News from Brazil, by The Brazilian Report — an independent media outlet uniquely positioned to offer an insider’s view of current affairs in Brazil.
In this Explaining Brazil Plus episode, Lise Tupiassu of the Federal University of Pará gives us her on-the-ground perspective on what should be in the spotlight regarding COP30 in the Amazon Send us your feedback Support the show
Rio’s mayor looks to El Salvador for inspiration on public security. Brazil’s agro jobs are less and less done on farms. And Bolsonaro goes under the knife again in a 12-hour surgery. Send us your feedback Support the show
Trump and the US become less popular in Brazil. Embraer wades into the aerial arms race. And the pro-gun caucus wants to take firearms away from Lula’s security team Send us your feedback Support the show
US President Donald Trump promises a significant tariff announcement on April 2. We gathered a team of experts to discuss how the looming threats of tariffs from the Trump administration may affect Brazil and reshape relations between the United States and Brazil — not just in the short-term future but also in the long run. Panelists: Tony Harrington, former US ambassador to Brazil. Founding Principal of Albright Stonebridge. He was previously Chair of the President’s Intelligence Oversight Boar...
The Supreme Court decides that Jair Bolsonaro will face trial over coup-plotting allegations. Brazilian producers are exporting eggs to the bird flu-hit US. And Brazil wants to chart its own course in purchasing defense tech. This episode refers to the newsletters: 🧨 Charges accepted (Mar. 27) 🐣 Hatching a new market (Mar. 26) ⚖️ Facing the music (Mar. 25) Send us your feedback Support the show...
Lula announces major income tax exemptions. The Central Bank hikes interest rates once more. And one of Bolsonaro’s sons flees to the US. This episode refers to the newsletters: 🎰 Lula goes all in (Mar. 19) 📈 Different in form, not content (Mar. 20) Send us your feedback Support the show...
Inflation data shows little in the way of good news for Brazil. The country’s planned digital currency moves through testing phases. And Trump’s metal tariffs kick in — how is Brazil going to respond? This episode refers to the newsletters: 😢 Brazilian wallets weep (Mar. 12) 🔐 Drex files: Privacy vs oversight (Mar. 12) Send us your feedback Support the show...
We’re launching Explaining Brazil Plus — a premium service bringing you exclusive content every month. As a subscriber, you’ll get access to special episodes and expert interviews, offering deeper insights into Brazil’s biggest stories. Subscriptions are just USD 1.99 a month on Apple Podcasts . But here’s the best part: If you’re already a subscriber to The Brazilian Report, you get it for free! This week: Reporter Isabela Cruz sits down with Rubens Barbosa, Brazil’s former ambassador to the Un...
Brazil bags its Carnival Oscar glory with “I’m Still Here.” Consumers get rattled as “fake coffee” makes its way onto supermarket shelves. And a court precedent could spell trouble for Big Four auditors in Brazil. Send us your feedback Support the show
Carnival is here, and it’s big business. Lula pulls the trigger and sacks his health minister. And STEM degrees are becoming less and less common in Brazil. Send us your feedback Support the show
Bolsonaro faces criminal charges for coup plotting. Trump’s media group is suing a Brazilian Supreme Court justice. And Brazil’s organized crime groups are expanding far beyond the drug trade. Send us your feedback Support the show
How Trump’s steel tariffs are expected to affect Brazil. A year after historic floods, Rio Grande do Sul now suffers from drought. And how Brazil’s evangelical shift is changing national politics. Send us your feedback Support the show
As Trump's trade threats reshape global commerce, Brazil grapples with a mounting yellow fever outbreak ahead of Carnival. Meanwhile, controversial Amazon oil drilling plans gain momentum under new Senate leadership, testing the country's environmental commitments. Send us your feedback Support the show
Our podcast is back! For our first episode of 2025, we bring you a crucial topic for Brazil’s political landscape: the upcoming elections for the leadership positions in Congress and how they will affect Brazil’s political landscape, the tensions between the Lula administration and the far right, as well as how the new congressional outlook will affect landmark projects such as the tax reform. Send us your feedback Support the show...
The EU had approved a law demanding that products exported to the bloc would have to prove they are deforestation-free. After much adaptation and preparation, the implementation of that law has been delayed for an extra year, which will benefit Brazilian commodity exporters. Send us your feedback Support the show
The Brazilian real is plummeting, borrowing costs are climbing, and market confidence has been in free fall. Send us your feedback Support the show
Many thought the tax reform regulations would clear Congress before the October elections. With just a few weeks left in the 2024 calendar, many wonder if it will pass at all this year. Send us your feedback Support the show
With the G20 Summit and Brazil’s presidency of the group now at an end, we look back at the results of the major international gathering in Rio de Janeiro, and Lula’s date with Xi Send us your feedback Support the show
In our book club, journalist Marcos Colón talks about the existential crisis that criminals, multinational companies and also the State have historically imposed to the Amazon Send us your feedback Support the show
As the U.S. selects its next leader, the choice will reverberate through Latin America, influencing political and economic landscapes across the region. Send us your feedback Support the show
Jair Bolsonaro is working to reshape Brazil’s Liberal Party into a political vehicle firmly under his influence — much like Donald Trump has redefined the Republican Party in the U.S. as his MAGA party. Send us your feedback Support the show
A particularly harsh wildfire season in Brazil's Pantanal has caused major impacts on the population of jaguars, the biome's most emblematic species. We speak to a big cat expert to find out more Send us your feedback Support the show
Seemingly from nowhere, the online sports betting market has swept across Brazil like a tsunami, and the pernicious effects of gambling addiction are already having clear signs on society. Send us your feedback Support the show
Brazilians in almost 5,600 municipalities went to the polls to pick new mayors and city council members. The dispute was settled on Sunday in all but 52 cities. This week, we will discuss what conclusions can be drawn from the results, the key races still in play, and the effects of these local races on national politics. Send us your feedback Support the show...
For Lula's third term as president, international prominence and influence was set out as a priority — but a Pew survey shows that things are moving in the opposite direction Send us your feedback Support the show
X has been banned in Brazil for more than three weeks now, with billionaire CEO Elon Musk refusing to comply with Supreme Court demands. He seems to now have backed down, but what of the future of the platform in Brazil? Send us your feedback Support the show
Smoke-filled skies, wildfires, lack of rain, and scorching heat that have lingered for weeks offer a glimpse of what’s in store for Brazilian cities as climate change takes hold in the coming years. Send us your feedback Support the show
Pablo Marçal, a candidate for mayor of São Paulo who has become a hot name within Bolsonarism — despite not being endorsed by Bolsonaro. Marçal defends many of the values espoused by Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters. More importantly, he deploys a social media strategy that seems to be a version of the Bolsonaro campaign on steroids. Send us your feedback Support the show...
In our book club, economist Alysson Portella discusses the figures that unravel the structures of racial inequality in the country and points out ways to overcome it. Send us your feedback Support the show
Brazil's Central Bank has enjoyed political autonomy since 2021, and Congress is analyzing a bill to make it financially independent, too. But this freedom has not come without controversy Send us your feedback Support the show
