(EN) Café con leche #episode_5-Saturday, August 30, 2025 (English version)

Café con Leche - Episode 5-Friday, August, 29, 2025 

Welcome to Café con Leche, the weekly bilingual podcast where we dive into the most important international news while learning and practicing English and Spanish. Here, global analysis meets language learning — so each episode is both a window into the world and a chance to grow your skills. Pour yourself a cup of coffee with milk, and join us as we travel from Asia to Europe to North Africa to understand the changes shaping our world today.

Theme 1: Thailand – A Crisis of Morality and Institutions

When we think of Thailand, we often picture golden temples, saffron-robed monks, and a society where Buddhism serves as the moral backbone of the nation. Over 90% of Thais identify as Buddhist, and the clergy has long been regarded as the guardian of spiritual order, compassion, and moral integrity. But recent developments have shaken that image to its very core.

At the center of this story is Luang Phor Alongkot, a 65-year-old monk once celebrated as a humanitarian hero. In the early 1990s, he became a national figure by establishing a hospice for people with HIV and AIDS at Wat Phra Bat Namphu. At a time when stigma and fear surrounded the disease, his act of compassion earned him not only respect in Thailand, but admiration abroad. Alongkot represented the very essence of Buddhist charity and empathy.

And yet, in August 2025, this same figure was arrested on charges of embezzlement and money laundering. Investigators allege that donations intended for the hospice and other charitable projects were siphoned away. The arrest followed weeks of speculation, culminating in Alongkot resigning as abbot before formally disrobing — a required legal step for monks accused of crimes in Thailand.

What makes this incident particularly explosive is not just the fall of one monk, but the pattern it represents. Scandals involving members of the clergy have multiplied in recent years. From sex offenses to drug trafficking and financial crimes, the Buddhist institution in Thailand has faced a steady stream of disgrace. So much so that authorities even established a hotline for citizens to report “misbehaving monks.” Think about that: a revered institution that once embodied moral authority is now seen by the state as needing a public complaint system.

The Alongkot case therefore symbolizes more than personal misconduct — it exposes a systemic problem of accountability. For ordinary Thais, the arrest is deeply disorienting. If even the most admired monks, figures associated with healing and humanitarian service, can be caught in corruption scandals, then where does that leave public trust?

This crisis carries serious second-order consequences. First, it undermines donations and financial support to temples, which play a central role not just in religious life, but also in community welfare and education. Second, it risks a generational loss of faith, where young Thais, already influenced by secular and globalized perspectives, begin to doubt the authenticity of the monastic establishment. And third, it exposes the state itself to criticism — if misconduct is systemic, then the government’s ability or willingness to enforce accountability comes into question.

For Thailand, the scandal underscores a pressing need for reform within the Sangha, the Buddhist monastic order. Transparency in financial management, independent oversight, and perhaps even new legal frameworks could help rebuild trust. Otherwise, each new scandal compounds the erosion of confidence in one of the country’s most sacred institutions.

In short, the arrest of Luang Phor Alongkot is not just about one monk’s alleged crimes. It is about the unraveling of a moral contract between the people and their spiritual leaders. For Thailand, this represents not only a religious crisis but a national one — where the very foundation of moral authority appears shaken.

Theme 2: Gold – A Glimmer in Turbulent Markets

Gold has always carried a certain mystique. Across civilizations, from the Pharaohs of Egypt to Wall Street investors today, this shiny metal has been trusted as a universal store of value. It doesn’t corrode, it doesn’t default, and in times of chaos, it shines brightest. And right now, in 2025, gold is living up to its reputation in dramatic fashion.

Just this month, Comex gold futures touched a record high of $3,534 an ounce, with analysts projecting prices could climb to $3,600 by the end of next year. For investors, that number isn’t just about returns — it’s a barometer of fear. When gold rallies this strongly, it signals something deeper: that markets no longer trust the stability of politics, institutions, or currencies.

So what’s driving this surge? It’s not one single factor but a convergence of risks. First, there are the familiar “economic headwinds”: inflationary pressures, slowing global growth, and a weakening US dollar. Second, there’s the political layer: geopolitical tensions across Asia, Europe, and North Africa, and even instability within the U.S. Federal Reserve itself. In fact, one turning point came when a Federal Reserve governor was dismissed, sparking doubts about the central bank’s independence. That political drama sent ripples through global markets, reminding investors that even the stewards of the global financial system aren’t immune to political interference.

