Explore every episode of the podcast Explaining Brazil
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil’s Central Bank led a revolution (preview) | 17 Nov 2025 | 00:09:59 | |
Five years ago, Brazil launched a public digital payment infrastructure — and its impact on the financial market and society has been immense. | |||
| Supreme Court to Brazilians: “Follow the money” (preview) | 10 Nov 2025 | 00:10:33 | |
Over the past decade, Brazilian lawmakers have steadily built up procedures to expand their powers over the purse. That has included increasing the overall volume of congressional grants; making a large share of them mandatory spending; limiting the Executive’s discretion over when to release those funds, and creating ways to erase transparency and traceability from the process. A perfect recipe for corruption, which has now trickled down to state and municipal levels. | |||
| Can Brazil own its digital destiny? (Preview) | 26 Aug 2025 | 00:13:06 | |
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 Brazilian Report. | |||
| Time to add more BRICS? | 23 Aug 2023 | 00:21:33 | |
This week's BRICS summit in Johannesburg could see the bloc expand for the first time since South Africa's membership in 2010. How might that affect Brazil's role? How powerful might the BRICS become? Euan Marshall and Cedê Silva break down the latest. Show notes. | |||
| Amazon oil drilling overlooks mangroves | 16 Aug 2023 | 00:22:45 | |
The government and Petrobras want to drill near the Amazon estuary. But an unprecedented discovery shows the area is still largely unstudied. Show notes. | |||
| Brazilian separatism? | 09 Aug 2023 | 00:27:00 | |
Separatist tensions in Brazil more often than not come from fringe and ridiculed groups, but comments by a prominent right-wing politician have brought this discussion back to the fore, albeit in sensational terms. Show notes. | |||
| Will justice be served for Mariana? | 02 Aug 2023 | 00:18:24 | |
Almost eight years ago, Brazil suffered its biggest environmental disaster in history, when the Fundão dam in Mariana burst and spilled an untold torrent of toxic sludge into the Rio Doce. Now, a gigantic class-action suit in England seeks proper reparations. Show notes. | |||
| Bonus Episode: Brazil's shot at World Cup glory | 29 Jul 2023 | 00:26:30 | |
We speak with Ivi Casagrande, head of performance at Brazil's national women's football team, in an exclusive interview straight from Australia, where she discusses Brazil's World Cup chances, Marta's last dance, and the history of the women's game in Brazil. Show notes. | |||
| A city swallowed by the ground | 26 Jul 2023 | 00:17:16 | |
Petrochemical giant Braskem announced that it has reached a settlement with the city of Maceió to pay compensation for the destruction of entire neighborhoods, caused by abusive salt mining by the company. Show notes. | |||
| Threads of concern? | 19 Jul 2023 | 00:24:58 | |
Meta's new social media Threads is already one of Brazil's most downloaded apps. But privacy experts in Brazil are concerned that the new network is less than compliant with the country's data protection laws. Show notes. | |||
| Better equipped to fight corruption? | 12 Jul 2023 | 00:29:25 | |
Corruption has become less of a top-of-mind issue in Brazil, but a study from AS/COA and Control Risks suggests the country's anti-corruption tools are stronger with Jair Bolsonaro out of office. Show notes. | |||
| Bolsonaro banned for good? | 05 Jul 2023 | 00:20:11 | |
The Superior Electoral Court banned Jair Bolsonaro from electoral politics for eight years. But other cases could extend that period. Show notes. | |||
| The Central Bank's Jekyll & Hyde moment | 28 Jun 2023 | 00:40:43 | |
Less than a week after issuing a hawkish statement on its latest policy decision, the Central Bank changed its tone, and made markets anticipate imminent interest rate cuts. Show notes. | |||
| The battle for control over Brazil's Congress (Preview) | 19 Aug 2025 | 00:09:54 | |
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. | |||
| Do-or-die moment for Mercosur and the EU? | 21 Jun 2023 | 00:26:35 | |
The EU and Mercosur reached an agreement on a trade deal back in 2019. But since then, nothing much has happened — and the window of opportunity may be closing. Show notes. | |||
| How YouTube helped pollute Brazil's public discourse | 14 Jun 2023 | 00:32:24 | |
YouTube’s recommendation algorithm might have been a key weapon for the far-right to firehose public discourse with disinformation. Read show notes. | |||
