Brazil

How a New Program Is Cutting the ‘Brazil Cost’ for Entrepreneurs

Marcelo Sasso worked in the finance department of a São Paulo advertising firm, and was good at his job. So good, in fact, that friends and acquaintances often came to him for advice. This raised a question: Why not start his own financial administration and consulting company? For starters, the risks were daunting. The country … Read more

What’s Driving the Eerie Calm in Brazil’s Markets?

Just two weeks ago, corruption allegations involving Brazil’s President Michel Temer tipped the economy into turbulence: the stock market plummeted, the Brazilian real fell sharply, and headlines of the country descending into political and financial panic were everywhere. Again. By June 1, however, the economy had found an eerie calm. The Bovespa, Brazil’s stock market, … Read more

Brazil’s Year of Living Dangerously

In May 2016, the Brazilian Senate impeached President Dilma Rousseff in the middle of her second term, amid economic recession, corruption scandals and street protests. She was replaced by her vice president, Michel Temer. One year later, Brazilians are discussing Temer’s impeachment, amid economic recession, corruption scandals, taped recordings that could incriminate the chief of … Read more

We Need to Talk About Lula

He is – still – the most popular president in Brazil’s history. He is as responsible as anyone for its worst recession on record. He is facing numerous corruption-related charges that could imprison him for the rest of his life. He is leading in the polls to be elected president again in 2018 – and … Read more

Women Are Changing the Face of Tech in Brazil

Camila Achutti grew up fascinated by code. Her father was a programmer and as a kid she’d listen intently as he dictated lines of COBOL, an English-like programming language, by phone. “It was this language that only select people spoke,” says the 25-year-old tech entrepreneur from São Paulo. “I wanted to be part of that … Read more

Why Brazilian Politics Needs a Radical Makeover

Brazil is one of the top 10 economies globally, but it fails to meet too many of its population’s basic needs. It is one of the OECD countries with the highest public spending on education – yet Brazilian students perform worse on international tests than those in other OECD countries. Half of all Brazilians still lack access to basic sanitation and 35 million lack … Read more

Brazil’s Foreign Policy Is “Back In the Game”

Latin America faces many challenges to ensure a better life for its citizens. The best tool to tackle such challenges is improving democratic governance, which does not always find fertile ground to thrive. The main obstacle to democratic governance continues to be populist politicians and their shaky commitment to democracy. The making of a democratic … Read more

3 Winners and Losers From Brazil’s Latest Corruption Revelations

After months of anticipation, Brazil’s Supreme Court released on Tuesday the names of dozens of politicians who will be investigated as part of the ongoing probe into corruption at state oil company Petrobras. The list is a veritable who’s-who of Brazilian politics, and includes nearly a third of President Michel Temer’s Cabinet and a third … Read more

The Real Reason Brazil’s Government Is Struggling

On the surface, they seemed like two unrelated cases of bad luck. Just as Brazil’s economy was showing fragile signs of recovery, a new corruption scandal erupted on March 17 threatening to paralyze the country’s $130 billion beef sector. Days later, the pillar of President Michel Temer’s market-friendly economic agenda, a reform to the social … Read more

Brazil Should Do More for Venezuela’s Refugees and Migrants

Venezuela’s protracted political and economic crisis is reaching a breaking point. Over the past few months thousands of Venezuelans fled across the border to seek sanctuary in northern Brazil, many of them taking only what they could carry on their backs. Although the humanitarian emergency has been brewing for some time, the Brazilian authorities appear woefully … Read more

Revisiting Brazil’s 2013 Protests: What Did They Really Mean?

Brazil’s current political instability began four years ago, with a wave of street demonstrations that virtually no one predicted – and eventually drew more than 1 million people into the streets. In this special report, AQ’s editor-in-chief looks back at what really caused the protests – and whether today’s politicians have fully learned their lessons. … Read more

Brazilian Judge’s Enemies Come Out of the Shadows

When Sérgio Moro visited Washington, D.C. last July, the 44-year-old judge overseeing Brazil’s “Car Wash” corruption investigation was greeted with standing ovations and adoring questions. “Will you please run for president?” one Brazilian executive pleaded. “What advice would you give so we can have a ‘Car Wash’ in Mexico?” asked a lawyer. Well, what a … Read more