The Jesuits were a Catholic order that was founded in Europe, but which soon expanded to South America to spread the word of God - mainly to Paraguay.


However, they had a different way of evangelizing, which made them as interesting as it did controversial... hated, even. You see, the Jesuits didn't believe in forcing their beliefs on the local indigenous tribes or forcing conversion.


Instead, they integrated themselves into the indigenous beliefs and allowed the natives to express themselves, as long as they understood what Catholicism meant. This, and the fact that Jesuits believed in communal living, social justice, and a huge respect for the poor, led other branches of Catholicism (and even royal figures) to see them as dangerous Marxists who needed to be eliminated.


But this story has quite a few twists and turns before we get to the end - find out exactly what happened to the Jesuits in Latin America in this week's episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast!


Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1267

While not a country we hear about often these days, Nicaragua has gone through quite a turbulent history that has left it with long-lasting economic, political and social scars.


And leaving aside the subject of Daniel Ortega, current dictator of Nicaragua and one of the longest-lasting presidential terms in the world (with 26 interrupted years in power), Nicaragua's Sandinista revolution, in particular, brought massive transformation to the country, although with great controversy attached to it.


In this episode, we discover what exactly led to this revolution of the people, who the Somoza dynasty was and what they did to cause it, and why Nicaragua became the United States' biggest enemy for a period during the 1980s, culminating in a grand trial at the International Court of Justice.


Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1266

If you want to see historic sights everywhere you go, you go to Europe. But if you want to have fun, Latin America is the place to be.


Known as the land of dance, music, and smiles, Latin America just has "something else" that makes it a spicy and sweet combination of great food, fantastic nightlife, and quick friendships unlike any other. It's in the culture. It might even be in the genes, if we dug deeper (hmmm...)


But that's still too vague, right? How exactly is this culture of enjoyment expressed each day and night - is it through dancing reggaeton and salsa? Or cultural festivals? Art and museums? Perhaps it's a mix of feasting and drinking that is unrivaled anywhere in the world.


What if I told you that it's all of that and more? And that you're about to do a heck of a deep dive into discovering what makes Latin Americans tick - which will help you have even more fun once you get there.


So buckle up and enjoy this episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast... if you think about it, enjoyment is its middle name!


Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1233