The lithium in your phone's battery, maybe the device you're using to read this - it may probably have come from Chile, and the copper in the wires of your charger may have come from Peru... Latin America is and has always been one of the main provider of precious metals in the world.


And this didn't begin with the Spanish and Portuguese colonization, either... the natives had been mining long before the arrivals of Europeans, and knew how to keep these operations sustainable (something we struggle with today). However, when these outsiders arrived, production took the main stage, and millions of tons were extracted and taken from the Americas to Europe.

But returning to the present: how does Latin America help keep the world running with its resources, and what is the story behind this? Let's dive in, in this week's episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast!


Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/3020

The gods of ancient Latin American belief were very interesting and different from what we have to come to know in Asia, Europe, and North America... they were somewhat more human, said to walk among us when they felt like it, and collaborated closely with animals and nature to make things occur.


Quetzalcóatl, the Feathered Serpent, is one such example, perhaps the greatest of them all... disguised as a noble but aging traveler, he walked among men and taught them the marvels of science and engineering, until he was targeted by Tezcatlipoca, the god of conflict. Today, we tell their stories.

And the coolest thing about this episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast? It's not just about what was going on in Mesoamerica, but also what was happening in the Inca Empire, when Inti (the Sun) and Mama Quilla (the Moon), made their appearance and began to influence life itself. Check it out and enjoy!


Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/2888

Retiring in Latin America as a foreigner = 👍​

Retiring in Latin America as a Latin American = ​☠️​


Let's face it - when you think of the Caribbean, Brazilian beaches, the Angel Falls in Venezuela, Mexican resorts and Argentine plains, there's a feeling of relief and joy that you can spend your final years just exploring the land and living for cheap.

But what does it look like for a native, and how they survive while receiving a pension that is probably 30% (on average) of what they used to earn while working?

In this episode, we find out more first-hand from Juan, a new retiree who, after doing his initial paperwork, has just found out the sad reality of being a native retiree in Latin America. Enjoy this week's episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast!


Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/2756