Nicaragua under U.S. Imperial Rule (2005, Duke University Press) The Real News Network Donate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donate Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribe Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Nicaragua. William Walker. | 12 Apr 2024 | 00:54:18 | |
William Walker was a journalist, lawyer and physician from Nashville, Tennessee, who in 1855 invaded Nicaragua with a few dozen troops and conquered the country. At the time, he was one of thousands of private U.S. citizens who had their sights set on taking over foreign nations, all in the name of Manifest Destiny. In this episode, host Michael Fox follows in the footsteps of William Walker as he recounts one of the most twisted stories of U.S. imperialism in Central America — a story that still has lasting repercussions for Latin America, the United States and across the world. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Guests: Michel Gobat David Díaz Many thanks to Victor Acuñahttps://twitter.com/springkj?lang=en Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox The Real News Network Donate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donate Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribe Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Honduras. Narcodictator. Convicted. | 26 Mar 2024 | 00:58:53 | |
A New York court has found former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández guilty of drug trafficking and weapons possession. It’s a huge verdict that will likely see the former president imprisoned for life. In the last episode of Under The Shadow, host Michael Fox looked deeply at Hernández’s time as president from 2014 to 2022, which many came to call a narco-dictatorship. He won office in a fraudulent election, consolidated unprecedented power, pushed a neoliberal sell-off, and carried out widespread human rights abuses. In this Update 3, Fox looks at the New York trial that convicted him. What went down, what it meant, and what it means going forward for Honduras. And most important, what was missing — namely the role of the United States and Canada in propping up the Hernández regime. For this update, we speak with Karen Spring, the co-coordinator of the Honduras Solidarity Network and host of the Honduras Now podcast. She was in the New York courtroom throughout Hernandez’s trial. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, to tell the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. Recorded in San Salvador, El Salvador This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Guests: Karen Spring Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox The Real News Network Donate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donate Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribe Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Honduras, 2009. Legacy of a Coup. (Part 2) | 12 Mar 2024 | 00:56:30 | |
In June 2009, Honduras faced a devastating coup that shattered the country’s fragile democracy and sunk the country into violence, repression, and a decade-long narco-dictatorship. But the people fought back. In this continuation of Episode 7, host Michael Fox looks at the fallout of the 2009 coup in Honduras, walking from 2009 into the present. He takes us to Tegucigalpa to dive into the fraudulent U.S.-backed elections that ushered in a narco-dictatorship, and also the resistance movement that, after years of struggle, ultimately did what it set out to do: remove the dictatorship and return democracy to Honduras. This is Part 2 of a two-part episode looking at the 2009 coup in Honduras and the aftermath. Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Guests: Bertha Oliva, COFADEH Grahame Russell, Rights Action Adrienne Pine Felix Molina Jesse Freeston Karen Spring Alex Main, CEPR Edited by Heather Gies. Sound design by Gustavo Türck. Voice Actors: Andalusia K. Soloff Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox https://vimeo.com/ondemand/resistenciacp, to watch Jesse Freeston’s documentary, ResistenciaResistance, about the campesino struggle in the Aguan Valley. Karen Spring is has been covering the New York trial of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernáandez. Visit Honduras Now for updates, or follow @springkj and @HondurasNow on Twitter. The Real News Network Donate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donate Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribe Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Honduras, 2009. La Resistencia. (Part 1) | 27 Feb 2024 | 00:42:13 | |
In June 2009, Honduras faced a devastating coup that shattered the country’s fragile democracy and sunk the country into violence, repression, and a decade-long narco-dictatorship. But the people fought back. In this episode, host Michael Fox dives into the tremendous resistance to the 2009 coup. He also looks at the government of Manuel Zelaya, the Latin America Pink Tide movement of the 2000s, and the push back from Honduran elites and the United States. This is Part 1 of a two-part episode looking at the 2009 coup in Honduras and the aftermath. Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Guests: Bertha Oliva, COFADEH Grahame Russell, Rights Action Adrienne Pine Felix Molina Jesse Freeston Karen Spring Alex Main, CEPR Edited by Heather Gies. Sound design by Gustavo Türck. Voice Actors: Andalusia K. Soloff Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox https://vimeo.com/ondemand/resistenciacp to watch Jesse Freeston’s documentary, Resistance, about the campesino struggle in the Aguan Valley. Karen Spring is currently covering the New York trial of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez. Visit Honduras Now for updates, or follow @springkj and @HondurasNow on Twitter. The Real News Network Donate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donate Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribe Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| U.S.S. Honduras | 13 Feb 2024 | 00:48:33 | |
