We Have a New Host

This is the 70th week of The Latino Newsletter, and we wanted to share even more great news.

This week marks a major moment for The Latino Newsletter podcast. After hosting the first season and setting the tone for what this show could be, I’m stepping aside to make room for a new voice — and I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Michelle Zacarias as the next host.

Michelle is a thoughtful journalist who leads with curiosity and care, and she understands what it means to tell stories from within the community, not above it. Handing her the mic feels less like stepping away and more like making room for The Latino Newsletter’s next chapter.

Michelle’s debut episode of The Latino Newsletter is now live. It marks the start of a new chapter for the show — and yes, you’ll still hear my voice at the beginning. Our team wanted the transition to happen in real time, and then I joined Michelle as her first guest. We talk about how The Latino Newsletter began, why I started the podcast, and what it means to hand it off. It’s a conversation about building something from scratch, learning from every mistake, and trusting the right people to take it further.

At one point in our talk, I explained why this handoff feels so natural — because the purpose hasn’t changed.

“I’ve been talking about Latino underrepresentation in newsrooms for thirty years, and I’m done with that conversation,” I said. “We’re not waiting for permission anymore. We’re creating our own lanes. That’s what The Latino Newsletter is about. We’re not competing or asking to be seen. We’re just doing the work, bringing people together, and making sure our community is never forgotten.”

This episode was produced by Joaquin Cotler, Juan Diego Ramirez, and Michelle Zacarias. I edited the conversation. The music is by Cast of Characters via Soundstripe.

“Marco Rubio, Mr. Trump’s secretary of state and national security adviser, is a longtime supporter of Ms. Machado. In fact, he signed a letter last August to the Norwegian Nobel Committee supporting her nomination for the prize.”

For those keeping track, this is what the White House communications director Steven Cheung posted on X.

Julio Ricardo Varela is the founder of The Latino Newsletter. He is also its current part-time publisher and executive director.

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