Explaining Brazil

By The Brazilian Report

What's Explaining Brazil about?

News from Brazil, by The Brazilian Report — an independent media outlet uniquely positioned to offer an insider’s view of current affairs in Brazil.

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Explaining Brazil episodes:

04.17.2024
Lira's latest Lula feud
House Speaker Arthur Lira and the Lula government's Congress liaison Alexandre Padilha are engaged in a very public disagreement. But what does that mean for the administration going forward? And for Lira's 2025 succession plans? Read show notes. Support...
04.14.2024
Love it or Leave it, Ep. 3: Cross-border persecution in South America
In the third episode of our special series about the Brazilian military dictatorship, we fly over South America, dominated by authoritarian rule in the 1960s and 1970s. We tell the story of how Brazil supported coups in the region and...
04.10.2024
Elon Musk has beef in Brazil
Musk has stated that Brazil is on the verge of becoming an Orwellian dystopia in which one man — Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes — decides what can be said online. Read show notes. Support the show
04.07.2024
Love It or Leave It, Ep. 2: Brazilian patriots with an American flag
In the second episode of the special series about the Brazilian military dictatorship, from within to abroad, we are starting our dive into the international connections of the regime, beginning with the U.S. We tell the story of how it...
04.03.2024
Election hopes dashed in Venezuela
Negotiations with the U.S. and the opposition had led to hopes that Venezuela would hold clean elections in 2024. But the Maduro administration stopping adversaries from competing has put that optimism to rest. Read show notes. Support the show
03.31.2024
Love It or Leave It, Ep. 1: The dictatorship at a glance
In 1964, in the midst of Cold War tensions, Brazil's President João Goulart was overthrown under pressure from both civil society and the Armed Forces, leading to 21 years of authoritarian rule in Brazil. In this episode, we'll explore the...
03.26.2024
How Brazil's far-right operates
A new report maps and details the activities and ideologies of more than 20 far-right extremist groups operating in Brazil. Read show notes Support the show
03.20.2024
Lula's approval red flags
President Lula's approval ratings have fallen sharply in recent months. We asked a senior Brazil analyst whether it is already time for him to hit the panic button. Show notes. Support the show
03.13.2024
Far-right committees in Congress
Radical far-right politicians were chosen to be the heads of some of the most important standing committees in Brazil's House, showing some frailties in the Lula government's position in Congress. Read show notes. Support the show
03.06.2024
Why you should care about Brazil's Cerrado
The Cerrado has a strategic significance beyond Brazil: no other biome has such a key role to play in furthering food security while continuing to protect such rich biodiversity. Read show notes. Support the show
02.28.2024
After rally, is Bolsonaro stronger or more in trouble?
Jair Bolsonaro got thousands of supporters on the streets of São Paulo. But the rally, although big in size, was no game-changer for him. Euan Marshall, Isabela Cruz, and Cedê Silva explain why. Read show notes. Support the show
02.21.2024
Why Lula compared Israel to the Nazis
Brazil's president created a diplomatic uproar for his latest comments on the Israel-Hamas conflict, but why would Lula take such a strong anti-Israel stance? Read show notes. Support the show
02.07.2024
Is Brazilian agro in crisis?
More farmers in Mato Grosso are filing for bankruptcy; climate conditions are set to reduce crop yields this year … But is the Brazilian agro sector really facing a crisis? Read show notes. Support the show
01.31.2024
Lula faces big fights in Congress
The 2024 congressional year has plenty of pitfalls in store for President Lula and his administration. We explain what to look out for over the coming 12 months. Read show notes. Support the show
01.24.2024
Major developments in Marielle murder?
Charged with carrying out the 2018 murder of city councilor Marielle Franco, ex-cop Ronnie Lessa has taken a plea deal. And press reports say the gunman has given up the name of the man in charge of ordering the assassination....
01.17.2024
How algorithms can be racist
Facial recognition tools, using AI-powered algorithms, have been used extensively in Brazilian law enforcement. But there is heated debate on whether these algorithms carry racist bias and propagate existing inequalities. Read show notes. Support the show
01.10.2024
A year after Jan. 8, polarization shows signs of no abating
The January 8 riots were proof of how polarized Brazilian society was. One year later, it might be even more polarized — so two experts believe. Read show notes. Support the show
12.20.2023
Santa brings Lula a tax reform
In the last podcast of 2023, we analyze the tax reform approved by Congress. Read show notes. Support the show
12.13.2023
Brazil and the G20
Brazil pledged to launch a global alliance against hunger during the year it will hold the G20 presidency. Read show notes. Support the show
12.06.2023
War coming to South America?
In Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro seems hell-bent on annexing a large (and oil-rich) part of Guyana. Brazil has mobilized armored vehicles to its northern border. Read show notes. Support the show
11.29.2023
A highly political Supreme Court pick
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
11.21.2023
Argentina's leap into the unknown
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
11.14.2023
Hezbollah in Brazil?
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
11.08.2023
Why São Paulo was left without power
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
11.01.2023
Curb your tax reform enthusiasm
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
10.25.2023
The Milei risk for Brazil
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...
10.18.2023
The end of the January 8 hearings
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....
10.11.2023
Brazil's approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict
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
10.04.2023
Milei knocking on the neighbor's door
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....
09.27.2023
Amazon faces risk of worst-ever drought
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
09.20.2023
Lula's return to the UN General Assembly
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
09.13.2023
Pinochet's Brazil
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....
09.06.2023
Bolsonaristas say "stay at home"
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....
08.30.2023
Erasing indigenous land claims
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
08.23.2023
Time to add more BRICS?
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...
08.16.2023
Amazon oil drilling overlooks mangroves
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
08.09.2023
Brazilian separatism?
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
08.02.2023
Will justice be served for Mariana?
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...
07.29.2023
Bonus Episode: Brazil's shot at World Cup glory
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....
07.26.2023
A city swallowed by the ground
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
07.19.2023
Threads of concern?
Meta's new social media Threads is already one of Brazil's most downloaded apps. But privacy experts in Brazil are concerned that the new network is less than compliant with the country's data protection laws. Show notes. Support the show
07.12.2023
Better equipped to fight corruption?
Corruption has become less of a top-of-mind issue in Brazil, but a study from AS/COA and Control Risks suggests the country's anti-corruption tools are stronger with Jair Bolsonaro out of office. Show notes.Support the show
07.05.2023
Bolsonaro banned for good?
The Superior Electoral Court banned Jair Bolsonaro from electoral politics for eight years. But other cases could extend that period. Show notes. Support the show
06.28.2023
The Central Bank's Jekyll & Hyde moment
Less than a week after issuing a hawkish statement on its latest policy decision, the Central Bank changed its tone, and made markets anticipate imminent interest rate cuts. Show notes. Support the show
06.21.2023
Do-or-die moment for Mercosur and the EU?
The EU and Mercosur reached an agreement on a trade deal back in 2019. But since then, nothing much has happened — and the window of opportunity may be closing. Show notes. Support the show
06.14.2023
How YouTube helped pollute Brazil's public discourse
YouTube’s recommendation algorithm might have been a key weapon for the far-right to firehose public discourse with disinformation. Read show notes. Support the show
06.07.2023
The legacy of June 2013
Ten years after Brazil's June 2013 protests, we look back and analyze what they meant, where they came from, and what legacy they have left us. Show notes. Support the show
05.31.2023
Lula not so green after all?
For foreign observers, Lula's environmental promises were among the most important facets of his campaign. And less than six months in, there are fears that many of these pledges may have been empty words. Show notes. Support the show
05.24.2023
Brazil and effective multilateralism
Wars, pandemics, and global inequalities show that countries need to work together in order to thrive. We explore how to achieve effective multilateralism, and where Brazil fits into the global equation. Show notes. Support the show
05.17.2023
Petrobras ends pricing parity policy
Since mid-2016, Petrobras had pegged fuel prices in refineries to international fluctuations. That policy is gone four and a half months into the Lula administration. Show notes. Support the show