In the 1980s, Honduras was ground zero for US operations in Central America—it was the primary point from which the US would wage its proxy wars and launch its interventionist operations across the region in the name of “fighting communism.” The 1954 CIA coup in Guatemala, which we explored in Episode 2 of Under the Shadow, was staged from Honduras. It was the main base of operations where US forces trained, funded, and backed Contras in their war against Nicaragua’s Sandinista government. And today, Honduras is home to the Soto Cano Air Base, previously known as Palmerola, the largest US military base in Central America. One of the largest in Latin America. Within Honduran society itself, that meant squashing any revolutionary activity that could destabilize this key US ally and its strategic importance for US imperial operations. The impact on the country was tremendous: massacres, disappearances, many at the hands of an elite US-trained death squad known as Battalion 316. “There was a lot of repression. A huge military presence,” says Karla Lara, a Honduran journalist and well-known singer. In this episode, host Michael Fox takes us to present-day Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, then we descend back in time to one of darkest periods in Honduran history. Fox visits Honduran family members of the disappeared and walks right up to the walls of the Soto Cano Air Base. Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Guests: Bertha Oliva, COFADEH Adrienne Pine Karla Lara Grahame Russell, Rights Action Edited by Heather Gies. Sound design by Gustavo Türck. Voice Actors: Andalusia K. Soloff Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox The Real News Network Donate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donate Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribe Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| El Salvador. Bukele, Presidente. | 07 Feb 2024 | 01:12:36 | |
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has been reelected. While the official results aren’t yet in, with 70% of the ballots counted, Bukele has received an astounding 83% of the votes. He declared victory on Sunday night over X (formerly Twitter). Under the Shadow host Michael Fox was on the ground for the election. He takes us there, and sits down for an in-depth conversation with Dartmouth assistant professor of Latin American Studies Jorge Cuellar. They look at the vote. Concerns for the country’s democracy. Bukele’s reelection, his image, plans, and what it all means going forward. Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, to tell the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. Recorded in San Salvador, El Salvador This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Guests: Jorge Cuellar. Sound design by Gustavo Türck. Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox Use of Michael’s election day report, courtesy of the The World. https://www.patreon.com/mfox The Real News Network Donate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donate Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribe Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Guatemala. Arévalo, Presidente. | 30 Jan 2024 | 00:12:14 | |
Guatemala's new president Bernardo Arévalo was inaugurated on January 14. But it did not come off without a hitch. Outgoing opposition lawmakers did their best to try to stymie the swearing-in of Arévalo and some of his party members. Arévalo’s supporters rallied in Guatemala City. As we looked at in Episode 2, Bernardo Arévalo is the son of Guatemala's first democratic leader Juan José Arévalo, who ushered in the Guatemalan Spring. Bernardo Arévalo has promised to lift Guatemala once again, but… even after winning the election, he faced constant legal maneuvers, led by the attorney general, that aimed to overturn the results and block his inauguration. In this update to our reporting on Guatemala, host Michael Fox speaks with political scientist Jo-Marie Burt. She was on the ground in Guatemala City for Arévalo’s inauguration. In this update, she takes us there, and looks at what it means for Arévalo’s incoming government. Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, to tell the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Guests: Jo-Marie Burt. Edited by Heather Gies and Maximillian Alvarez. Sound design by Gustavo Türck. Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox The Real News Network Donate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donate Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribe Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| El Salvador. Rebel Radio. | 23 Jan 2024 | 00:38:35 | |
