Explaining Brazil

Explaining Brazil

Author: The Brazilian Report Language: English Episodes: 100
Explaining Brazil is a weekly conversation that cuts through the noise of headlines to provide clear, grounded context on the country's most pressing issues. Produced by the team at The Brazilian Report, this podcast leverages their on-the-ground presence and independent editorial stance to offer analysis that feels both immediate and deeply informed. Each episode focuses on a single topic-whether a sudden political shift, a complex economic policy, or a defining cultural moment-and unpacks its history, its key players, and its likely consequences. You'll hear discussions that connect the dots between Brasília's corridors of power, the trading floors of São Paulo, and the realities of daily life across the nation. The goal isn't just to tell you what's happening, but to explain why it matters and how it fits into the larger Brazilian story. For anyone doing business in the region, studying its dynamics, or simply trying to understand one of the world's most captivating countries, Explaining Brazil provides essential listening. It’s a direct line to nuanced perspectives that are often missing from international coverage, making each episode a valuable briefing on the forces shaping Brazil's present and future.
Episodes
Ban the beef bros? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:45
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 interna…
Lira's latest Lula feud [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:09
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 successi…
Love it or Leave it, Ep. 3: Cross-border persecution in South America [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:45
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…
Elon Musk has beef in Brazil [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:21
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. Send us your feedback Support…
Love It or Leave It, Ep. 2: Brazilian patriots with an American flag [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:26
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…
Election hopes dashed in Venezuela [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:00
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…
Love It or Leave It, Ep. 1: The dictatorship at a glance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:13
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…
How Brazil's far-right operates [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:51
A new report maps and details the activities and ideologies of more than 20 far-right extremist groups operating in Brazil. Read show notes Send us your feedback Support the show
Lula's approval red flags [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:33
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. Send us your feedback Support the show
Far-right committees in Congress [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:50
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. Send u…