Security and violent crime are the single most pressing issues on the minds of voters regarding the presidential elections in Costa Rica in February 2026 and so, on The LatinNews Podcast this week, we investigate the causes for these troubles - including inequality and marginalization - and what President Rodrigo Chaves has done to combat this.

We discuss the broader trends in the region regarding the elections, Costa Rica's strong identity, Chaves' open admiration for President Bukele in El Salvador and the country's foreign policy plans.

Joining us is Mary Fran T Malone, Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of New Hampshire where she teaches classes on democratization, comparative politics, and Latin American politics.

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The recent election of American Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV marks a historic moment for the Catholic Church. Not only is Leo XIV the first pope from the United States, but he is also a pontiff deeply connected to Latin America, where he dedicated nearly forty years to pastoral work, particularly in Peru. In this respect, Leo would appear to be another Latin American pope and there is great excitement in the region resulting from his nomination.

On The LatinNews Podcast this week, we ask whether Pope Leo's deep connections to Latin America will ensure a continuation of Pope Francis' policies of diplomacy and solidarity with the region. As an advocate for human rights and the church's role in mediating social conflicts, will this put the pope at odds with the government of President Trump in the United States regarding their treatment of migrants and more?

We speak to Mario I. Aguilar, Professor of Religion & Politics and Director of the Centre for the Study of Religion & Politics at the University of St Andrews. He is also a poet, an eremitic Camaldolese Benedictine Oblate, and has published widely in his interests in the theology of contemplation, the history of religion and issues of interfaith dialogue.

Follow LatinNews for analysis on economic, political, and security developments in Latin America & the Caribbean.

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For more insightful, expert-led analysis on Latin America's political and economic landscape, read our reports for free with a 14-day trial. Get full access to our entire portfolio.

How much is historical revisionism in South America's southern cone responsible for a rise in the far-right in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay? What does this mean for the largely prevailing consensus on the brutality and the indefensible and egregious human rights violations perpetrated by the dictatorships in the 1970s and 1980s? Can we point to an amnesia of these periods which has contributed to a democratic backsliding in the region? Where do President Javier Milei, former president Jair Bolsonaro, Chilean politician Jose Antonio Kast, and others, fit into this?

In this episode of the LatinNews podcast we look at this theme and hear from Scott Mainwaring, the Eugene P. and Helen Conley Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame who specialises in political parties, democratic and authoritarian regimes and political institutions in Latin America.

Follow LatinNews for analysis on economic, political, and security developments in Latin America & the Caribbean.

• Twitter: @latinnewslondon
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For more insightful, expert-led analysis on Latin America's political and economic landscape, read our reports for free with a 14-day trial. Get full access to our entire portfolio.