Today, we look at Radio Venceremos — a grassroots guerrilla radio that broadcast throughout El Salvador’s Civil War, denounced violent state repression, and inspired a nation. In this episode, Michael Fox travels to San Salvador, where he visits the Museum of Word and Image, the home of the archives of Radio Venceremos. He hears from former members of the radio about the revolutionary project and the U.S. and Salvadoran military attempts to shut it down. We look at what the museum means today, and also at its struggle to protect and preserve the past. Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, to tell the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Guests: Carlos Henríquez Consalvi ("Santiago") Carlos Colorado Lucio Vásquez ("Chiyo")https://lalacs.dartmouth.edu/people/jorge-e-cuellar Jorge E. Cuéllar Michael Beattie Karla Lara Edited by Heather Gies and Maximillian Alvarez. Sound design by Gustavo Türck. Voice Actors: Marc Steiner & Jasial Noor Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Chiyo and host Michael Fox performed two original songs that appear in this podcast. You can listen here and here. You can read Chiyo’s book, Siete Gorriones, here https://www.academia.edu/43531929/Siete_Gorriones Documentary sound and Radio Venceremos archives and images are courtesy of the Museum of Word and Image. You can visit them at https://museo.com.sv/ or follow on Instagram @museodelapalabraylaimagen and Twitter @tejiendomemoria. Follow & support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox The Real News Network Donate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donate Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribe Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| El Salvador. The Innocent Victims. | 16 Jan 2024 | 00:51:49 | |
1980s El Salvador was ground zero for the US intervention in Central America. The United States would funnel over $6 billion US dollars to El Salvador in mostly military aid and police and security training throughout the country’s 12-year civil war, which would last from 1980 until 1992. The violence and the US support for the country's bloody authoritarian regimes would have a deadly cost, claiming the lives of tens of thousands of innocent victims. In this episode, journalist Michael Fox heads to San Salvador where he visits a memorial for the innocent victims and looks at the legacy of El Salvador's civil war today. Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time to tell the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America). Edited by Heather Gies and Jocelyn Dombroski. Sound design by Gustavo Türck. Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Additional links: Support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox Support NACLA: nacla.org/donate Follow NACLA on X: https://twitter.com/NACLA Like NACLA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nacla/ Help The Real News Network continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donate Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribe Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Guatemala. The Disappeared. | 09 Jan 2024 | 00:43:06 | |
In the third episode of Under the Shadow, host Michael Fox visits a memorial for the disappeared on the outskirts of the Guatemalan town of San Juan Comalapa. Then, he walks back in time to the 1980s, into the country’s genocide of Indigenous peoples—and the overwhelming support for the violence that came from the United States and then-President Ronald Reagan in the name of fighting the so-called “communist threat.” Between 1962-1996, 200,000 Guatemalans were killed and 45,000 were forcibly disappeared. For the majority of families, the whereabouts of those lost loved ones are still unknown, even decades after security forces abducted them. Most of the victims of the conflict were Indigenous. Most of the perpetrators were members of government forces. Later in the episode, we walk back to present day and look ahead to the upcoming inauguration of new Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo, the son of the country’s first democratic president, who will be sworn in on January 14, 2024. Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time to tell the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America). Edited by Heather Gies and Maximillian Alvarez. Sound design by Gustavo Türck. Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Many thanks to filmmaker Pamela Yates for allowing us to use clips of her award winning documentary When the Mountains Tremble in this podcast. Her Guatemala documentaries are being rereleased this year. You can find out more at https://skylight.is/. Additional links: Support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox Support NACLA: nacla.org/donate Follow NACLA on X: https://twitter.com/NACLA Like NACLA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nacla/ Help The Real News Network continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donate Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribe Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Guatemala. United Fruit. | 09 Jan 2024 | 00:42:26 | |
In the second episode of Under the Shadow, host Michael Fox digs into the past to examine the outsized role one US banana corporation, United Fruit, played in shaping the history of modern Central America. While literally walking in the footsteps of those who worked at United Fruit’s former central Guatemalan operation in the town of Tiquisate, Fox goes in search of the legacy of the company today. Then, like taking an elevator to the past, Fox takes us to the heyday of United Fruit’s economic dominance, and to the 1954 CIA coup that overthrew Guatemala’s democratically elected president in the name of “anti-communism” and the preservation of US corporate interests (namely, the interests of United Fruit). Later in the episode, and more in the next episode, we return to present day to look at the upcoming inauguration of new Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo, the son of the country’s first democratic president, who will be sworn in on Jan. 14, 2024. Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time to tell the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America). Edited by Heather Gies and Maximillian Alvarez. Sound design by Gustavo Türck. Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Additional links: Support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox Support NACLA: nacla.org/donate Follow NACLA on X: https://twitter.com/NACLA Like NACLA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nacla/ Help The Real News Network continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donate Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribe Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| The Beginning: Monroe and Migration | 09 Jan 2024 | 00:46:09 | |
