Politics, Business & Culture in the Americas

AQ Podcast | Brazil: Bolsonaro on Trial, Lula Under Pressure  

President Lula's popularity is low and political momentum could move to the right, as Bolsonaro faces trial and seeks international support.
Reading Time: < 1 minute

With Brazil about a year and a half away from the 2026 elections, political dynamics are shifting once again. The economy is growing at 3%, and employment remains high, yet President Lula’s approval rating has dropped to 41%—the lowest of any of his three terms. Meanwhile, the right may be gaining momentum, fueled by the Supreme Court’s decision to put former President Jair Bolsonaro on trial for his alleged 2022 coup attempt. Bolsonaro has appealed to conservative global figures, comparing his legal battles to those of Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen. In this episode, Guilherme Casarões analyzes Brazil’s evolving political and economic landscape. Casarões is a professor at Fundação Getúlio Vargas’s São Paulo School of Business Administration and a contributor to AQ.

Subscribe to the Americas Quarterly Podcast on AppleSpotify and other platforms

Guest

Guilherme Casarões is a professor at the Fundação Getúlio Vargas’s São Paulo School of Business Administration

Host

Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly

If you’d like to know more: 

REACTION: Bolsonaro Will Stand Trial by AQ editors

Brazil’s Low-Key Operator by Luiza Franco

Bolsonaro and the Prisoner’s Dilemma by Thomas Traumann

Bolsonaro May Need His Trump Card by Guilherme Casarões



Tags: AQ Podcast, Brazil, Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Like what you've read? Subscribe to AQ for more.
Any opinions expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Quarterly or its publishers.
Sign up for our free newsletter