Podgecaste Brazil

Discussed: * Felipe’s early life as the son of a Brazilian diplomat. * Rediscovering his home country as an adult. * Passing Brazil’s toughest public-service entrance exam. * Journey to academia. * The evolution of Oxford University’s Latin American Studies Department. * Felipe’s assessment of why Brazilian drug policy has failed on its own terms. * Why Brazilian drug policy hardened over years of...

Discussed: * From Sheffield to covering the Sandinistas. * The failures of the far left against Latin America’s military dictatorships. * “Running to stand still.” * Fernando Henrique Cardoso and the Plano Real . * Socialist idealism meets capitalist pragmatism. * Brazil’s victims and beneficiaries of circumstance. * A look into Lula’s psychology. * No time for the ideological left. * What BRICS m...

Discussed: * A (very belated) recap on the Trump and Lula showdown. * Flávio Bolsonaro goes to Washington. * “It’s terror, but not that kind of terror.” * Lula’s case for national sovereignty. * Getting in the mind of the Uber driver voter. * Will Flávio achieve his father’s dream of nationalizing the crime debate? * Ciro Gomes: Brazilian Batman. * A soundbite, a screenplay, and a scandal. * A rea...

Discussed: * Big Brother Brasil has a winner. * Will Flávio’s bad tweets get him disqualified from the race? * Glenn Greenwald’s takes on the Supreme Court. * Romeu Zema becomes the muppets latest showrunner. * The impossible politics of pardons Jan 8 and attempted coup plot. * The Path to the Planalto #01 - read it now. * How Bolsonaro lost the 2022 election. * Lula’s 45% trap becomes a safe have...

Discussed: * It’s Brazilian election boy summer! * Lula’s looksmaxxing must be stopped. * “Why are you running, bro?” * Geraldo Alckmin returns for Lula’s Veep Season 4. * Move over saudades . Sapatênis is the new untranslatable word. * Disinformation is just bad politics for the right. * A long LARP as Flávio Bolsonaro on the debate stage. * “Please sir, I just need one more go around the merry-g...

Discussed: * Note to self: never get distracted by Iran. * A quick phone-in from an expert on the history and geography — which is an island, in case you didn’t know. * Latin American despots were looksmaxxing before it was cool. * “If they do anything to Cuba, I’m gonna be really, really mad.” * Is Flávio Bolsonaro a low-energy candidate? * What we’re seeing in the polls is a consolidation. Nothi...

In attempt our to not talk about the events of the past 48 hours, we couldn’t help ourselves by starting a carefully thought out episode on the Brazilian election by discussing that which should not be named. Anyway, here’s our deeply uninformed take on the most complex geopolitical issue of our time. Link to video we mention in the episode. This snippet was taken from the recording of our main ep...

Discussed: * Jack’s latest article, Like Our Parents (Como Nossos Pais) . Read it now. * Will Gen Z shift towards Flávio in 2026? * University or Multi-Level Marketing. The choice is yours. * Thoughts on Lula’s tribute at Sapucaí. * ‘Carnaval’s just like football, innit.” * No one is safe from the North Korean news reader meme. * Quaaaaaest - It’s Highly Addictive! * “How weird! You’re weird!” * A...

Discussed: * The Secret Agent , and other Oscar predictions. * Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Greenland. It’s all a block of ice. * A Ricky Gervais rant on actors and their political opinions. * A lot of necessary legal throat clearing. * The Brazilian Report’s Banco Master matrix. * Is Brazil running the risk of constitutional crisis? * A who’s who of the Brazilian deep state. * So much that could have...

Discussed: * Delcy Rodríguez is not a terrific person. * Nissan Navara Media. * Stop naming companies after random Latin words. * One too many mentions of Glenn Greenwald. * Bolsonaro heads to Papudinha. * Smart TVs vs. Cable. The great legal battle of our time. * Globo loses the linear narrative. * January 6 is the only reason you hear about Bolsonaro. * Operation Car Wash made for a better Itali...

Discussed: * Excuse the aircon sounds. We’re in a heatwave, because, climate change, or something. * Boots on the ground is boots on the ground, but it’s not those boots on the ground, so it doesn’t count. * Glenn Greenwald, Rory Stewart, and Jeremy Corbyn join the podcast. * It’s legal; it’s not legal; but who cares? We got him. * The rules-based international order of paper shufflers. * Is Brazi...

Discussed: * Our 2025 Polymarket Wrapped. * That’s it. No more Trump mention markets. * Shocked not surprised. Surprised not shocked. * “It’s jail, but Norwegian serial killer jail.” * Why Flávio Bolsonaro is a candidate worth taking seriously. * Milicianos by Rafael Soares . * Brazil’s politically coded criminal organizations. * Let it go. The Nikki Haley right isn’t coming back. * Lula’s latest...