Two hundred years ago, on December 2, 1823, then-president James Monroe delivered his State of the Union address to Congress. In his address, he laid out what would become both one of the most consequential and devastating ideas for Latin America—the Monroe Doctrine. We look back on the history of the Monroe Doctrine and the devastating impact on the region. The list of US invasions, occupations, coups, and sanctions is endless. Hundreds. From Mexico to Panama. The Caribbean. Colombia to the tip of Chile and Argentina. No country in Latin America has remained free from the shadow hanging over them. The shadow of the United States. The shadow of the Monroe Doctrine. In the second half of the episode, we meet migrants walking North toward the United States on the edge of Central America. A very real manifestation, right now, of the never-ending impact of US intervention in Latin America. Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time to tell the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Edited by Heather Gies and Maximillian Alvarez. Sound design by Gustavo Türck. Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Additional links: Support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox The clip from Democracy Now! looking at the 200th Anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSO-t49t198 Support NACLA: nacla.org/donate Follow NACLA on X: https://twitter.com/NACLA Like NACLA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nacla/ Help The Real News Network continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donate Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribe Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
| Trailer: Under the Shadow | 18 Sep 2023 | 00:04:22 | |
Support the production of this podcast now: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/brasilonfire/under-the-shadow-of-the-united-states-a-podcast History is often lost in the past. Hard to grasp. Difficult to explain. The story of the US role abroad is often muddled or forgotten. In this podcast series on US intervention and revolutionary resistance in Latin America, independent journalist Michael Fox makes that history come to life, taking listeners to places in the present on a search for the legacies of the past. It's a search for the ghosts that still linger—and what it all means today. This is particularly important this year—2023—the 200-year anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine, the US foreign policy that defined Latin America as its backyard, to do with what it would like. And yet, throughout the region there has been pushback — a revolutionary spirit of the past and ongoing movements in the present. "Under the Shadow" is a highly produced, sound-rich, investigative podcast series that takes listeners across Latin America to the scenes of some of the region’s most devastating, revolutionary, and historic moments — both good and bad. Season 1 — coming soon — dives deep into the past of Central America, uncovering the history of US intervention that still lingers in the region today. With first-hand reporting, profound interviews, and archival footage, each of the nine episodes stands alone. But they also fit together as part of a larger story of the legacies of repressive governments, revolution, and the role of the United States in invasions, coups, and the wars of the 1980s. Michael Fox is a longtime radio reporter, editor, and journalist who has spent the better part of the last 20 years in Latin America. He is the former editor of the NACLA Report on the Americas, the former director of video production at teleSUR English, and a former member of the steering committee of the daily radio news show FSRN. Last year, he reported and produced the highly successful investigative podcast series Brazil on Fire, about Brazil's descent toward authoritarianism under President Jair Bolsonaro. https://www.mfox.us/ The Real News Network (TRNN) makes media that amplifies movements and organizers fighting for a better future. We are a multi-platform digital newsroom based in Baltimore but reporting nationally and internationally. https://therealnews.com The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA) is an independent, nonprofit organization founded in 1966 to examine and critique US imperialism and political, economic, and military intervention in the Western hemisphere. For more than 50 years, NACLA has been a leading source of English-language research and analysis on Latin America and the Caribbean. https://nacla.org Help cover the production costs of Under the Shadow: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/brasilonfire/under-the-shadow-of-the-united-states-a-podcast Series logo image credit: Museo de la Palabra y la Imagen (MUPI) Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support. Follow Under the Shadow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork | |||
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