Thesis eleven editor and co-editor of our Populism(s) special issues, Dr Raul Sanchez-Urribarri, joins Dr Ben Habib on the Edge Dwellers Café podcast to discuss populist politics in Venezuela and the United States, and what trends in those countries might portend for politics here in Australia. They examine Venezuela as a petro-state and discuss environmental vulnerabilities in the Caribbean, in the context of Hurricanes Ida and Katrina. They also reflect on Raul’s experiences leading undergraduate students on study tours to the US, and the challenges teaching during the COVID pandemic.