Hey Chasqui readers! Remember us? El Chasqui is back, but we are shifting from being a weekly newsletter to an occasional one, still bringing you the best of AS/COA Online content focused on what’s shaping Latin America.

Beyond the handshake. On September 10, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, who had never previously met, squared off in Philadelphia for their first presidential debate. Though only Mexico and Venezuela were referenced directly, the United States’ relationship to Latin America factored into many of the issues the candidates discussed, from immigration to border security to trade.

What are both candidates’ histories with the region? And what are they proposing for the future? We review the stances of Trump and Harris on the Western Hemisphere, which includes plans for mass deportation, “an earned pathway to citizenship,” and across-the-board tariffs. 

Lea sobre los candidatos y sus plataformas también en español.

And how do U.S. Latinos view the race? Our poll tracker looks at this critical demographic, which represents 15 percent of eligible voters, and how the bloc views the candidates and the issues, as well as their voter intention in key swing states like Arizona, Florida, and Nevada. 

Bicentennial episode. For the past 8 years, the Latin America in Focus podcast has zoomed into the region—from presidential offices to the rainforest, fintech, and the football pitch. And we have kept track of elections in nearly a dozen countries. In episode 200, we returned to previously asked podcast questions and brought back some of our favorite guests to answer them. Pew’s Mark Hugo Lopez, AQ’s Brian Winter, and AS/COA’s Carin Zissis talk electoral shifts in Mexico, the U.S., and across Latin America. Listen to this special edition of the podcast.