Explaining Brazil

Governor Eduardo Leite of Rio Grande do Sul came out as gay. But don't expect him to be a Brazilian Harvey Milk. Instead, he might be closer to Pete Buttigieg.Read show notes. — Support the show

In an ironic twist, the Jair Bolsonaro administration is facing its most severe crisis — not over the vaccines it did not pursue, but over the ones it did. Read show notes. — Support the show

Detractors of President Jair Bolsonaro are now taking to the streets to pressure him, but doing so means creating massive gatherings that are health hazards in themselves. Read show notes. — Support the show

In Brazil, the remote work solution was never easy, as the country has an extremely informal economy. This week, we discuss the future of work in Brazil.Read show notes. — Support the show

Under pressure from President Bolsonaro, the Army refused to punish active general Eduardo Pazuello for taking part in a political demonstration, causing uproar and stoking fears of military interference in the 2022 election. Read show notes. — Support the show

President Jair Bolsonaro is battling multiple domestic crises — but one dispute across the Atlantic could cost him the support of a valuable ally. Read show notes. — Support the show

As vaccine rollouts stumble in multiple Brazilian regions, health officials confirm the country's first cases of the Indian variant. Read show notes. — Support the show

Jair Bolsonaro has seen his popularity dip in recent months, now polling behind Lula. But he has an even more immediate concern: the president needs to find a party.Read show notes. — Support the show

The Covid hearings have exposed a laundry list of malfeasance by the Bolsonaro administration during the pandemic. Will that be enough to bring him down, though?Read show notes. — Support the show

When Latin American countries received their first vaccines, they didn't get them from Western powers — but from China and Russia instead. But these deals often came with strings attached. Guests: Flávio da Fonseca (Brazilian Virology Society) and David Fidler (Council on Foreign Relations).Read show notes. — Support the show

A new exposé shows how one of Brazil's biggest business success stories may have covered a child sexual abuse ring, in a case with eerie parallels to that of notorious American pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.  Read show notes. — Support the show

The next few weeks are packed with the definition of the 2021 budget, the start of the Covid hearings, and Biden's climate summit. Read show notes. — Support the show

Elections in Ecuador and Peru were filled with surprises. Latin America correspondent Lucas Berti breaks down what they mean for the region. Read show notes. — // Music in this podcast: Infados by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0 license), Fall of the Solar King by Twin Musicom (CC BY 4.0 license).Support the show

With coronavirus deaths on the rise, a massive vaccination campaign seems to be Brazil's only way out of the pandemic crisis. President Jair Bolsonaro and São Paulo Governor João Doria are in a race toward the first coronavirus vaccine fully produced in Brazil. Read show notes. — Support the show

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro carried out a massive cabinet reshuffle on Monday, raising fears that his administration could take an undemocratic turn. Read show notes. — Support the show

Lula has regained his political rights and is set to face off against Bolsonaro next year. What can we expect from this clash of titans? Read show notes. — Support the show

The Supreme Court ruled that Sérgio Moro — the former judge who led Op. Car Wash — was biased in his trial of former President Lula. The judicial achievements of the anti-corruption task force are being undone, but what legacy does it leave behind?Read show notes. — Support the show

President Jair Bolsonaro has changed Health Ministers for the third time since the start of the pandemic. Army General Eduardo Pazuello is out, cardiologist and ally Marcelo Queiroga is in. Read show notes. — Support the show

Brazil has become something of an open-air laboratory, showing how new variants can develop when left to spread unchecked. Most, if not all states are inching closer to a health collapse, but far-right President Jair Bolsonaro continues to speak out against lockdowns and vaccines. Read show notes. — Support the show

Mining giants have been let off scot-free from the consequences of environmental disasters. Brazilians are going after them on their own turf.Guest: Pedro Martins, partner at law firm PGMBMRead show notes. — Support the show