Discussed: * Trump and Lula—the meeting we’ve been waiting for. * “You were in jail? They tried to put me in jail.” * Nothing to do with Venezuela. * Little Marco takes the spotlight. * Peronismo perishes to the sweet tunes of La Renga . * Lula Makes Boring Great Again ( muh-buh-guh ). * The 4D chess of the election no one wants to win. * 2018 to 2026: the great Brazilian vibe shift. * Is the Big...

Discussed: * It’s been a long hiatus, and a lot’s happened. * “Maduro doesn’t want to f**k around with the United States.” * The Fifth Column: #524 - BTW, Venezuela is a Dictatorial Commie Narcostate (w/ Thor Halvorssen) * María Corina Machado is a win for centrist dads. * The chances for a sustainable post-Maduro government. * We say this a lot, but dictatorships kinda suck. * Michelle Bolsonaro:...

Discussed: * Blueanon is so much more depressing than Qanon. * In defense of Trump on Biden. * Lawfare here. Lawfare there. Lawfare everywhere. * If only Obama never had a pen and a phone. * Nothing Ever Happens—September edition. * Bolsonaro on trial (again). * ‘Is Selena Gomez Married in 2025’ safer than a treasury bond? (obviously not financial advice) * The 2026 Brazilian election. Brought to...

In this episode, we give our HOTTEST takes on Oscar nominee Petra Costa’s latest documentary, ‘Apocalypse in the Tropics’. Something of a sequel to her documentary ‘Edge of Democracy’, this latest film looks at the rise of Evangelical Christianity in Brazil, particularly through the lens of its political impacts. This episode has been long procrastinated, but with the indictment of Silas Malafaia,...

Discussed: * Who would would win? The post-1945 liberal world order, or one curious 79-year-old boi? * Donald J. Trump is the only president to actually enjoy the job. * The stage is set for the world’s HOTTEST 80s blockbuster. * Bolsonaro on house arrest. * Lula and Trump may never speak. Does it matter? * “In case you forgot, I’m Andrew Cuomo, son of Mario, grandson of Andrea.” * We miss you, Ri...

Discussed: * Tariff Day is finally here—unless you’re Brazil. * As always, our predictions were (mostly) spot on. * Can Alexandre de Moraes still use Netflix? * The politics of the talking parrot . * Jack’s definition of a Muppet—courtesy of Homer Simpson . * Javier Milei’s still holding out for that deal. But, Is no deal better than a deal? * “If you don’t stop talking about Epstein, we’re doing...

It’s here. Trump-tariff chaos looms over Brazil, and we’re ready to guide you through the storm. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit podgecaste.substack.com

Discussed: * Trump finally mentions Brazil—the COLDEST country on Earth. * TRADE and TARIFFS are back on the menu. * The funniest leader in human history. * No rest for the potentially primaried. * The EU says, “no more straight bananas for you.” * Did Steve Bannon end hypocrisy on the right by making it socialist? * “Yah, so, generally speaking, we’re doing the America Party .” * Envelopes full o...

Discussed: * The definition of a suit. * Did Trump make the right call? * Our PhDs in New York municipal politics. * Staten Island socialists. * Unsolicited advice for Democrat strategists. * Nothing to report from Brazil. * Are musical biopics the worst genre of all time? * The Social Network II—the sequel no one asked for. * Nothing Ever Happens as stoicism’s kryptonite. * Out of context Adam Cu...

Discussed: * The ‘Nothing Ever Happens’ philosophy. * Rory Stewart joins us for a quick explainer. * Did something really happen? * Dominic Cummings and the future of warfare. * The turmoil of Nate Silver’s approval ratings. * The Oval Office is just a podcast studio, bro. * Lula’s G7 gameplan. * Bolsonaro takes the stand. * Elon out at Tesla? * And much more! This is a public episode. If you woul...

Welcome to our new segment, Podegecaste Predictions! In an attempt to streamline our ramblings, we’re now splitting the show into two segments. Our main episode will become the place for more deep-dives on Brazil, while Podgecaste Predictions will be the place where we muse on a wider range of global and pop culture events (in our characteristically uninformed manner) through the murky but fascina...

A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of welcoming Chris Pickard to the show. He initially joined us to talk about his friendship with the legendary Ronnie Biggs (check out that episode if you haven’t yet) and his soon-to-be-released documentary “Ronnie Biggs: Run to Rio”. Fortunately for us, Chris was also generous enough to discuss some of his own adventures in Brazil. His deep ties to the countr...

Discussed: * Lady Gaga’s mega show at Copacabana beach. * Should the public foot the bill? * Eduardo Paes, a California Democrat(?) * A (reluctant) take on the Australian election. * Can Brazil make 2026 boring again? * We used to have protests. Where’d they all go? * Lula, the Goldman Sachs central banker. * Does anyone care about economics anymore? * Glenn Greenwald goes before the Brazilian sen...