What's Explaining Brazil about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Explaining Brazil episodes:

Lira's latest Lula feud

Love it or Leave it, Ep. 3: Cross-border persecution in South America

Elon Musk has beef in Brazil

Love It or Leave It, Ep. 2: Brazilian patriots with an American flag

Election hopes dashed in Venezuela

Love It or Leave It, Ep. 1: The dictatorship at a glance

How Brazil's far-right operates

Lula's approval red flags

Far-right committees in Congress

Why you should care about Brazil's Cerrado

After rally, is Bolsonaro stronger or more in trouble?

Why Lula compared Israel to the Nazis

Is Brazilian agro in crisis?

Lula faces big fights in Congress

Major developments in Marielle murder?

How algorithms can be racist

A year after Jan. 8, polarization shows signs of no abating

Santa brings Lula a tax reform

Brazil and the G20

War coming to South America?

A highly political Supreme Court pick

Argentina's leap into the unknown

Hezbollah in Brazil?

Why São Paulo was left without power

Curb your tax reform enthusiasm

The Milei risk for Brazil

The end of the January 8 hearings

Brazil's approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict

Milei knocking on the neighbor's door

Amazon faces risk of worst-ever drought

Lula's return to the UN General Assembly

Pinochet's Brazil

Bolsonaristas say "stay at home"

Erasing indigenous land claims

Time to add more BRICS?

Amazon oil drilling overlooks mangroves

Brazilian separatism?

Will justice be served for Mariana?

Bonus Episode: Brazil's shot at World Cup glory

A city swallowed by the ground

Threads of concern?

Better equipped to fight corruption?

Bolsonaro banned for good?

The Central Bank's Jekyll & Hyde moment

Do-or-die moment for Mercosur and the EU?

How YouTube helped pollute Brazil's public discourse

The legacy of June 2013

Lula not so green after all?

Brazil and effective multilateralism

Petrobras ends pricing parity policy