Alex MacArthur is a Brazilian American writer and researcher based in New York City.
During Jair Bolsonaro’s term as president, he faced a liberal establishment that acted as a bulwark against his worst excesses. If his son Flávio beats Lula in the presidential election, he will encounter much less resistance from state institutions.
For much of the year, Flávio Bolsonaro, son of Brazil’s former president, seemed to be gaining on Lula ahead of the upcoming general election. But a mix of redistributive policies and right-wing incompetence has put the incumbent back in the lead.
Cold War Puerto Rico by Steve Howell argues that Washington has long treated the island as giant aircraft carrier. The result has been severe: residents face economic strain while lacking many democratic rights and social protections.
Socialist Rio de Janeiro city councilor Marielle Franco’s killers were recently convicted, exposing deep ties between Brazil’s right and violent militias. The case shows democratic institutions can still hold perpetrators of far-right violence to account.
In 2021, the January 6 Capitol attack exposed deep connections between the US state and far-right groups. When something similar happened in Brazil in 2023, it prompted a national attempt to reform the government. The US has failed to do the same.
On October 28, Rio de Janeiro’s police besieged the Penha favela for 15 hours, killing at least 121 people in the city’s worst massacre. Brazil’s right is hailing it as an anti-crime victory while overlooking their own links to violent gangs.
In solidarity with the recently imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro, Donald Trump levied tariffs of 50 percent on Brazil. He is quickly learning that the US’s influence is weaker than he thought, thanks largely to Brazil’s growing ties with China.