Explaining Brazil

Lula's choice of Justice Minister Flávio Dino to sit on the Supreme Court has attracted criticism from both sides of the aisle. Read show notes.Support the show

With Argentina now undergoing the transition toward a Milei government, many questions remain about what to expect from the controversial rookie administration. Read show notes. Support the show

The Federal Police have arrested three men suspected of links to Hezbollah. They would be recruiting Brazilians to carry out extremist acts in the country. Read show notes.Support the show

São Paulo faced a massive power outage in recent days. The shortcomings of a private electricity provider rekindled debates about the privatization of public services. Read show notes.Support the show

The Senate finally has a draft tax reform, but it includes several changes to the version approved by the House in July and creates even more exceptions to benefit specific sectors. Show notes.Support the show

If Javier Milei were to win the presidential race in Argentina, his government is bound to be anything but business as usual for Brazil. Marina Pera, the Southern Cone political risk analyst at Control Risks, explains why. Show notes.Support the show

Congress decided to investigate the January 8 riots in Brasília. The investigation promised to identify those who ransacked government buildings, as well as the people who incited and financed these actions — but it is ending in a damp squib. Show notes.Support the show

The latest intensification of violence between Israel and Palestine poses a threat to Brazil's diplomats, as the country is temporarily heading the UN Security Council. We look at Brazil's Middle East track record. Show notes.Support the show

After the primary win of Javier Milei, Argentina's final presidential elections are coming into view — and the madcap libertarian economist is still the clear favorite. We look at what to expect from the vote over the border in Argentina. Show notes.Support the show

In the largest Amazon state, officials expect all but one municipality to declare a full state of emergency in the coming weeks. With rivers drying up, the region risks ending up isolated. Show notes.Support the show

While Jair Bolsonaro's UN speeches were aimed at a domestic audience, Lula brought his foreign policy agenda to the stage.  Show notes.Support the show

On September 11, Chile remembered the 50-year anniversary of the military coup that ushered in nearly three decades of authoritarian rule under Gen. Pinochet. We look at the role of Brazilian agents in helping unseat the socialist President Salvador Allende. Show notes.Support the show

Bolsonaro's supporters are calling for their own #StayAtHome campaign for this year's September 7 Independence Day celebrations. Euan Marshall and Amanda Audi explain how the holiday took on new significance in recent years and the motives behind the Bolsonarista boycott. Show notes.Support the show

Brazil's Supreme Court and Congress are separately debating a legal argument that could render indigenous land claims completely unfeasible. Editor Euan Marshall speaks to Adriana Ramos from NGO Socioambiental to find out what's at stake. Show notes.Support the show

This week's BRICS summit in Johannesburg could see the bloc expand for the first time since South Africa's membership in 2010. How might that affect Brazil's role? How powerful might the BRICS become? Euan Marshall and Cedê Silva break down the latest. Show notes.Support the show

The government and Petrobras want to drill near the Amazon estuary. But an unprecedented discovery shows the area is still largely unstudied. Show notes.Support the show

Separatist tensions in Brazil more often than not come from fringe and ridiculed groups, but comments by a prominent right-wing politician have brought this discussion back to the fore, albeit in sensational terms. Show notes.Support the show

Almost eight years ago, Brazil suffered its biggest environmental disaster in history, when the Fundão dam in Mariana burst and spilled an untold torrent of toxic sludge into the Rio Doce. Now, a gigantic class-action suit in England seeks proper reparations. Show notes.Support the show

We speak with Ivi Casagrande, head of performance at Brazil's national women's football team, in an exclusive interview straight from Australia, where she discusses Brazil's World Cup chances, Marta's last dance, and the history of the women's game in Brazil. Show notes.Support the show

Petrochemical giant Braskem announced that it has reached a settlement with the city of Maceió to pay compensation for the destruction of entire neighborhoods, caused by abusive salt mining by the company. Show notes.Support the show