Explaining Brazil - podcast cover

Explaining Brazil

The Brazilian Reportbrazilian.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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Episodes

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 28, 202421 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 21, 202431 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

Feb 07, 202412 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 31, 202422 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 24, 202416 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 17, 202430 min

Santa brings Lula a tax reform

In the last podcast of 2023, we analyze the tax reform approved by Congress. Read show notes. Send us your feedback Support the show

Dec 20, 202325 min

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. Send us your feedback Support the show

Dec 13, 202326 min

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. Send us your feedback Support the show

Dec 06, 202313 min

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. Send us your feedback Support the show

Nov 29, 202320 min

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. Send us your feedback Support the show

Nov 21, 202346 min

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. Send us your feedback Support the show

Nov 14, 202313 min

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. Send us your feedback Support the show

Nov 08, 202319 min

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. Send us your feedback Support the show

Nov 01, 202321 min

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. Send us your feedback Support the show

Oct 25, 202328 min

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. Show notes. Send us your feedback Support the show...

Oct 18, 202332 min

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. Send us your feedback Support the show

Oct 11, 202325 min

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. Show notes. Send us your feedback Support the show...

Oct 04, 202338 min

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. Send us your feedback Support the show

Sep 27, 202317 min

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. Send us your feedback Support the show

Sep 20, 202327 min

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. Show notes. Send us your feedback Support the show...

Sep 13, 202345 min

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. Show notes. Send us your feedback Support the show...

Sep 06, 202315 min

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. Send us your feedback Support the show...

Aug 30, 202321 min

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 the latest. Show notes. Send us your feedback Support the show...

Aug 23, 202322 min

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. Send us your feedback Support the show

Aug 16, 202323 min

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. Send us your feedback Support the show

Aug 09, 202327 min

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 reparations. Show notes. Send us your feedback Support the show...

Aug 02, 202318 min

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. Show notes. Send us your feedback Support the show...

Jul 29, 202327 min

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. Send us your feedback Support the show

Jul 26, 202317 min
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