Explaining Brazil

The Brazilian Report

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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391 episodes
Updated July 24

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Episodes391

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Jun 19, 2019 · 24 min
Faith is a profitable business in Brazil
A look into the billion-dollar gospel market. With sociologist Paul Freston and journalist Amin Guedara. Read show notes. — Send us your feedback Support the show
Jun 12, 2019 · 26 min
You can't spell Car Wash without leaks
Operation Car Wash's weapon of choice has been used against its members. Thousands of messages exchanged between prosecutors and Sergio Moro—who is now Jair Bolsonaro's Minister of Justice—cast doubt on the legality of several convictions. Read show notes. — Send us your feedback Support the show
Jun 5, 2019 · 22 min
Earth v. Bolsonaro
After five months of squabbles with Congress, President Jair Bolsonaro wanted to show his political strength. A massive crowd would corner lawmakers into bending to his will. A flop, however, could spell the ruin of his administration. Before Mr. Bolsonaro, Brazil wasn't exactly a perfect example of how to protect the rainforest. Now, it is on its way to becoming one of the world's biggest cautionary tales. Today is World Environment Day, but does Brazil have anything to celebrate? Read show notes. — Send us your feedback Support the show
May 29, 2019 · 24 min
How to make a bad political climate worse
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's recent call to arms is a strategic bet on polarization. The pro-Bolsonaro protests gave him breathing room—but for how long? Read show notes. — Send us your feedback Support the show
May 22, 2019 · 19 min
Brazil's census controversy
The Brazilian government has suggested reducing the number of questions in the 2020 Census as a way of cutting public spending. Will this compromise the results? Read show notes. — Send us your feedback Support the show
May 15, 2019 · 19 min
Is privatization the answer for Brazil's economy?
Brazil has 138 federally-owned companies—and the government wants to privatize every single one of them. But only 17% of Brazilians support the idea. Guests: Sandro Cabral, head of the Master's Degree in Public Policies at São Paulo's Insper Business School; and former Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles. Read show notes. — Send us your feedback Support the show
May 8, 2019 · 21 min
The business of Brazilian football
Deemed the country's "national sport," Brazilian football remains amateur on the business side of it—which interferes with on-the-pitch action. Guest: Fernando Monteiro, managing director and partner in L.E.K. Consulting’s São Paulo office. He produced a study on Brazilian club's financial woes. Read show notes. — Send us your feedback Support the show
May 2, 2019 · 19 min
A look into Brazil's super-complex tax system
It is no wonder Brazilians call their tax authority the "Lion," due to its ferocious pursuit of tax dodgers. Guests: Fundação Getulio Vargas professors Linneu de Albuquerque Mello and Antonio Carlos Porto Gonçalves. Read show notes. — Send us your feedback Support the show
Apr 24, 2019 · 21 min
How should Brazil deal with China?
Jair Bolsonaro has been ambivalent towards China, the Asian juggernaut that is—by far—Brazil's top trading partner. But that could change soon. Guests: Charles Tang (head of the Brazil-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry), and Mauricio Santoro (Head of the Department of International Relations at the State University of Rio de Janeiro). Read show notes. — Send us your feedback Support the show
Apr 17, 2019 · 17 min
Why is the Brazil spying on Catholic priests?
The Church's efforts to protect the Amazon and indigenous people led Brazil's intelligence agency to spy on Catholic priests. Guests: journalists Rubens Valente, Mauricio Savarese, Paula Schmitt (and voice-over of Alex Hochuli). Read show notes. — Send us your feedback Support the show
Apr 10, 2019 · 20 min
After 1 year in jail, what will become of Lula
After a year in jail, how does Lula still fit into the Brazilian political landscape? What does the future hold for him, or his Workers' Party—and for the Brazilian left? Read show notes. — Send us your feedback Support the show
Apr 3, 2019 · 20 min
How Brazil deals with its past of torture and repression
