An indigenous victory against Cargill on the Tapajós River (preview)

An indigenous victory against Cargill on the Tapajós River (preview)

Author: The Brazilian Report February 28, 2026 Duration: 10:06
Advances in oil exploration and the construction of railways and highways in recent years have shown that, when large infrastructure projects clash with matters of Amazon preservation, the Brazilian government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva tends to favor the former. Some call this progress; others see it as ultimately self-defeating in the face of the ongoing climate emergency. But this week, the usual script of Brazilian developmentalism trumping environmentalism was turned on its head,...

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.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Explaining Brazil
Podcast Episodes
Lula meets Trump in Washington [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:29
Editor-in-chief Gustavo Ribeiro sat down with historian James N. Green to unpack Lula's recent meeting with Donald Trump. While the visit yielded no concrete trade breakthroughs, it has been cast as a diplomatic victory,…
Troubled ahead for Brazil-US relations? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:28
What role will the United States play in Brazil's high-stakes 2026 elections? Join editor-in-chief Gustavo Ribeiro and historian James N. Green of the Brazil Office Alliance as they unpack the escalating tensions and pot…
Time to investigate Brazil's Supreme Court justices? (preview) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:03
Amid deepening polarization and the judiciary’s growing role in the country’s political life, Brazil’s Supreme Court has become accustomed to being rated poorly by a significant share of the population. In recent years,…
Brazil's water leverage. And its fault lines (preview) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:42
Humanity has entered what scientists are calling an “era of water bankruptcy.” According to the United Nations University, many critical water systems around the world are so overused — through depletion, overallocation,…
Brazilian stocks’ record run (preview) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:46
190,000 points. After a string of record highs that have been piling up since mid-January, the Ibovespa — the benchmark index of São Paulo’s stock exchange, the B3 — surpassed this historic threshold during Wednesday, Fe…
Brasília enters an election year on edge (preview) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:18
Brasília is back to work — and the new legislative year has opened with all the familiar rituals: lofty speeches about stability, institutional balance, and dialogue, plus promises of an ambitious agenda ahead. But this…
What happened to Brazil-Venezuela relations? (preview) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:19
Lula did not recognize Maduro’s 2024 election win, but his first two terms in office in the 2000s saw him make South American integration a top priority of Brazil’s foreign policy, and maintain close ties with the Hugo C…