🇧🇷 Brazil Episodes

It was early Sunday morning in Iran when the US launched an offensive against three Iranian nuclear facilities. After days of suspense over whether or not to enter the conflict between Israel and the Tehran regime, Donald Trump announced that the Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan facilities had been targeted by American airstrikes. In response, the Iranian parliament approved closing the Strait of Hormuz, responsible for 20% of the world's oil route. In the first part of this episode of O Assunto, Natuza Nery talks to Oliver Stuenkel to analyze the immediate consequences of the US entering the war. Oliver, who is a professor of International Relations at FGV and a researcher at Harvard and the Carnegie Endowment, answers what risks Trump subjected himself to by attacking Iran, and Tehran's possible responses. He also assesses the likely economic effects if the closure of the Strait of Hormuz materializes. Afterwards, Natuza receives Samy Adghirni, a Bloomberg journalist based in Paris who was a correspondent in Iran from 2011 to 2014. Author of the book "The Iranians," Samy traces the richness of Persian history and the reasons why Iranians are so proud of their culture: "Iran is more than a country, it is a civilization." He also presents an overview of the country's current contradictions: a modern society that coexists with a theocratic, oppressive, and violent regime – especially towards women. "The current situation in the Middle East shows the increasing weakness of this regime," he concludes.

Instability is permanent and spreads across territories. In Gaza, a war exceeding 600 days causes an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. In Lebanon, the population lives under attacks from Hezbollah and the Israeli army. In Syria, the end of a long dictatorship led to a fragmented country. In Yemen, Houthi rebels are also involved in conflicts. Now, since the beginning of the exchange of bombings between Israel and Iran, tension has escalated to the imminence of a total war between the region's two most powerful military countries -- a risk that grows with signals from Donald Trump that the US may enter the conflict. In this episode, Natuza Nery talks to Guga Chacra to explain the origins of these instabilities. The commentator from Globo, GloboNews, CBN, and columnist for O Globo recounts the history of failed peace negotiations of recent decades, analyzes current points of greatest tension, and tries to answer the question: what to do to pacify the Middle East?

Assim que os primeiros bombardeios israelenses atingiram o território iraniano, o secretário de Estado dos EUA se apressou em negar a participação americana no ataque. O presidente Donald Trump também se apresentou para defender uma solução diplomática e disse que estava perto de um acordo para o programa nuclear do Irã. Menos de uma semana depois, tudo mudou. Primeiro, Trump subiu o tom num ultimato contra o Irã, exigindo que o regime desista totalmente de seu programa nuclear. Depois, foi ainda mais longe. O presidente americano falou como se os próprios EUA já estivessem dentro da guerra, afirmou ter controle total e completo dos céus iranianos e ameaçou: “Não vamos matar o Líder Supremo [o aiatolá Ali Khamenei, chefe de Estado do Irã]. Por enquanto”. Para explicar o que quer Donald Trump com esse vaivém e quais são os objetivos americanos no conflito, Natuza Nery entrevista Fernando Brancoli, professor de Segurança Internacional e de Geopolítica da UFRJ. Fernando analisa também quais as consequências de uma eventual entrada americana na guerra: “Se a gente olha as invasões americanas no Oriente Médio, o que acontece é uma guerra assimétrica com morte de civis e destruição de infraestrutura”.

"Don't escalate the conflict. End the conflict." That's how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded when asked about Israel's plans to eliminate Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Netanyahu's statement was given on Monday (16th), the fourth day of mutual attacks between the two countries. And a day after the US press reported that President Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to assassinate Khamenei. On the Iranian side, an official statement promises to destroy Israel's infrastructure and threatens: residents who want to stay alive should leave Israeli territory. To explain the status of the conflict - which enters its fifth day this Tuesday (17th) - Julia Duailibi talks to Andrew Traumann, professor of International Relations at the Curitiba University Center. Organizer of the book "Islamic Republic of Iran, 40 years", Andrew explains who Ali Khamenei is, how he rose to the position of Supreme Leader of the Iranian Republic and what the situation of the country's current government is. Andrew assesses where the Israeli strategy in Iran seems to be heading. Since the beginning of the attacks, at least 11 key figures of the regime, including military personnel from the Revolutionary Guard, commanders of Intelligence, the Armed Forces and representatives of diplomacy. He also concludes how the war weakens the ayatollahs and what the chances are of the Iranian regime collapsing.

