Explaining Brazil

Brazilians might be creative, but can they innovate? Latin America’s top economy has not ranked well in the latest innovation rankings. However, there are initiatives in Brazil certainly worth noting. Read show notes. 

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Venezuela has been haunted by multiple interconnected crises. The country’s inflation is expected to close this year at 679.73 percent. Meanwhile, President Nicolás Maduro has only focused his efforts on keeping himself in power. What does the future hold for Brazil's northern neighbor? We host Rosario Hernandez, a political analyst from Venezuela and a member of the website Young Diplomats, a partner institution of The Brazilian Report. Read show notes. 

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Skewed facts are probably a well-established part of the agenda in any election campaign. But there’s no denying that social media has accelerated misinformation’s speed and extended its reach. Brazil has 122 million Facebook users, making it the social media giant’s third largest market. Read show notes. 

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On Saturday, April 7th, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva began serving a 12-year-one-month prison sentence. In a span of 8 years, Lula went from the most popular leader in Brazilian history, a man who distributed revenue like no other president and was approved by 80% of Brazilians, to the first former president ever to be put behind bars. What does it mean for Brazil’s already tumultuous political landscape? Read show notes. 

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A lot has happened in Brazil since The Economist used an image of a rocket-powered Christ the Redeemer statue poised to shoot skywards. Brazil’s international reputation has suffered over the last few years, with both national and international coverage often zeroing in on corruption, crime and political instability. Read show notes. 

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This is the fifth episode of Explaining Brazil, a weekly podcast created by The Brazilian Report. This week, we’re talking about Flávio Rocha, Forbes’ 39th wealthiest man in Brazil and now the Brazilian Republican Party’s presidential candidate. With the backing of the Free Brazil Movement (MBL), he’s doing his best to put forward the image of Brazil’s ‘reasonable’ right-wing. But what does he stand for, and how far will he get?  Read show notes. 

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This week, we’re discussing the murder of Marielle Franco, Rio de Janeiro’s extraordinary city councilwoman. Black, queer, and hailing from the Maré favela in the North Zone, Marielle had been a vocal human rights advocate and was one of the city’s most treasured politicians. Read show notes. 

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Despite the federal government’s expectations of a 3 percent GDP growth for 2018, the OECD says that isolationist policies and trade barriers – plus market demands for a pension reform that seems increasingly unlikely – may continue to obstruct Brazil’s economic growth. Read show notes. 

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By declaring a federal intervention in Rio de Janeiro, President Michel Temer hopes to improve his electoral chances. But polling at 1%, his reelection dream might be just that... a dream. Read show notes. 

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Brazilian President Michel Temer announced on February 16 that national Armed Forces would intervene in Rio de Janeiro's security system. The intervention plan has several political implications - and multiple question marks hang over the motives behind the measure. Journalists Gustavo Ribeiro, Diego Iraheta, and Ciara Long comment on what happens to Rio and Brazil moving forward. Read show notes

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