Explaining Brazil

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

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. @euanmarshall, Isabela Cruz, and @CedeSilva explain why.

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.

 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In the last podcast of 2023, we analyze the tax reform approved by Congress. Read show notes.

Brazil pledged to launch a global alliance against hunger during the year it will hold the G20 presidency. Read show notes.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.