Facing the Mediterranean Sea, over 50 heads of state and government gathered last week to discuss ocean protection actions. Brazil, with a maritime space occupying 5.7 million km², an area comparable to the Amazon, attended the UN Ocean Conference, hosted in Nice, France. In his speech, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva pledged to emphasize ocean conservation and sustainable use and increase marine protected area coverage from 26% to 30%, fulfilling the Global Biodiversity Framework target. Lula also criticized plastic use but excluded the country from an agreement called "Nice appeal," advocating for the gradual ban of single-use disposable plastic. The Conference also marked the premiere of the documentary "Quanto Vale o Azul" (How Much is the Blue Worth), by Ricardo Gomes, marine biologist and director of the Instituto Mar Urbano. He, who was in Nice and the other two Conferences, in Portugal (2022) and the USA (2017), tells what has changed since then. Afterwards, Natuza Nery receives Rodrigo Cebrian, co-founder of the Movimento EUceano.org and director and presenter of the series "Euceano," available on Globoplay. He explains the term "blue economy" and talks about ways to use marine resources sustainably.

It was early Friday morning, local time, when an Israeli offensive targeted the "heart of Iran's nuclear weapons program." Israeli bombings hit at least three nuclear facilities and killed military leaders and scientists. Israeli forces claim the operation aimed to halt the advancement of the Iranian nuclear program. Less than 24 hours later, the Iranian counterattack began: the cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem were targeted. The escalation of attacks between Israel and Iran reignites fears of a nuclear conflict, in addition to the risk of a widespread conflict in the Middle East. In this extra episode of O Assunto, Natuza Nery receives Tanguy Baghdadi and Hussein Kalout to explain the reasons that led to the Israeli attack, and what to expect from the Iranian response. Tanguy Baghdadi, professor of international politics and founder of the Petit Journal podcast, details the elements that led to the Israeli offensive at this moment: the political situation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the fall of important supporters of the Iranian regime, and the internal crisis in the Tehran government. He recalls that the Iranian nuclear program was encouraged by the US itself, back in the 1950s, and justifies why it is not in Iran's interest for the Americans to enter this war. "Now we have a one-on-one war," he says, speaking of the risks of the war spreading. Then, Hussein Kalout, political scientist and advisor to Cebri (Brazilian Center for International Relations), assesses that Iran is "cornered" for two reasons: regional isolation, after not responding to Israeli attacks against important allies, and the internal risk of seeing an uprising against the regime. Finally, he concludes what the US interests are in the conflict.

On Thursday (12th), STF Minister Alexandre de Moraes cast the seventh vote in favor of holding technology companies accountable for publishing illegal or criminal content. The day before, the Supreme Court had already formed a majority to change the interpretation of article 19 of the Brazilian Internet Civil Framework. Ministers Edson Fachin, Cármen Lúcia, and Nunes Marques still need to vote. The trial is scheduled to resume on June 25th. The Court is moving towards defining that a judicial decision is no longer necessary for platforms to remove illegal or criminal content – a rule in effect since 2014, when the Civil Framework was sanctioned and created the legal basis for internet use in Brazil. To understand what is at stake in the Supreme Court's discussion, Natuza Nery talks with Nuria López, technology partner at Daniel Advogados and PhD in Theory and Philosophy of Law from PUC de São Paulo. Nuria details what article 19 says and why it is being re-discussed now. She recalls the specific cases that led this discussion to the Supreme Court, including one involving the late Orkut. In the conversation, Núria explains the new models for regulating social networks, including the so-called 'notice and takedown', a mechanism by which networks become responsible for content from the moment they are notified.

