Analysis

Far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro // File Photo: Bolsonaro Campaign.

Is Brazil’s Bolsonaro Unstoppable Ahead of the Runoff?

Jair Bolsonaro nearly won Brazil’s election in the first round. Is he unstoppable in the runoff, or can Fernando Haddad win?

Peter Hakim, Monica de Bolle, Rubens Barbosa, Melvyn Levitsky, Mark Langevin

Latin America Advisor ˙

Who will save Brazil’s democracy if Jair Bolsonaro tries to destroy it?

Bolsonaro’s authoritarian rhetoric was hotly debated during the presidential campaign. His supporters embraced his brash promises to bring law and order to a country beset by crime, corruption and economic struggles. His opponents feared a resurgence of military rule or the emergence of a Duterte-style police state.

Michael Camilleri, Benjamin Gedan

Articles & Op-Eds ˙ ˙ Miami Herald

Far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro was seriously wounded in a knife attack. // Photo: @FlavioBolsonaro.

How Will the Latest Developments Alter the Race in Brazil?

With Lula out of the race and Bolsonaro in the hospital after a knife attack, how is Brazil’s October presidential election shaping up?

Peter Hakim, Monica de Bolle, Jana Nelson, Erich Decat, Mauricio Santoro

Latin America Advisor ˙

Video

Análisis de las elecciones en Brasil

En este episodio de Club de Prensa, Juan Carlos Iragorri contó con la participación de Michael Shifter, presidente del Diálogo Interamericano; Raquel Godos, corresponsal de EFE; y Henrique Gomes Batista, Corresponsal De ‘O Globo’ – Brasil. Los participantes analizaron los cambios en las elecciones en Brasil y la investigación del expresidente ecuatoriano Rafael Correa por el caso Odebrecht.

Michael Shifter, Raquel Godos, Henrique Gomes Batista, Juan Carlos Iragorri

Interviews ˙ ˙ NTN24

Video

Brazil’s Election and Latin America’s Volatile Politics

On February 27, the Inter-American Dialogue partnered with Americas Quarterly (AQ) to host an event moderated by the Dialogue’s Michael Shifter with the participation of Brian Winter from AQ, Monica de Bolle from the Peterson Institute of International Economics, and Roberto Simon from FTI Consulting. This discussion drew from AQ’s January issue, Latin America First?, which explored underlying themes in the region’s election super-cycle. The speakers also addressed the political and economic circumstances facing Brazil’s presidential elections.

Martín Rodriguez Nuñez

Event Summaries ˙

Mario Delgado Carrillo / Flickr / CC BY-NC 2.0

Latin America’s Unusual Leadership Vacuum

This year’s “electoral supercycle” could ignite a race to succeed Washington and Caracas as the hemisphere’s big players.

Michael Camilleri, Ben Raderstorf

Articles & Op-Eds ˙ ˙ Americas Quarterly

2018 Presidential Elections in Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia

In these interviews with Joachim Bamrud for Latinvex, Michael Shifter discusses the political outlook for Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, three countries in which upcoming 2018 presidential elections are still very uncertain.

Michael Shifter

Interviews ˙ ˙ Latinvex

Brazil’s Energy Sector Needs Reform. Is Bolsonaro Up to the Task?

Revitalizing Brazil’s energy sector will be key to Jair Bolsonaro’s success as president – but so far, he’s had mixed results when it comes to getting reforms through Congress. Unless Bolsonaro learns to work with legislators and ease turbulence within his government, Brazil’s missing energy reforms will continue to threaten its economy, and its politics.

Lisa Viscidi, Nate Graham

Articles & Op-Eds ˙ ˙ Americas Quarterly

Video

Media and Democracy in the Americas II

A summary of the conclusions and recommendations from the Inter-American Dialogue and Fundamedios USA’s second annual Media and Democracy in the Americas conference.

Peter D. Bell Rule of Law Program, Fundamedios USA

Reports ˙ ˙ Download Report

The number of fires in the Amazon rain forest has swelled this year, leading to international concern and a meeting of South American leaders last week in Colombia. // Photo: Brazilian Government.

Are Amazon Nations Prepared to Fight Forest Fires?

What are South American countries already doing to protect the Amazon, and how else can they cooperate?

Yolanda Kakabadse, Leila Salazar-López, Henrique Rzezinski, José Goldemberg, Mark S. Langevin

Latin America Advisor ˙

Do the Amazon Fires Point the Way for Future International Efforts to Combat Climate Change?

The fires in the Amazon expose the very heart of the greatest collective action problem that humanity has faced, and it foreshadows harder battles to come. The actions of each individual country have consequences for the global climate, yet perpetrators are loath to make sacrifices when others, especially those with equal or greater responsibility, are not doing the same. The fact that threats of economic punishment seem to have shifted Brazil’s behavior suggests that a similar approach could be taken to address climate change on a larger scale. But it will not be easy, especially where the biggest emitters are concerned.

Lisa Viscidi, Nate Graham

Articles & Op-Eds ˙ ˙ Foreign Policy