Learn Spanish with Stories

Mexico is no stranger to cartel-related violence, and early in 2026, we witnessed how the death of a cartel leader caused an explosion of terror across 12 states - businesses burned, roads blocked off, and even an airport being attacked.

Flights were canceled, transport was paralyzed, and kids had to stay home, as the situation was not only unpredictable but also highly volatile, with the cartel presence embedded deeply in each and every local community in one way or another.

But who was the leader whose death caused this all? This Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, AKA 'El Mencho'? Why did he command so much respect, and how high had he been not only on Mexico's but the global Most Wanted list? Today, we'll find out in the latest episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast!

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/5363

Bad Bunny. A name, a personality, a legend (maybe)? Everyone knows him, everybody feels something towards him, whether it's love, admiration, or pure rejection. He's the face for Latin American music right now, and he seems to be skyrocketing towards more and more success as the years pass.

But what's the story behind this singer, this "Conejo Malo" whose real name is Benito Antonio? It's about time somebody told the story behind his nickname, his origins, the timeline that took him from school notes to Super Bowl, and why he's now a global phenomenon.

And that's exactly what we're doing in this week's episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast - enjoy!

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/5330

Living in Latin America, you'll hear the following nostalgic phrase at least once in your lifetime (especially if somebody is complaining about laziness or bad habits): "If only we had been colonized by the Brits..."

This belief, shared by a certain portion of the Latin American region and often used when looking north at the vastly superior technological development achieved in the United States, is an expression of the infamous frustrations toward everything that is wrong with Latin America and often blamed on the Spanish colonization: corruption, a lack of work ethic, mediocrity, violence...

So, in this episode, we actually go ahead and rewrite history - to tell the story of "What if" the British had been the ones to arrive on Caribbean and South American shores instead of the Spanish (actually, we've made Christopher Columbus a British sympathizer here, for the sake of simplicity) - and how that would have affected the entirety not only of the region, but of the world.

Enjoy the episode and don't forget - it's all playful fiction!

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/5297

Let's do an exercise - since we've already explored how Latin America has been changed by Spanish colonization, by the influence of the United States, and other nations... why don't we spin it around for once, and ask how Latin America has influenced the rest of the world?

After all, Italy wouldn't have its beloved tomatoes if not for the Aztecs and Andeans cultivating it; we would not be able to eat fried potatoes if not for Peru and Bolivia; and we have Mexico to thank for corn (which we enjoy in so many ways)!

But it isn't just food... it's language, culture, music, metals and other resources, and all of the incredible things that Latin America has shared with the rest of the globe. In this week's episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we discover what all of these things are, and how they came to influence the world.

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/5264

On January 3, 2026, Venezuela's dictator, Nicolás Maduro, was removed from power. Plenty of us already know this headline, and many are already aware of how this looked from the outside - Donald Trump's government prepared the attack meticulously before executing, and Maduro ended up in chains, headed to New York aboard the USS Iwo Jima.

However, very few have wondered what it felt like for Venezuelans - who, either inside or outside the country, had to deal with the information blackout and the uncertainty that followed... Would this mean the liberation of their country, or would vengeance from Maduro's allies soon follow?

In this episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we explore both the events leading up to and the aftermath of Maduro's removal from a Venezuelan point of view and attempt to understand how people in the crisis-stricken feel today about this sudden and violent change in their daily lives. Enjoy!

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/5231