Learn Spanish with Stories

Unless you've missed a lot of the recent news, you'll probably have heard about María Corina Machado's Nobel Peace Prize award, and how US President Donald Trump soon became the recipient of her winning medal... but what is the backstory behind all of this?

Too much has been spoken about Venezuela from sides that are extremely politically driven (on both sides of the spectrum), but who really is María Corina Machado? And what did she do to earn her Nobel Prize?

In this week's episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we dive into her political journey, why her efforts have mattered so much, how she fought a literal dictatorship without violence, and how she ended up "stealing" Donald Trump's Peace Prize before generously donating it. Enjoy the episode!

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/5099

There are some really amazing stories regarding independence and freedom in Latin America, but what if I told you that the episode you're about to listen to is about the first settlement to gain freedom in ALL of the Americas (North AND South America): San Basilio de Palenque.

Located on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, Cartagena was one of the main slave hubs of the continent, and a place where thousands of African men and women disembarked every year to be sold to colonists that needed manpower for their land and homes. And this slavery was brutal - these peoples from the Congo, Angola, Guinea, and Senegal.

But a ray of hope appeared in the form of a man: a rebel leader named Benkos Biohó, who decided to take a group of slaves (including his family) and escape to a new place, a new village, where freedom would be born in the Americas, and inevitable change would begin in a place called San Basilio de Palenque... find out more in this week's episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast!

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/5066

Latin America has suffered under fascism throughout its history, and right-wing dictators have made a strong negative impact on the region throughout several decades of the region's existence. These, perhaps, have been the more bloodthirsty of past and present dictators, willing to harm citizens to effectively further their goals.

One of the most terrible dictators Latin America ever had was Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, who we featured in a past season of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, but this episode isn't centered on him - it tells the mysterious, chilling tale of Jesús de Galíndez, a Spanish intellectual who stood up to fascism in both Europe and Latin America, before disappearing... forever.

In this episode, we attempt to understand the events surrounding his disappearance, what happened to him later, and what legacy this brave man left behind in a world of darkness.

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/5033

Some of the most interesting and curious flags in the world are those in Latin America; after all, aren't some, like, almost identical to each other? And why would that be?

Besides, what's with Paraguay having a two-sided flag (the ONLY one in the world to have this characteristic)? Or Brazil having "Ordem e Progresso" stamped across the center of its flag? And why do Uruguay and Argentina both have tributes to the Sun?

Well, all of these mysteries, the history of these flags, and why they're so awesome will become clear in the latest episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast: enjoy!

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/5000

History tells too many tales of great men, but what about the incredible women that liberated countries and fought valiantly in wars where they were overpowered and outnumbered? Manuela Sáenz was such a woman who, despite being seen at the time as little more than "Simón Bolívar's love interest" was actually a political and military mastermind in freeing the colonies from Spanish rule.

A courageous woman who was not afraid of putting herself at risk to cooperate and coordinate the independentist forces to fight back against their oppressors, she was a rebel from her early years, and in today's episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories Podcast, we reflect on how exactly she contributed to this crucial war.

Enjoy the episode, and find out why Manuela Sáenz de Vergara y Aizpuru became known as the "Liberator of the Liberator", why she earned so many military awards, and how instrumental she became to the freedom of millions of South Americans.

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/4967