Amidst protests against ICE arrests, Los Angeles' mayor decreed a curfew to contain violence after demonstrators blocked roads and burned vehicles near public buildings, met with police using tear gas and rubber bullets. Trump sent National Guard agents to California without the governor's request. Guga Chacra explains the political and personal clash: "Trump wants to transform the U.S. into an authoritarian regime. He knows he won't succeed entirely, but democracy is deteriorating." Felippe Coaglio discusses the importance of immigrants to Los Angeles and how ICE operates, noting the protests' spread and ICE's unusually truculent actions.

For two hours and 9 minutes, Jair Bolsonaro was questioned in the criminal action regarding the attempted coup d'état. Sitting face to face with Alexandre de Moraes, the former president denied the existence of a coup plan and admitted to having talked with military personnel about what he called "legal exits" for the election result. Bolsonaro said that "there was no climate" for a coup. And he denied having trimmed the so-called coup draft. The former president apologized to Moraes when questioned about having insinuated that Supreme Court ministers received bribes during the elections. He also denied having encouraged illegal demonstrations and called those who ask for a new AI-5 or a military intervention "crazy". To detail and analyze the political meanings of Jair Bolsonaro's questioning, Natuza Nery receives journalist Vera Magalhães, columnist for the newspaper O Globo, anchor at CBN radio and presenter of the Roda Viva program, from TV Cultura. Together, they evaluate the posture adopted by the former president in the Supreme Court: in the expected meeting with Alexandre de Moraes, there was even a climate of relaxation – Bolsonaro "invited" Moraes to be his candidate for vice president in 2026; the minister declined. Vera also answers in which moments Bolsonaro complicated himself and in which others presented contradictions. Afterwards, Natuza Nery receives Eloísa Machado, professor of Law at FGV-SP and coordinator of the research group Supremo em Pauta. Eloísa assesses the consequences of the deposition for Bolsonaro's legal future. For her, during the questioning in the Supreme Court, Bolsonaro defended himself, but also made a "soapbox", with affirmations directed towards his support base. She also explains the next steps of the action in the Supreme Federal Court.

For almost 4 hours, Mauro Cid sat face to face with Alexandre de Moraes on the first day of the testimonies of the 8 defendants in the trial about the attempted coup d'état. Also a defendant in the process, former president Jair Bolsonaro followed everything his former aide-de-camp said. Cid confirmed that Bolsonaro read and edited the so-called coup draft — a document that foresaw authoritarian measures to reverse the result of the 2022 elections. Cid placed General Braga Netto as a central figure in the coup plot. Before Moraes, Cid confirmed the accusation made by the PGR and declared that he had "witnessed a large part of the facts, but without participating directly in them." At various times, the lieutenant colonel said he did not remember details of meetings between the defendants in the case. In this episode, Natuza Nery receives Octávio Guedes. Together, they go through the main points of Mauro Cid's interrogation. GloboNews commentator and g1 columnist, Octávio analyzes whether Mauro Cid seems, even being a whistleblower, to preserve his former boss. And answers how the lieutenant colonel's statements complicate Bolsonaro and Braga Netto. He also concludes about how the questions asked by the former president's defense are part of a strategy to stamp "liar" on Mauro Cid's forehead.

The 2022 Census data on the religion of Brazilians, released last Friday (6th) by the IBGE, confirm a trend observed in recent decades: the growth of the evangelical population, which reached 26.9% - in the previous Census, of 2010, the rate was 21.6%. What surprised experts was the pace of this growth, less accelerated than expected. Catholicism remains the most popular religion among Brazilians. According to IGBE data, 56.6% claim to be Catholic: although still an absolute majority, it is the lowest percentage since the first survey on the topic conducted in Brazil, in 1872 - at the time, the rate was 99.7%. The Census also indicates that the proportion of Brazilians who declare themselves practitioners of Umbanda or Candomblé more than tripled (from 0.3% to 1%) and that the number of Spiritists fell (2.2% to 1.8%) from 2010 to the present. Brazilians with no declared religion are now 9.3%, a record in the historical series. To break down these numbers and explain what is behind the changes in the faith of Brazilians, Natuza Nery interviews Ana Carolina Evangelista, political scientist and executive director of Iser, the Institute for Religious Studies.

