Few names of Venezuelan gangs and cartels have made as many headlines as El Tren de Aragua, especially in recent months. Named a terrorist organization by President Trump's administration and called "the most disruptive criminal organization operating nowadays in Latin America" by an esteemed Colombian former vice-president, this gang is among the most dangerous in the world.

And the worst part is that they're not confined to Venezuelan borders, either - no, they're actually spread across South, Central and North America, having caused pain and suffering to migrants and natives all across the American continent, and they only seem to be gathering more and more power.

But how can they be stopped, and will there be a way for new measures to put an end to their terror? 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/1799

A wealthy and respected family... hiding dark secrets of kidnapping and murder behind the scenes. Nope, it's not your newest documentary on a streaming platform - this actually happened in Argentina in the 1980s, just after the right-wing state terrorism of Operation Condor, when a wide range of corrupt cops and torturers were left unemployed, and had to find another way to use their "talents".


Arquímedes Puccio was one such individual - previously a military intelligence member, he knew how to pick someone up and keep them imprisoned, but these skills were now useless in a more peaceful, stable Argentina. Or were they?


Let's find out in this episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, in which we discover how exactly Arquímedes found a new way to use his skills, and even involved his entire family in what would become one of Argentina's most famous cases of crime.


Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1766

Whenever you think of the Cuban Revolution, the first names that come to mind are Fidel and Raul Castro, and Che Guevara - right?


But the amazing thing is that there is a name that should always equally appear alongside them, as one of the nicest and kind of the Cuban revolutionaries, who acted as a pacifying presence and kept everyone level-headed: Camilo Cienfuegos.


And the most incredible part of Cienfuegos's story was not his life, but his death - you see, one day he simply disappeared and was never seen again. The mystery behind this and the story of Camilo's life is something we'll cover in today's episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast. Enjoy!


Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1733

Neighbors, rivals, and sometimes even enemies: Argentina and Chile have long shared the tall but thin mountain range of the Andes as their border, many times coming close to blows over territorial differences, and long eyeing each other with distrust over their neighbor's plans.


But both sides have their points to make, their truths, and their reasons to be as they are - and today we'll hear from both sides as, in this special DUAL NARRATOR episode, Juan and Isabel get into a debate about who's right, who's wrong, and how things have evolved over the years.


Enjoy this episode - I hope it helps you plan your next trip to the south of South America. Argentina vs. Chile - who will triumph? Find out today.


Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1700

What happened at Jonestown, Guyana, is something that has spawned an immense number of books, movies, and even day-to-day phrases, but what it created the most were questions.


The biggest of all: why were his followers so easily convinced to drink the Kool-Aid (literally)? And why didn't anyone see this coming?


In this episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we travel to a country rarely featured in Latin American history, but which carries this dark stain to this day: the story of Jim Jones and the Jonestown massacre.


Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1667

Just over 10 years ago, on September 26, 2014, a tragedy occurred in Guerrero, Mexico. 43 students heading to a protest in the capital vanished off the face of the Earth — or actually, they were taken off the face of the Earth.


But nobody knew where, and nobody seemed to know who had taken them. All there was, was a flimsy explanation that was quickly accepted as "the official truth" by many.


However, the families wouldn't give up, and the country was soon to light on fire as everyone, inside and outside Mexico, demanded to know what happened to the Ayotzinapa 43.


In this sad but hopeful story of how the common people can go up against even the most powerful government and win, if they have the self-belief, we discover the fates of the missing Ayozinapa 43, while learning Spanish as a native!


Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1634

Climatology might seem like it's been around forever, but it's actually one of the newer sciences. One of the fathers of this science was Alexander von Humboldt, who traveled to South America and Mexico with one goal in mind—to demystify the New World and illuminate how the so-called "primitive" natives really lived there.


In an extended journey across several nations with his companion, Aimé Bonpland, the scientists studied animals, mountains, the weather, people, settlements, volcanoes... practically anything they could get their hands on, documenting everything they could, and making discoveries that blew European minds, once they made it back home.


In fact, much of the modern climatology knowledge we possess, including wind currents, is a result of Humboldt's work, which is why he is held in great esteem to this day.


But I'm not going to spoil any details here - check out the newest episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast and enjoy!


Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1601

The U.S. has a shady history in Latin America - we all know this, as much as might love the United States. From the full-blown coups in Operation Condor to CIA involvement in protests, Latin America has often been relegated to becoming "the United States' back yard".

But nothing is worse than what happened at the Bay of Pigs. You see, the invasion was planned and approved, and everything was ready for the removal of Fidel Castro... but at the last minute, JFK called most of it off, with soldiers already on their way to the coasts of the island.

And don't get me started on what that led to: the Cuban Missile Crisis, or in other words, the closest we've been to nuclear armageddon.

You're going to need to listen to this week's episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast to find out the rest - it's pretty wild.


Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1568