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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May 1, 2024 · 27 min
Lula's farming feuds
The relationship between farmers and the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva administration is by no means a warm one. The government is trying to change that with shedloads of credit Send us your feedback Support the show
Apr 28, 2024 · 36 min
Love It or Leave It, Ep. 4: Coup praisers, coup plotters
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
Apr 24, 2024 · 15 min
Ban the beef bros?
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
Apr 17, 2024 · 24 min
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. Send us your feedback Support the show
Apr 14, 2024 · 29 min
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 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
Apr 10, 2024 · 25 min
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. Send us your feedback Support the show
Apr 7, 2024 · 20 min
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 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
Apr 3, 2024 · 28 min
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. Send us your feedback Support the show
Mar 31, 2024 · 20 min
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 Brazilian military dictatorship in its social, economic, and institutional aspects. Read show notes. Send us your feedback Support the show
Mar 26, 2024 · 32 min
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 Send us your feedback Support the show
Mar 20, 2024 · 42 min
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. Send us your feedback Support the show
Mar 13, 2024 · 11 min
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. Send us your feedback Support the show
Mar 6, 2024 · 30 min
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. Send us your feedback Support the show
Feb 28, 2024 · 20 min
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. Send us your feedback Support the show
Feb 21, 2024 · 30 min
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. Send us your feedback Support the show
Feb 7, 2024 · 12 min
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. Send us your feedback Support the show
Jan 31, 2024 · 22 min
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. Send us your feedback Support the show
Jan 24, 2024 · 15 min
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. Read show notes. Send us your feedback Support the show
Jan 17, 2024 · 30 min
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. Send us your feedback Support the show
Jan 10, 2024 · 32 min
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. Send us your feedback Support the show

Explaining Brazil

Support the show

Lula's farming feuds

Love It or Leave It, Ep. 4: Coup praisers, coup plotters

Ban the beef bros?

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