The US president and the richest man on the planet starred in a public spat for the whole world to see and read. First, Trump said he was disappointed with Musk, who in recent days has made a series of criticisms of the mega-budget bill that the US president wants to pass in Congress. The billionaire's response came via X: the businessman said that without his help, the Republican would not have been elected and threatened to cancel the public use of Space X rockets. Musk also endorsed a publication that called for Trump's impeachment. And, without presenting evidence, he linked the name of the US president to the sexual scandal involving Jeffrey Epstein – a businessman convicted of sex trafficking of minors who died in prison. On the other side, the US president threatened to cut subsidies and government contracts with Musk's companies. After the public discussion, the businessman's companies lost US$ 148 billion in value. In this episode, Natuza Nery receives Oliver Stuenkel, professor of international relations at FGV, researcher at Harvard and the Carnegie Endowment, in the USA. Oliver details the effects of each phase of the epic public discussion. "Musk runs the risk of destroying his own companies," assesses Oliver, citing the economic impacts of the fight. The professor also talks about the chances of an impeachment request against Trump prospering and the political effects for the American president.

For 14 days, STF minister Alexandre de Moraes questioned the 52 witnesses in the trial about the attempted coup d'état, investigated after the anti-democratic acts of January 8. The full transcript of what was said became public last Tuesday and reveals, in addition to what the witnesses said, the reaction of former president Jair Bolsonaro upon hearing the testimonies. Bolsonaro is one of the 8 defendants who, starting next week, will be questioned in the action of the coup plot that aimed to keep the former president in power, even after the defeat in the 2022 elections. To detail what the witnesses said, Natuza Nery receives Flávia Maia, judiciary analyst at the Jota platform. She, who closely followed all the testimonies, highlights what former Air Force commander Carlos Almeida Baptista Júnior and former Army chief Freire Gomes said. She tells the behind-the-scenes of the testimonies and Jair Bolsonaro's reactions to hearing the defense and prosecution witnesses. Afterwards, to understand how the witnesses' statements may implicate the former president and the other defendants, the guest is Gustavo Sampaio. Professor of Constitutional Law at the Federal Fluminense University, he also explains the next steps in the process.

Sentenced to 10 years in prison by the STF last month, federal deputy Carla Zambelli (PL-SP) announced on Tuesday (3rd) that she is out of the country. Without informing her whereabouts, Zambelli said she will request a leave of absence from her mandate as a deputy to be based in Europe. The Attorney General's Office requested Zambelli's pre-trial detention, in addition to including her name on Interpol's wanted list. Zambelli's flight from Brazil was first reported by journalists Andréia Sadi and Octávio Guedes. During Tuesday, in an interview with a radio station, Zambelli justified the evasion. She cited medical treatment, and went further: she alleged political motives and spoke of "persecution". In a conversation with Natuza Nery in this episode, the g1 reporter Reynaldo Turollo Jr. recalls the evidence against Carla Zambelli in the process in which she was convicted of participating in the invasion of the National Council of Justice's system and forging documents. He explains why Zambelli's passport was not withheld and what the legal implications of her departure from the country are. Later, Natuza receives journalist Bernardo Mello Franco. Columnist for the newspaper O Globo and commentator for CBN radio, Bernardo outlines the political consequences of the Bolsonaro deputy's flight from Brazil. And he concludes that her departure serves as a warning to the Supreme Federal Court on the eve of the trial of those accused of the attempted coup.

