Explaining Brazil

In the last episode of our special series about the Brazilian military dictatorship, we tell the story of how the country dealt with its authoritarian past and recently returned to the brink of a coup d'état. 

Send us your feedback

Support the show

Credited with turning JBS into the world's largest meat-packing company, billionaire brothers Joesley and Wesley Batista are now seeking a return to the firm's board of directors after years of legal troubles. An international advocacy group seeks to stop that. Read show notes.

Send us your feedback

Support the show

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.

Send us your feedback

Support the show

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 how it operated internationally to persecute exiles. While you're at it, we have prepared a special playlist with songs that defined the resistance against the dictatorships in Brazil and the other countries mentioned in this episode. Read show notes.

Send us your feedback

Support the show

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.

Send us your feedback

Support the show

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 participated in the coup, as well as how bilateral relations were conducted from then on. Read show notes.

Send us your feedback

Support the show

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.

Send us your feedback

Support the show

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 Brazilian military dictatorship in its social, economic, and institutional aspects. Read show notes.

Send us your feedback

Support the show

A new report maps and details the activities and ideologies of more than 20 far-right extremist groups operating in Brazil. Read show notes

Send us your feedback

Support the show

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.

Send us your feedback

Support the show