Episodes

  • Episode 10, Part 1 | Nicaragua, 1980s. Revolution

    Episode 10, Part 1 | Nicaragua, 1980s. Revolution
    May 14 2024
    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 AviñaWilliam RobinsonMarvin Ortega RodriguezEline Van OmmenPeter KornbluhEdited by Heather Gies.Sound design by Gustavo Türck.Theme music by Monte Perdidoand Michael FoxOther music from Blue Dot Sessions.Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfoxYou 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 LlegadaThe Real News NetworkDonate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donateSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribeLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnewsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support.
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    38 mins
  • Episode 9 | Nicaragua. Sandino

    Episode 9 | Nicaragua. Sandino
    Apr 23 2024
    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
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    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support.
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Episode 8 | Nicaragua. William Walker

    Episode 8 | Nicaragua. William Walker
    Apr 12 2024
    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 Acuña

    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.
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    54 mins
  • Update 3 | Honduras. Narcodictator. Convicted.

    Update 3 | Honduras. Narcodictator. Convicted.
    Mar 26 2024
    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.
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    59 mins
  • Ep. 7, Pt. 2 | Honduras, 2009. Legacy of a Coup

    Ep. 7, Pt. 2 | Honduras, 2009. Legacy of a Coup
    Mar 12 2024
    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, COFADEHGrahame Russell, Rights ActionAdrienne PineFelix MolinaJesse FreestonKaren SpringAlex Main, CEPREdited by Heather Gies.Sound design by Gustavo Türck.Voice Actors: Andalusia K. SoloffTheme 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/mfoxClick here, 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 NetworkDonate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donateSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribeLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnewsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support.
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    57 mins
  • Ep. 7, Pt. 1 | Honduras, 2009. La Resistencia.

    Ep. 7, Pt. 1 | Honduras, 2009. La Resistencia.
    Feb 27 2024
    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, COFADEHGrahame Russell, Rights ActionAdrienne PineFelix MolinaJesse FreestonKaren SpringAlex Main, CEPREdited by Heather Gies.Sound design by Gustavo Türck.Voice Actors: Andalusia K. SoloffTheme 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/mfoxClick here 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 NetworkDonate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donateSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribeLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnewsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support.
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    42 mins
  • Ep. 6 | U.S.S. Honduras

    Ep. 6 | U.S.S. Honduras
    Feb 13 2024
    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, COFADEHAdrienne PineKarla LaraGrahame Russell, Rights ActionEdited by Heather Gies.Sound design by Gustavo Türck.Voice Actors: Andalusia K. SoloffTheme 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/mfoxThe Real News NetworkDonate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donateSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribeLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnewsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support.
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    49 mins
  • Update 2 | El Salvador. Bukele, Presidente.

    Update 2 | El Salvador. Bukele, Presidente.
    Feb 7 2024
    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.

    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.
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    1 hr and 13 mins