For decades, political elites and the military have tried to sweep Brazil's recent authoritarian past under the rug. It was a time in which kidnappings, torture, and rape became state policy. Now, Brazil's ultra-right wing is trying to rewrite history. Read show notes. — Send us your feedback Support the show
Mar 27, 2019 · 20 min
The new face of Brazil's Operation Car Wash
After five years, Operation Car Wash's gravitational center has shifted from Curitiba to Rio, where investigators have opened up a sordid bottomless pit of corruption in that state. How will the anti-corruption probe look like moving forward? Read show notes. — Send us your feedback Support the show
Mar 20, 2019 · 23 min
When Jair met Donald
For the first time, we were able to witness the bromance between Jair Bolsonaro and Donald Trump on full display. Has the Brazilian president come out strong from his visit to Washington? Read show notes. — Send us your feedback Support the show
Mar 13, 2019 · 19 min
Marielle Franco, one year of impunity
Rio de Janeiro city councilwoman Marielle Franco was assassinated in March 2018. Investigations stalled and were filled with missteps by the police. One year later, though, a breakthrough appears to have happened. Read show notes. — Send us your feedback Support the show
Mar 6, 2019 · 13 min
The business of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro
Carnival is such a focal point of the Brazilian calendar that often locals say nothing gets done in the new year until Ash Wednesday. But, in actual fact, a huge amount of work goes into producing Carnival, and that's what we are going to take a look at this week. Read show notes. — https://brazilian.report/podcast/2019/03/06/50-business-carnival-rio/ Send us your feedback Support the show
Feb 27, 2019 · 20 min
How to reform Brazil's pension system
The Jair Bolsonaro administration has submitted a reform proposal of its own. And it is the most ambitious we've seen — or the harshest, depending on how you see it. Will his administration be able to succeed where so many others failed? Read show notes. — Send us your feedback Support the show
Feb 20, 2019 · 19 min
Bolsonaro: Crisis Mode ON
In politics, we usually say a new head of state enjoys a sort of grace period of 100 days. Popular support is still fresh from the campaign, the opposition still doesn't have much ammo against the new administration, and there hasn't been enough time for internal disputes to create unsolvable problems for the government. But, boy, the start of the Jair Bolsonaro administration has been anything but smooth. Read show notes. — Send us your feedback Support the show
Feb 13, 2019 · 15 min
Brazil's war on drugs failed. What next?
In 2018, law enforcement agents in Rio de Janeiro admitted to killing over 1,400 people — mostly in drug-related incidents. That's more than the number for the entire USA. That cannot be considered a success by any standard. Read show notes. — Send us your feedback Support the show
Feb 6, 2019 · 13 min
The rise of urban militias in Rio de Janeiro
On February 4, Justice Minister Sergio Moro presented his first bill after taking office. His anticrime plan, as the set of proposals was called, includes several measures against organized crime. And, for the first time, it singles out urban militias as one of the targets of the state. It may seem ludicrous, but urban armed militias were once well-regarded in Rio de Janeiro. Many politicians defended these militias. And yes, including President Jair Bolsonaro. Read show notes. — Send us your feedback Support the show

Explaining Brazil

Support the show

Faith is a profitable business in Brazil

You can't spell Car Wash without leaks

Earth v. Bolsonaro

How to make a bad political climate worse

Brazil's census controversy

Is privatization the answer for Brazil's economy?

The business of Brazilian football

A look into Brazil's super-complex tax system

How should Brazil deal with China?

Why is the Brazil spying on Catholic priests?

After 1 year in jail, what will become of Lula

How Brazil deals with its past of torture and repression

The new face of Brazil's Operation Car Wash

When Jair met Donald

Marielle Franco, one year of impunity

The business of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro

How to reform Brazil's pension system

Bolsonaro: Crisis Mode ON

Brazil's war on drugs failed. What next?

The rise of urban militias in Rio de Janeiro