Gold thrives in exactly this environment: when trust in paper institutions falters, investors flock to tangible security. And the demand is broad-based. Exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, saw holdings jump 16% in the second quarter. Central banks — especially in emerging economies — are steadily adding gold to their reserves. And at the retail level, participation is booming. In India alone, gold investment accounts have surged, reflecting a population that has long valued the metal as cultural wealth and is now doubling down as a financial hedge.

What makes this rally striking is its endurance. For the past three years, gold has outperformed major equity indices like India’s Nifty 50. That’s remarkable, because conventional wisdom says stocks are the engine of long-term returns while gold is just a short-term hedge. Yet the data flips that story: in an era of prolonged uncertainty, preservation is trumping growth.

This shift has important implications. It tells us that global capital isn’t just hedging against temporary turbulence — it’s bracing for systemic instability. Investors are voting with their portfolios, signaling that they expect volatility to remain a defining feature of the global economy.

Gold, in this sense, acts as a kind of seismograph of world anxiety. It records the tremors of political drama, economic fragility, and strategic uncertainty. When the needle spikes, as it has this year, it warns us that trust in traditional systems is eroding.

For policymakers and business leaders, the message is clear: the world is in a cycle of mistrust. Until political institutions can restore credibility and economic systems can stabilize, gold will remain more than just a precious metal — it will be a refuge, a mirror reflecting our collective unease, and perhaps the clearest indicator of how fragile global confidence has become.

Theme 3: Spain – A Submarine Contract Crisis of Domestic Origin

Defense procurement projects are supposed to showcase national pride, technological sophistication, and strategic independence. For Spain, the S-80 Plus submarine program was meant to do exactly that: build a modern fleet of domestically produced submarines to strengthen naval capability. Instead, it has become an embarrassing case study in how a single mistake can spiral into one of the most expensive engineering debacles in recent history.

Let’s start with the numbers. Back in 2004, Spain approved a budget of €1.75 billion to build four state-of-the-art submarines. Delivery of the first vessel was planned for 2011. Fast forward to today: the program’s cost has nearly doubled to €3.9 billion, deadlines have been pushed indefinitely, and the submarines themselves had to be redesigned because of one catastrophic error.

That error? A miscalculation of 70 tons in the vessel’s weight. Essentially, the submarines were too heavy to resurface once submerged. Imagine that: a submarine designed not to come back up. According to some reports, the blunder boiled down to a misplaced decimal point in design calculations. Engineers had to add 10 meters to the submarine’s length just to correct buoyancy.

But fixing one problem created another. The longer submarines no longer fit in the docks at Spain’s Cartagena naval base. That means new infrastructure must be built — adding even more costs and delays. What began as an engineering misstep has snowballed into a logistical, financial, and political nightmare.

This is not about foreign buyers rejecting Spanish products, as some might assume. No — the crisis is entirely domestic, born from within Spain’s own defense industrial complex. It highlights serious weaknesses in project oversight, risk management, and quality control. In the world of military procurement, even a tiny mistake in design can cascade into billions lost, credibility damaged, and strategic capability compromised.

And yet, Spanish officials continue to insist the project is “absolutely viable.” Defense Minister Margarita Robles has assured the public that deficiencies have been corrected. But those reassurances ring hollow when the evidence shows spiraling costs, indefinite delays, and infrastructure mismatches.

What makes this case especially instructive is that it illustrates the concept of a “single point of failure.” One miscalculation by one engineer triggered a chain reaction that has derailed an entire national defense program. For other countries and organizations, the lesson is clear: rigorous checks, redundancy in oversight, and independent verification are not optional — they’re essential.

The S-80 Plus crisis is more than a national embarrassment. It raises doubts about Spain’s capacity to manage complex, high-tech defense projects and damages its credibility as a future defense exporter. In a global market where reputation is everything, this kind of misstep can reverberate far beyond national borders.

At its core, the story of Spain’s submarines is not just about defective vessels. It’s about trust — trust in institutions, in expertise, in government oversight. When that trust is undermined by basic errors, the consequences are not just financial, but strategic. Spain’s submarine saga will likely be remembered as a cautionary tale: proof that in high-stakes defense, the smallest errors can lead to the most expensive failures.

Theme 4: Indonesia – Sharia Law, Autonomy, and Human Rights

Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim-majority democracy. With more than 270 million people and a constitution that enshrines pluralism, it is often praised as proof that Islam and democracy can coexist. But in the province of Aceh, a very different reality has been playing out — one that raises sharp questions about autonomy, human rights, and the role of religion in law.

Aceh is unique. As part of a political settlement to end decades of separatist conflict, the province was granted special autonomy. Since 2015, that autonomy has included the right to implement qanun jinayat — Islamic criminal bylaws that enforce Sharia law in areas like morality, sexuality, and personal behavior. Unlike the rest of Indonesia, Aceh has its own Sharia courts, its own codes, and its own punishments.