| The legacy of June 2013 | 07 Jun 2023 | 00:36:47 | |
Ten years after Brazil's June 2013 protests, we look back and analyze what they meant, where they came from, and what legacy they have left us. Show notes. | |||
| Lula not so green after all? | 31 May 2023 | 00:37:29 | |
For foreign observers, Lula's environmental promises were among the most important facets of his campaign. And less than six months in, there are fears that many of these pledges may have been empty words. Show notes. | |||
| Brazil and effective multilateralism | 24 May 2023 | 00:31:00 | |
Wars, pandemics, and global inequalities show that countries need to work together in order to thrive. We explore how to achieve effective multilateralism, and where Brazil fits into the global equation. Show notes. | |||
| Petrobras ends pricing parity policy | 17 May 2023 | 00:23:22 | |
Since mid-2016, Petrobras had pegged fuel prices in refineries to international fluctuations. That policy is gone four and a half months into the Lula administration. Show notes. | |||
| Why the world should pay attention to Brazil's 'Fake News Bill' | 10 May 2023 | 00:33:14 | |
As the world debates social media regulation, Brazil's Congress and Supreme Court are tackling the issue as we speak. We discuss why the world should be paying notice. Show notes. | |||
| Web Summit Rio special | 04 May 2023 | 00:25:40 | |
This week, The Brazilian Report has been on the ground at Web Summit Rio, one of the world's biggest tech events, being held outside of Europe for the first time. Over four days of panels, lectures, and events, Web Summit Rio has its full capacity, attracting more than 21,000 attendees from 91 countries. Show notes. | |||
| Explosive January 8 hearings about to begin | 26 Apr 2023 | 00:23:06 | |
Congressional inquiries make up for their limited powers with their very public nature, being more suited to political point-scoring than real accountability. Show notes. | |||
| Lula's new world order | 19 Apr 2023 | 00:29:03 | |
Brazilian allies saw Lula as a man who would recover Brazil's international clout. Three months, several statements, and a visit to China later, they may no longer be so sure. Show notes. | |||
| Supreme Court places Bolsonaro under house arrest (Preview) | 05 Aug 2025 | 00:08:12 | |
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. | |||
| 100-day summary | 12 Apr 2023 | 01:57:30 | |
The Brazilian Report and the Wilson Center's Brazil Institute hosted an event to discuss Lula's first 100 days in office. What can we make of the start of the new government? Read our special report on the government's first achievements and challenges. | |||
| Bolsonaro trial nears verdict | 05 Apr 2023 | 00:28:46 | |
This week, Brazil's top electoral court reaches the final stage of a trial against former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of abusing his political power to sow disinformation in the voting system. If convicted, he will lose his political rights. Show notes. | |||
| Congressional cold war | 29 Mar 2023 | 00:22:14 | |
The heads of the House and Senate are locked in a cold war over how Congress should appraise provisional decrees submitted by the federal government. Show notes. | |||
| A new fiscal anchor to navigate the storm | 22 Mar 2023 | 00:37:19 | |
Markets are patiently waiting to hear the Lula government's proposal for a new fiscal anchor to replace Brazil's lame-duck spending cap. We discuss what the plan may look like and how it would be received. Show notes. | |||
| Marielle Franco, 5 years and many unanswered questions | 15 Mar 2023 | 00:15:28 | |
We still don't know who ordered the 2018 assassination of Rio de Janeiro Councilwoman Marielle Franco. Now, it seems the federal government wants to solve the case once and for all. Show notes. | |||
| A data breach as big as they come | 08 Mar 2023 | 00:14:24 | |
Andrade Gutierrez, a major Brazilian construction conglomerate operating in 11 countries, has suffered a massive security breach. And we have all the details. Read the full report by Amanda Audi here. | |||
| Can Brazil tame social media? | 01 Mar 2023 | 00:39:04 | |
Following the January 8 Brasília riots, the Lula administration on Wednesday created a working group to present strategies and policy solutions to fight extremist acts and hate speech online. Read show notes. — | |||
| Lula ❤️ Biden | 15 Feb 2023 | 00:36:26 | |
