Move aside, the Himalayas. The Andes might not have the highest peaks in the world, but it's actually the most extensive mountain range on our planet, encompassing 7,242 kilometers and stretching across SEVEN different nations. It's South America's pride.But what's so special about the Andes, and what type of terrain, flora, and fauna can you expect to find there? Oh, and why was it so important for human civilization, who not only lived there but turned it into the birthplace of great empires?In this episode, we climb Latin America's highest peaks and ascend to the very sky above this wonderful region to look down upon the magnificent Andes mountain range and uncover its mysteries. Enjoy!Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1188

Eva 'Evita' Perón, a woman who caused so much amazement and admiration over the decades that even Madonna, the Queen of Pop, begged to play her in a film. A young woman who, despite growing into the wealth of Argentine politics, actually came from a poor background and knew what it meant to be hungry.The wife of controversial president, Juan Domingo Perón, Evita was a radically contrasting figure. On the one hand, she mingled with the poor and brought women's rights forward a few decades...On the other, she and her husband were supporters of fascism across the world, including figures such as Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler.But we'll let you conclude as to how you feel about her, because nobody (not even the greatest humans of all time) are either "good" or "bad".Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1187

Do you love soccer? Argentinians do, that's for sure. Their two top teams - Boca Juniors and River Plate - are actually among the fiercest rivals in world soccer, and have seen some of the most amazing encounters that Latin American football has to offer.In this fantastic DUAL episode, we find Lucas and Paula getting ready to enter this year's Superclásico - that is, the duel between these two legendary teams. Having a bit of time to spare before the match, they decide to share a bit of competitive banter while remembering their teams' amazing feats and deciding on which one is best!So, it's time for you to dive into the magic, tragedy, glories, and failures at the pinnacle of Argentine football. Enjoy this week's episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast!Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1186

Sometimes, waiting for law enforcement to help is not enough, especially if the local police are involved in the crime you expect them to solve. Such was the belief of a brave mother named Miriam Rodriguez, who in January of 2014, realized that nobody was going to help her get her daughter back after she was kidnapped.This woman, one of the bravest we've ever heard of, decided to take justice into her hands and commence both an investigation and manhunt like no other. She would go after every kidnapper involved in her daughter's crime and put them behind bars.This would raise alarm bells among the criminals and cartels, but Miriam admitted it herself: "I'm going to take down the people who kidnapped my daughter, and then they can do what they want with me." ...Find out how this heroic story ends in the newest epic episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast.Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1185

How much do you know about what goes on in North Korea? Probably not much. Perhaps you think that a lot of what is said is just negative propaganda by anti-communists. But what if I told you that a Venezuelan communist was imprisoned there and got to see how horrible the prisoner treatment was up close?Now, you must be wondering... what was a Venezuelan poet doing working in North Korea? Today's story is precisely about this man and what led him there. Ali Lameda was a passionate dreamer, who believed that the world needed more of what East Germany, Romania and North Korea (among other nations) had implemented at the time. The message of Karl Marx was like music to his ears. So he decided to contribute to Kim Jong Il's cause.But he didn't expect that a slight, small criticism of what Kim's government was doing in terms of propaganda would cause him... a world of pain, both literal and even spiritual, as the North Koreans attempted to destroy the man over decades.  Does it sound horrific? Probably - but it might just have a happier ending than you think. Find out everything about this relatively unknown case in this week's episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast!Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1184

Have you ever heard of the Mapuche people, or the historical country of “Wallmapu”? Probably not, and there’s a reason for that: the Mapuche people have been conquered, colonized, and excluded for centuries, since the Spanish arrived in South America... to the present day when modern governments continue to ostracize and bar them from possessing the same rights as everyone else.It’s a controversial subject and one that has caused great bloodshed in the south of South America, with fierce protests and even extrajudicial killings: it’s a fight not only for equality by the Mapuche people, but one of simple respect by a society that has shunned them and forced them to live in uneducated poverty for too long.But maybe it’s time for you to build your own opinion – check out this week’s episode and learn more about the Mapuche while also polishing your Spanish fluency!Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1183

