Explaining Brazil

At a time when US President Donald Trump is pressuring Brazil on both trade and military fronts, the country’s digital vulnerabilities have come into focus. The notion of sovereignty now extends beyond borders to the infrastructure, systems and data that underpin the digital world. How prepared is Brazil to secure its digital sovereignty? Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts or on The Braz...

A political drama has unfolded inside Congress. It started with a show of force: after former President Jair Bolsonaro was placed on house arrest, lawmakers loyal to him occupied both chambers, bringing the legislature to a halt. But beneath the theatrics, something more profound is unraveling — a leadership crisis. Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts or on The Brazilian Report . Send us...

In this edition of #InsiderTalks, we’ve invited experts on law, democracy and electoral trends to analyze the trial of Bolsonaro and his allies for an alleged coup plot. Subscribe to Explaining Brazil Plus on Apple Podcasts for the full episode or go to The Brazilian Report and subscribe to get all of our content. Send us your feedback Support the show

Professor Felipe Campante of Johns Hopkins sees little room for success in negotiations between Brazil and the US, as only the former is following the rule of law. Subscribe to Explaining Brazil Plus on Apple Podcasts for the full episode or go to The Brazilian Report and subscribe to get all of our content.  Send us your feedback Support the show

In this episode of Explaining Brazil Plus, we analyzed Donald Trump’s threat of a 50% tariff on Brazil and its possible impacts on the country's economy and politics. Subscribe to Explaining Brazil Plus on Apple Podcasts for the full episode or go to The Brazilian Report and subscribe to get all of our content.  Send us your feedback Support the show

A major social security scandal causes a government headache. Brazil’s beef sector needs major changes to hit emissions goals. And Lula is off to Rome for the pope’s funeral, but who’s going with him? Send us your feedback Support the show

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 Princ...

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!...

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. Sen...

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