The meeting between Lula and Joe Biden laid bare the points on which the two leaders share common goals, such as the environment and the fight against the far-right … and also those on which they disagree. Read show notes. — | |||
| Hacking Brazil's chief electoral justice | 08 Feb 2023 | 00:13:04 | |
Our team revealed that the man who broke into the Telegram accounts of federal prosecutors working in Operation Car Wash also tried to hack his way into obtaining personal data from Alexandre de Moraes, head of Brazil's electoral court. Read show notes. — | |||
| A pivotal moment for Congress | 01 Feb 2023 | 00:23:28 | |
Brazil's House and Senate choose their new leaders today. But don't expect the levels of drama of the election in the U.S. House of Representatives, where 15 rounds of voting were necessary for Kevin McCarthy to win the speakership. Read show notes. — | |||
| US tariffs: Brazil is negotiating with an “elected autocracy” (Preview) | 28 Jul 2025 | 00:06:53 | |
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. | |||
| The Yanomami genocide | 25 Jan 2023 | 00:28:35 | |
The Brazilian government has called the humanitarian catastrophe in the northern Yanomami indigenous land a "genocide." Read show notes. | |||
| Brazil and China's twin crises | 18 Jan 2023 | 00:39:30 | |
The Chinese economy has posted one of its worst economic performances in 50 years. Meanwhile, its population has shrunk for the first time since the Great Leap Forward. For Brazil, which depends on sales to China, that doesn't bode well in the long term. | |||
| The Brazilian capital riots | 11 Jan 2023 | 00:27:02 | |
So much for a "honeymoon period." One week into his term, Lula, Brazil's new president, has to deal with a massive national security threat and a full-blown attack on democracy and its symbols. Read show notes. — | |||
| A Brazilian reset | 04 Jan 2023 | 00:25:41 | |
During his inaugural speech, Lula painted a scorched-earth picture of the government he takes over from, repeatedly using words such as destruction, disorganization, dilapidation, and ruin to describe the legacy he inherits. Read show notes. — | |||
| Pelé, the Brazilian king of the world | 07 Dec 2022 | 00:22:26 | |
Pelé — the greatest player in the history of football — was admitted to hospital last week. We remember how he became the "King" of the world's most popular sport. | |||
| A rigged social ladder | 30 Nov 2022 | 00:24:37 | |
A recent study by Brazilian researchers shows that the social ladder offers little mobility in Brazil. Read show notes. — | |||
| Can the World Cup halt putschist protests? | 23 Nov 2022 | 00:32:00 | |
Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro have continuously staged anti-democratic protests. The World Cup will be the ultimate test of these demonstrations' endurance. Read show notes. — | |||
| Bolsonaro's climate legacy | 09 Nov 2022 | 00:23:17 | |
Foreign observers were following the Brazilian presidential election due to climate worries. Jair Bolsonaro lost — what climate legacy will he leave behind? | |||
| Has Bolsonaro accepted the election results? | 02 Nov 2022 | 00:22:01 | |
Almost 48 hours after losing the presidential election, Jair Bolsonaro broke his silence. But he stopped short of explicitly conceding to Lula. Read show notes. — | |||
| The last days before Brazil's presidential runoff | 26 Oct 2022 | 00:20:48 | |
With only days to go until the runoff election, President Bolsonaro has gone to great lengths to suggest electoral authorities are pushing the needle in favor of his opponent, Lula. Read show notes. — | |||
| Trump declares (trade) war on Brazil (Preview) | 14 Jul 2025 | 00:12:52 | |
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. | |||
| Five years of The Brazilian Report | 19 Oct 2022 | 00:35:29 | |
It's been exactly five years since The Brazilian Report went on air! Editor Euan Marshall sits down with editor-in-chief Gustavo Ribeiro and CEO Laura Quirin to hear the full story. Read show notes. — | |||
| Demons, Freemasons, and cannibalism | 12 Oct 2022 | 00:32:25 | |
Brazilian candidates have been in a race for endorsements from regional political leaders. Still, social media misinformation campaigns could turn Baphomet, a deity in various occult traditions, into 2022's biggest kingmaker. Read show notes. — | |||
| Brazil's election stunner | 05 Oct 2022 | 00:20:08 | |
Jair Bolsonaro outperformed his polling numbers, proving he put the far-right in the Brazilian political mainstream. Brazil's presidential runoff may be the tightest ever. | |||