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Start giftingGold, Oil and Avocados
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Learn moreThe twenty-first century began optimistically in Latin America. Left-leaning leaders armed with programs to reduce poverty and reclaim national wealth were seeing results—but as the aughts gave way to the teens, they began to fall like dominos. Where did the dreams of this "pink tide" go? Look no further than the original culprits of Latin American disenfranchisement: resource-rich land and unscrupulous extraction.
Recounting the story commodity by commodity, Andy Robinson reveals what oxen have to do with the rise of Jair Bolsonaro, how quinoa explains the mob that descended on Evo Morales, and why oil is the culprit behind the protracted coup in Venezuela. In addition to the usual suspects like gold and bananas which underscored the original plunder of the Americas, Robinson also shows how a new generation of valuable resources—like coltan for smartphones and lithium for electric cars—have become important players in the fate of Latin America. And as the energy transition sets mineral prices soaring, Latin America remains at the mercy of the rollercoaster of commodity prices.
Robinson takes listeners from the salt plains of Chile to the depths of the Amazonian jungle to stitch together the story of Latin America's last decade, showing how the imperial plunder of the past carries on today under a new name.
Andy Robinson is a roving reporter for the Barcelona daily, La Vanguardia. A graduate of the London School of Economics, he moved to Spain in the eighties where he wrote for the Guardian, the New Statesman, City Limits, Ajoblanco, El Mon, and others. He is a regular contributor to the Nation and has published two previous Spanish-language books, Un reportero en la montana magica and Off the road, miedo, asco y esperanza en America.
Andre Bellido is a New York City-based audiobook narrator, actor, and musician, born in South Florida to Latin American immigrants. He attended Berklee College of Music as a music production and engineering major and moved to NYC shortly after graduating. He started out by engineering and directing audiobooks and podcasts at various recording studios in the city, while simultaneously studying acting at T. Schreiber. Andre performs in both English and Spanish, and is represented by Prestige Management for commercial acting.