While capitalism has undoubtedly brought us some of our most impressive advancements as a species, it has also done some pretty terrible stuff to people across the world. Latin America is not an exception.In the early 20th century, as corporations in the United States began looking outward and started entering poorer countries (under the guise of "foreign investment"), governments across Central and South America would greedily accept them and allow them to do whatever they wanted.Soon, however, these corporations turned against the people and began the exploitation of land and workers, turning their host countries into "Banana Republics" which depended almost 100% on the profits gained from working with the corporation. But why the name? And how did it affect the nations in the long run?Well, I guess you're going to have to listen to the latest episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast to find out!Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1182

When you watch a pirate movie, have you ever asked yourself where most of them are based? Heck, isn't the most famous movie pirate saga based in, precisely, Latin America (the Caribbean)?And I bet you didn't know that most of those characters, events, and legends are based (loosely) on real stories and treasures - yes, it's not an exaggeration when we're told that reality surpasses fiction.So... what is it that drove pirates and explorers to venture into the Caribbean and South American continent? Why, treasure, of course! And that's what we're talking about in today's episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast. So, buckle up and bring yer' eyepatch. We be goin' to embark on a fascinatin' treasure-huntin', language learnin' adventure!Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1181

Did you grow up loving dinosaurs like me? Maybe, maybe not, but you have to admit that it's sad how they disappeared. One day they were out there doing their thing, and then BOOM! A giant asteroid fell from the sky and ended them all. But where did that asteroid land? To be honest, there are mixed studies, but it is widely believed that the Yucatan extinction event was the cause for the disappearance of dinosaurs and 75% of all animal and plant life on Earth. Its crater, specifically known as The Chicxulub Crater, was discovered relatively recently (in the 1970s) and is still an extremely interesting subject of study. In this latest episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we'll dig deep into the story of this now-hidden crater, the story of the asteroid that caused it, and the fate of the dinosaurs 65-66 million years ago, all while learning Spanish. Enjoy! Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1180

It may be surprising if you didn't already know this, but back in the late 1980s, a son of first-generation Japanese immigrants rose enough in political power and popularity to become president of a South American nation. We're talking of the ex-president of Peru, Alberto Fujimori, who was elected in a time of great economic and social struggle in the nation. There was even an ongoing war against the widespread terrorism brought about by Abimael Guzman's Sendero Luminoso (which we talked about in a previous episode) that Fujimori promised to end, which helped him convince voters during his campaign. But soon, Fujimori's tactics became more bloodthirsty, and his government measures more authoritarian, and such began the most controversial presidency in Peru's history. Discover all about it (while learning Spanish) in the latest episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast! Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1179

What if I told you that there was a "day in which the mountain rolled into the sea" in Venezuela? What would you think? It sounds almost poetic, but it describes the country's worst natural tragedy in history. It all began with a week of heavy rain, a storm at the beginning of December 1999, when the whole nation's attention was fixed almost entirely on the shifting political events that would mark the end of an era and the beginning of something revolutionary - the age of a new referendum under Hugo Chavez's government.But all eyes would certainly soon turn to the events occurring across the coast in Vargas state, as the rain continued to fall and soon turned into something much, much worse.In this episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we’ll delve into Venezuela's scariest natural disaster - one which marked a before and after for disaster prevention techniques and responses worldwide, such was its impact. We will discover... the Vargas Tragedy. Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1178

Did you know that one of the most influential writers in history is actually from Latin America? Colombia, to be exact – I’m talking of Gabriel García Márquez, of course! Father of the amazing and refreshing genre known as “Magical Realism”, this Aracataca-born man changed the course of Latin American literature forever with his classic “One Hundred Years of Solitude”. In this latest episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we’ll cover his life, his inspiration, the way he worked and why he grew to become Latin America’s most important writer of the past century. Enjoy! Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1177

