In this episode, Mariana speaks with Juan Carlos Baker, former USMCA negotiator and Director General for North America at the Ministry of the Economy, about the impact tariffs have had on Mexico and how they have served President’s Trump goal of curbing the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. They also discuss why 83% of Mexican exports are currently being exempt ... Show More
Oct 21
AI: Leapfrogging into the Future
In this episode, Mariana speaks with Jimena Pardo and Federico Antoni, Managing Partners of Hi Ventures, a Venture Capital fund investing in AI startups in Latin America. They discuss how a second generation of entrepreneurs are applying AI to find unique solutions and what poten ... Show More
40m 10s
Jul 2025
Benefiting Cartels by Law
In this episode, Mariana speaks with former Supreme Court Minister, Jose Ramon Cosío about the implications of the judicial constitutional reform pushed by President Claudia Sheinbaum and passed by Mexico’s Congress. The reform effectively kills the independence of all local, sta ... Show More
27m 2s
Apr 2025
Craig Larkin: The Politics of Memory, From Mosul to Beirut to Gaza
This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Craig Larkin, director of the Center for the Study of Divided Societies at King’s College London. Dr. Larkin is also a research lead on Memory and Conflict for XCEPT, a research consortium studying cross-border conflict. There, he ... Show More
40m 51s
May 2025
Mohanad Hage Ali: Hezbollah and the Captagon Trade
This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Mohanad Hage Ali, deputy director for research at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. Mohanad's latest paper for Carnegie investigates the rise of a new form of drug smuggling in Lebanon. Together, they discuss Hezbollah’s i ... Show More
50m 16s
Nov 2024
Hezbollah Falls into the Crosshairs: Israeli attacks in Lebanon, possible peace deals, and Hezbollah's future
<p>This week on <em>The New Arab Voice podcast</em> we look at the escalating conflict in Lebanon.</p><p>In recent months Israeli airstrikes have ramped up, targeting Hezbollah's military stores, infrastructure, and its leadership. Additionally, Israeli troops have crossed the bo ... Show More
36m 29s
Sep 30
Hezbollah's Existential Crisis: Lebanon's effort to disarm the resistance and the future of the Party of God
It has been annus horribilis for Hezbollah.They were struck by a deadly pager attack, Israel launched a devastating air and ground campaign against the group, and their long-time leader was killed in an Israeli airstrike. The war left Hezbollah battered and broken, and now, the L ... Show More
29m 46s
Jul 2024
Karim Haggag: Egypt's Balancing Act
This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Ambassador Karim Haggag. After an Egyptian diplomatic career that spanned more than 25 years, Amb. Haggag is now a professor of practice at the American University in Cairo's School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, the director of ... Show More
41m 3s
Oct 2023
Dalal Mawad: The Port of Beirut Explosion Through Women's Eyes
This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Lebanese journalist Dalal Mawad about her new book, All She Lost. The book weaves together women’s stories as they grapple with the 2020 explosion at the Port of Beirut, its aftermath, and the underlying pathologies that have contribut ... Show More
33m 2s