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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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 Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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. 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 Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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? Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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. Support the s…

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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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 Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

After months of feuding between tech mogul Elon Musk and Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the billionaire announced the closure of X's Brazil operations Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

Over the past five decades, Brazil and China have forged a complex and dynamic partnership, evolving from cautious diplomatic ties to becoming key economic and political allies on the global stage. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

A look at Brazil's big medal wins, prospects for the final days of the Games, and how Brazilian athletes are funded. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

Nicolás Maduro claimed victory in Venezuela's presidential election on Sunday, but the opposition and a long list of observers find the announced results difficult to believe. Read show notes Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

In our book club, professor Carlos Pereira argues that certain institutional features ensured that Bolsonaro's authoritarian initiatives never became a credible threat Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

Despite strategic moves to distribute cabinet positions to center and center-right parties, this has not guaranteed Lula a stable coalition. Some in the president's camp are calling for a reset in negotiations with Congress — but is that possible? Read show notes Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

Debates about gun rights and regulations are becoming more and more common in 21st century Brazil, and we explore the forces behind the most prominent arguments. Read show notes Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

The Brazilian real turns 30 next week. But the currency is reaching the landmark amid an incredible rout, caused by fiscal concerns. Read show notes Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

Since returning to the Brazilian presidency, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has shown something of a preference for foreign policy, potentially to the detriment of domestic politics. He's traveled the world, appearing at almost every international summit that will have him, with the articulated goal of "repositioning" Brazil on the world stage. Read sho…

Why disgruntled civil servants are a risk to Brazil's environmental goals. Read show notes Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

A family left Brazil for Afghanistan in the 2000s, aiming to convert Muslims to Christianity. Adriana Carranca talks to Isabela Cruz about this story and the political dynamics surrounding it, as she explained in her work "Soul By Soul." Watch the full interview on Patreon for free! Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

A bill pending in the Senate proposes transferring control of coastal land to state governments, municipal authorities, or private interests, raising fear about the future of Brazil's beaches. Read show notes Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

Shein, AliExpress, and Shopee have become ubiquitous in Brazil, causing much controversy along the way. Now, a bid from domestic retailers to bump up taxes on these platforms seems to have taken hold. Read show notes Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

Swapping out the head of state-controlled oil firm Petrobras, it seems that the Lula government is going full steam on intervention to push through its developmentalist goals. Read show notes LINKS: New series - To be Read - video interview Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

While rainfall continues to ravage Brazil's southernmost state, authorities warn about the plague of disinformation — which they say is hindering rescue operations. Read show notes Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

A new series featuring authors talking about Brazil. The Brazilian Report's To Be Read will be a space for conversations about books that translate the country's history and contemporary political life. In its first meeting, "The Brazilian Report's To Be Read" book club will talk to Adriane Sanctis about the slave trade in the Atlantic, based on he…

Brazil's southernmost state is underwater after days of severe heavy rains, with the human and material tolls mounting by the hour. We examine the extent of the crisis in Rio Grande do Sul. Read show notes. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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 Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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 s…

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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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. Suppor…

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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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. Support t…

A new report maps and details the activities and ideologies of more than 20 far-right extremist groups operating in Brazil. Read show notes Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

In the last podcast of 2023, we analyze the tax reform approved by Congress. Read show notes. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report

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

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. Support the showBy The Brazilian Report