Do you know what’s one of the strangest things in Latin America? The fact that the biggest country in a Spanish-majority region (with a third of the total population in Latin America) speaks a different language: Portuguese. You’d think that somehow, Brazil would have adopted Spanish like their neighbors, but they never did, and even today, it is a minority language among many others. So… why? Why does Brazil speak Portuguese? Basically, it has a lot to do with its origins and how the colonized lands were divided when it came to the Portuguese and Spanish kingdoms, who now had practically full control of the South American continent. …but I won’t go into the historic details here. It’s better if you watch the fascinating latest episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, instead! Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1176

Have you ever wondered why Paraguay isn’t really a big, star destination in South America? In fact, it’s actually one of the least talked about locations in all of Latin America despite its size and location. Well, this might have a lot to do with the fact that it went through a truly terrible war in the 1800s that decimated its infrastructure and even its population (up to HALF of Paraguayans died!), leaving the country more or less in ruins, and in need of serious rebuilding. And who were the culprits? That would be an interesting alliance between the Empire of Brazil (yes, it was an empire once), Argentina and Uruguay – in other words, what would be known as The Triple Alliance. But what caused the War of the Triple Alliance, and why did it get so ugly? Find out in today’s episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast! Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1175

Many of the best heroic stories end in tragedy. Such is the case of Kiki Camarena, the ace DEA agent with a magnificent sixth sense and an ability to sniff out the bad guys unlike any other. Although his career was centered on U.S. law enforcement, this Mexican-born special agent was transferred to Mexico to keep an eye on the ongoing events of the criminal underworld and soon realized that things were getting really bad, really quickly, way before anyone else did. Infiltrating himself into the world’s biggest marijuana plantation, thwarting Mexico’s biggest cartel in history at every turn, and even unveiling a massive international government conspiracy were only a few of the things Kiki managed to do within a few years… but this would end up costing him dearly. Find out more about the life and death of agent Kiki Camarena in the latest episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast! Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1174

Some people are born different. Talented, special, prodigies… whatever you want to call them, they are able to do things others could only dream of. Gustavo Dudamel is one such man – from a young age, he demonstrated an immense ability in the world of music. This music conductor not only became the best of his nation, Venezuela, by the age of 18, but also soon dominated South America, Europe, and the entire world with his ability to lead orchestras of all shapes and sizes.  Discover the story of this man who has not only broken all kinds of records in Venezuela but in music history, and who continues to amaze the world of art and music with his accomplishments, in the latest episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast. Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1173

In 1985, Colombia was going through one of its most terrible periods in all its history. On one side, Pablo Escobar was destabilizing the nation with his drug trade and violence, and the Cali Cartel was growing in power. On the other, only two years before, a terrible earthquake had destroyed the city of Popayán, scarring the memories of local citizens and bringing fear to those around the nation. But before the nation could recover, an even more horrific event struck – one that would be seared not only into the minds of Colombians, but of all humans worldwide. The brave, pleading eyes of Omayra Sanchez, the desperation of her rescuers, the pain and terror following a volcanic eruption and the avalanche of hot mud that followed… This is the story of the eruption of Nevado del Ruiz: the Armero Tragedy, and all the horror - as well as the courage - that followed. Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1172

Welcome back to the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast by Lingo Mastery! We’ve arrived once more, this time with Season 3, to bring you the best in Spanish learning. This time, we want to travel across the world, away from Latin America… all the way to the Philippines, where a very interesting Spanish-related development happened between the 1500s and late 1800s – the colonization of these enchanting islands by the Spanish Crown.  In this episode, we want to tell you more about what consequences the Spanish influence brought to the Filipino culture, how they left their mark on religion but strangely not so much on the language, and what role the United States had to do in all of this (spoiler alert – it’s not a pretty one)! Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1171