Explaining Brazil

Bolsonaro faces criminal charges for coup plotting. Trump’s media group is suing a Brazilian Supreme Court justice. And Brazil’s organized crime groups are expanding far beyond the drug trade.Support the show

How Trump’s steel tariffs are expected to affect Brazil. A year after historic floods, Rio Grande do Sul now suffers from drought. And how Brazil’s evangelical shift is changing national politics.Support the show

As Trump's trade threats reshape global commerce, Brazil grapples with a mounting yellow fever outbreak ahead of Carnival. Meanwhile, controversial Amazon oil drilling plans gain momentum under new Senate leadership, testing the country's environmental commitments.Support the show

Our podcast is back! For our first episode of 2025, we bring you a crucial topic for Brazil’s political landscape: the upcoming elections for the leadership positions in Congress and how they will affect Brazil’s political landscape, the tensions between the Lula administration and the far right, as well as how the new congressional outlook will affect landmark projects such as the tax reform.Support the show

The EU had approved a law demanding that products exported to the bloc would have to prove they are deforestation-free. After much adaptation and preparation, the implementation of that law has been delayed for an extra year, which will benefit Brazilian commodity exporters.Support the show

The Brazilian real is plummeting, borrowing costs are climbing, and market confidence has been in free fall.Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies - The Beltway BriefingListen for of-the-moment insider insights, framed by the rapidly changing social and...Support the show

Many thought the tax reform regulations would clear Congress before the October elections. With just a few weeks left in the 2024 calendar, many wonder if it will pass at all this year.Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies - The Beltway BriefingListen for of-the-moment insider insights, framed by the rapidly changing social and...Support the show

With the G20 Summit and Brazil’s presidency of the group now at an end, we look back at the results of the major international gathering in Rio de Janeiro, and Lula’s date with XiSupport the show

In our book club, journalist Marcos Colón talks about the existential crisis that criminals, multinational companies and also the State have historically imposed to the AmazonSupport the show

As the U.S. selects its next leader, the choice will reverberate through Latin America, influencing political and economic landscapes across the region.Support the show

Jair Bolsonaro is working to reshape Brazil’s Liberal Party into a political vehicle firmly under his influence — much like Donald Trump has redefined the Republican Party in the U.S. as his MAGA party.Support the show

A particularly harsh wildfire season in Brazil's Pantanal has caused major impacts on the population of jaguars, the biome's most emblematic species. We speak to a big cat expert to find out moreSupport the show

Seemingly from nowhere, the online sports betting market has swept across Brazil like a tsunami, and the pernicious effects of gambling addiction are already having clear signs on society. Support the show

Brazilians in almost 5,600 municipalities went to the polls to pick new mayors and city council members. The dispute was settled on Sunday in all but 52 cities. This week, we will discuss what conclusions can be drawn from the results, the key races still in play, and the effects of these local races on national politics.Support the show

For Lula's third term as president, international prominence and influence was set out as a priority — but a Pew survey shows that things are moving in the opposite directionSupport the show

X has been banned in Brazil for more than three weeks now, with billionaire CEO Elon Musk refusing to comply with Supreme Court demands. He seems to now have backed down, but what of the future of the platform in Brazil?Support the show

Smoke-filled skies, wildfires, lack of rain, and scorching heat that have lingered for weeks offer a glimpse of what’s in store for Brazilian cities as climate change takes hold in the coming years.Support the show

Pablo Marçal, a candidate for mayor of São Paulo who has become a hot name within Bolsonarism — despite not being endorsed by Bolsonaro. Marçal defends many of the values espoused by Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters. More importantly, he deploys a social media strategy that seems to be a version of the Bolsonaro campaign on steroids. Support the show

In our book club, economist Alysson Portella discusses the figures that unravel the structures of racial inequality in the country and points out ways to overcome it.Support the show

Brazil's Central Bank has enjoyed political autonomy since 2021, and Congress is analyzing a bill to make it financially independent, too. But this freedom has not come without controversySupport the show