In practice, this has meant public canings. Recently, two men were sentenced to 76 lashes each for engaging in consensual same-sex relations. On the very same day, eight others were flogged for adultery and gambling. These punishments are carried out publicly, in front of crowds, sometimes filmed and shared online. Authorities defend them as both a deterrent and a reflection of local religious values.

But the international reaction has been swift and damning. Amnesty International has called the practice “a disturbing act of state-sanctioned discrimination and cruelty,” noting that it may even constitute torture under international law. Human rights organizations point out the glaring contradiction: Indonesia is a signatory to the UN Convention Against Torture and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which forbid such practices. Yet within Aceh, they continue, shielded by the province’s special legal status.

The problem runs deeper than just one province. It reveals a structural tension within Indonesia’s political system: how far can autonomy go when it collides with constitutional and international obligations? Jakarta, the central government, has largely taken a hands-off approach, reluctant to challenge Aceh’s arrangements for fear of reigniting separatist unrest. But that political calculation leaves vulnerable communities exposed to legalized discrimination and public humiliation.

For LGBTQ Indonesians, the consequences are devastating. The message is clear: their very identity is criminalized in Aceh. For women accused of adultery, or for anyone caught in acts deemed “immoral,” the law becomes not just a punishment but a public spectacle of shame. The international criticism underscores how practices tolerated locally can damage Indonesia’s global image as a modern, democratic state.

The Aceh case also has wider implications. It shows how decentralization, while often seen as a tool for stability, can create legal fragmentation that undermines national commitments to human rights. It highlights the limits of constitutional guarantees when local autonomy overrides them. And it raises the risk of normalization: if Aceh continues unchecked, could similar demands for religious law spread to other provinces?

Ultimately, this is not just about caning. It’s about the identity of Indonesia itself. Is it a democracy rooted in pluralism and equality, or a patchwork where local laws can openly contradict fundamental rights? For now, the central government’s silence suggests a willingness to tolerate contradiction. But as international pressure mounts, Indonesia may be forced to reconcile this divide — and decide whether protecting autonomy is worth the cost of institutionalized discrimination.

Theme 5: Western Sahara – Shifting Diplomatic Alignments

Few conflicts illustrate the intersection of principle and power as clearly as Western Sahara. For decades, this North African territory has been caught in a stalemate in a frozen dispute between Morocco, which claims sovereignty, and the Polisario Front, which demands independence on behalf of the Sahrawi people. At the heart of the stalemate has been one guiding principle: self-determination. The United Nations has long insisted that the people of Western Sahara should decide their own future through a referendum.

But in recent years, that principle has been eroded — not by battlefield victories, but by diplomatic maneuvers. The turning point came in December 2020, when the United States, under the Trump administration, formally recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. The move was part of a transactional deal: in exchange for recognition, Morocco agreed to normalize relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords. A conflict once framed as a matter of decolonization suddenly became entangled with Middle East diplomacy.

France soon followed suit. By offering strong support for Morocco’s autonomy plan, Paris broke with its previous neutrality. A French government official even visited the disputed territory, explicitly endorsing the “Moroccan identity of the Sahara.” For Algeria, the Polisario’s main backer, this was a betrayal — a clear violation of international law, and an abandonment of the Sahrawi people’s right to decide their own destiny.

These moves matter because both the U.S. and France are permanent members of the UN Security Council. Their alignment with Morocco shifts the balance of international diplomacy. What was once a multilateral effort grounded in UN resolutions now tilts heavily in Rabat’s favor. The Polisario, already militarily weaker, finds itself increasingly isolated.

Yet paradoxically, this diplomatic shift has also contributed to a reduction in violence. After years of drone strikes and clashes following the 2020 ceasefire collapse, reports indicate Moroccan strikes have declined. Washington has quietly pressured Morocco to engage with a new UN envoy, suggesting that while the principle of self-determination has been sidelined, the practical aim is to manage the conflict politically rather than militarily.

The bigger lesson here is that international law and principles like self-determination are increasingly treated as negotiable. Recognition — once considered sacred — has become a bargaining chip. For the U.S., the Western Sahara decision was not about Sahrawi rights but about securing Morocco’s cooperation in a broader geopolitical deal. For France, support for Rabat also strengthens its regional ties at a moment when its influence in Africa is under challenge.

This raises troubling questions: if recognition can be traded, what does that mean for other contested regions around the world? Does it create a precedent where sovereignty is determined not by law or people’s will, but by what can be exchanged in geopolitical negotiations?

For Morocco, the diplomatic realignment is a triumph, cementing its position and weakening its rivals. For the Polisario and Algeria, it is a major setback. For the broader international system, it is a warning sign — proof that the age of transactional diplomacy is here, and that even the most fundamental principles can be reshaped by deals struck behind closed doors.

Thank you for joining us on Café con Leche. Remember: this is a space not just to stay informed, but to enjoy the journey of learning across two languages and two cultures. If you liked this episode, share it with your friends, leave a comment, and join us next week for another bilingual journey through international affairs. Don’t forget to give the Power Words list a good look to reinforce what you have just listened to and read. Until then, stay curious, stay critical, and keep your coffee close at hand.

Café con Leche: Power Words & Expressions

Theme 1: Thailand – A Crisis of Morality and Institutions

Words

• Saffron-robed: con túnicas de color azafrán
• Backbone: espina dorsal, columna vertebral
• Clergy: clero
• Guardian: guardián
• Empathy: empatía
• Embezzlement: malversación de fondos
• Siphoned away: desviado
• Disrobing: abandono del sacerdocio
• Systemic: sistémico
• Disorienting: desorientador
• Compounds: agrava, empeora
• Erosion: erosión
• Unraveling: desmoronamiento

Expressions

• Shaken that image to its very core: sacudió esa imagen hasta la médula
• A steady stream of disgrace: un flujo constante de deshonra
• Second-order consequences: consecuencias de segundo orden
• To doubt the authenticity: dudar de la autenticidad
• The Sangha: la orden monástica budista
• A moral contract: un contrato moral

Theme 2: Gold – A Glimmer in Turbulent Markets

Words

• Mystique: mística
• Pharaohs: faraones
• Corrode: corroerse
• Default: impagar
• Barometer: barómetro
• Convergence: convergencia
• Headwinds: vientos en contra
• Geopolitical: geopolítico
• Steward: custodio, administrador
• Flock to: acudir en masa a
• Endurance: resistencia, perdurabilidad
• Outperformed: superó el rendimiento de
• Seismograph: sismógrafo

Expressions

• Living up to its reputation: haciendo honor a su reputación
• A convergence of risks: una convergencia de riesgos
• Sent ripples through: causó revuelo en, se propagó por
• Conventional wisdom: la sabiduría popular, la creencia general
• Bracing for: preparándose para
• A cycle of mistrust: un ciclo de desconfianza

Theme 3: Spain – A Submarine Contract Crisis of Domestic Origin

Words

• Procurement: adquisición
• Debacles: debacle
• Spiral into: desembocar en
• Catastrophic: catastrófico
• Blunder: error garrafal
• Buoyancy: flotabilidad
• Snowballed: creció desproporcionadamente
• Undermines: socava
• Hollow: vacío, sin fundamento
• Reassurances: garantías
• Cascade: efecto en cadena
• Reverberate: reverberar, resonar
• Cautionary tale: advertencia, historia aleccionadora

Expressions

• Case study: caso de estudio
• Spiraling costs: costos en espiral, costos que se disparan
• Bolied down to: se redujo a
• Single point of failure: punto único de fallo
• High-stakes: de alto riesgo

Theme 4: Indonesia – Sharia Law, Autonomy, and Human Rights

Words

• Enshrines: consagra, consagra
• Pluralism: pluralismo
• Separatist: separatista
• Bylaws: estatutos, ordenanzas
• Lashes: latigazos
• Flogged: azotados
• Damning: condenatorio
• Contradiction: contradicción
• Vulnerable: vulnerable
• Fragmentatio: fragmentación
• Reconcile: reconciliar, armonizar
• Institutionalized: institucionalizado

Expressions

• Taken a hands-off approach: adoptado una actitud de no intervención
• Glaring contradiction: una contradicción flagrante
• Public humiliation: humillación pública
• Wider implications: implicaciones más amplias
• Openly contradict: contradecir abiertamente

Theme 5: Western Sahara – Shifting Diplomatic Alignments

Words

• Intersection: intersección
• Frozen dispute: disputa congelada
• Sovereignty: soberanía
• Referendum: referéndum
• Eroded: erosionado
• Transactional: transaccional
• Entangled: enredado, enmarañado
• Sidelined: marginado
• Bargaining chip: moneda de cambio, baza
• Triumph: triunfo
• Precedent: precedente

Expressions

• On behalf of: en nombre de
• Guiding principle: principio rector
• Caught in a stalemate: atrapado en un punto muerto
• Shifted the balance: cambió el equilibrio
• Behind closed doors: a puerta cerrada