It was 18 months of preparation. Ukraine launched, over the weekend, an unprecedented attack on Russian military bases in 5 different regions. With 117 remotely triggered drones, Russian warplanes were hit. The surprising thing: the drones were camouflaged in trucks parked on Russian soil, strategically positioned near the targets. And even more surprising: the drones cost only US$500 each, and caused a loss of US$7 billion, according to the Ukrainian government. Everything was done on the eve of a meeting that sought a ceasefire between the governments of Moscow and Kiev. This Monday (2nd), authorities from both countries sat down to negotiate in Istanbul, Turkey. The two countries agreed to exchange prisoners and bodies of 6,000 soldiers on each side, but did not advance on a concrete and lasting truce. To explain the status of the conflict after more than three years of war and the moment of the negotiations, Natuza Nery talks to Feliciano de Sá Guimarães, professor at the Institute of International Relations at USP. He analyzes Ukraine's strategies, one of the world's leading drone manufacturers at the moment. For Feliciano, the attack "was hardly done without US intelligence". The professor also explains what is needed for the two countries to reach a prolonged peace agreement.

Today, over 39 million people have formal employment contracts in the country. But a movement has drawn attention: young people's aversion to formal employment contracts. The discourse of those who reject the CLT (Labor Law Consolidation) includes the view that, without employment ties, there is more schedule flexibility, freeing the worker from long commutes in crowded transport and bosses' scolding. The dream, sold on social media, is that it is possible to undertake and have easy success on the internet. Some even succeed, but most, if they could, would return to the formal market – as pointed out by a survey conducted by FGV in 2024. Created in 1943, the CLT regulates the relations between employee and employer. A CLT contract guarantees paid vacation, 13th salary, severance fund (FGTS), paid leave, unemployment insurance in case of dismissal, and other labor rights. In this episode, Natuza Nery talks with Carolline Leite, director and screenwriter of the series "Viração - new entrepreneurs," which premieres on GloboNews this Monday (2). Carolline tells what she heard from workers who chose to leave formal employment contracts aside. She reports how time management and salary are at the center of this discussion. Then, Natuza talks with Wagner Guilherme Alves da Silva. A researcher at the DeepLab of the University of Dublin, in Ireland, he explains how the rejection of the CLT by some workers has grown over the years. The anthropologist also answers what people are giving up - voluntarily or not - by rejecting the CLT.

Since Donald Trump's election, it was certain that the world's richest man would have a prominent position in the American government. Elon Musk, in fact, assumed the special position of advisor and leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (known by the acronym DOGE). But, five months later, he leaves the position with a tarnished image. Musk announced his departure from the government on Wednesday night (28th), two days before the deadline for those in his position, of 130 days. During this period, the billionaire accumulated fights with high-ranking figures in the Trump administration, saw the profit and market value of his companies melt away, and failed to fulfill his biggest promise when he took over DOGE: he wanted to cut the public deficit by US$2 trillion, but achieved savings of US$175 billion. To explain what went wrong in the Musk administration, what should happen to the spending cut program in the US, and what will happen to his relationship with Donald Trump, Natuza Nery interviews Mauricio Moura, professor at George Washington University, in the United States. "Everyone questioned how Trump and Musk's egos would coexist. The widespread bet was exactly what happened, that it wouldn't last," he summarizes. In the conversation, Mauricio also comments on Trump's offensives against universities and foreign students, especially Chinese ones, the back-and-forth of tariffs, and the status of the American president's low popularity.

The investigation into Vinicius Gritzbach's murder revealed a complex criminal scheme involving the country's two largest factions and some military and civil police officers from São Paulo. Gritzbach was an informant for the PCC and Comando Vermelho and had, in his testimonies, accused police officers of corruption. For the São Paulo Civil Police, the case is clear: his murder, in broad daylight, at the country's largest airport, was ordered by criminals linked to the PCC and CV, with the participation of security agents -- a case that reveals the status of the relationship between the factions. An exclusive survey by g1 based on investigations showed the involvement of at least 27 police officers from São Paulo with the two criminal factions. Reporter Kleber Tomaz explains how the Gritzbach case revealed the involvement of corrupt police officers with crime. He answers what the relationship was between these police officers and the factions and why Gritzbach was considered a "golden goose". Afterwards, Natuza Nery talks to Bruno Paes Manso, a researcher at the Center for the Study of Violence at USP and author of the book "The War: The Rise of the PCC and the World of Crime in Brazil". Bruno recalls how the country's two largest factions, historically rivals, jointly announced a truce at the beginning of the year. And he points out how Brazilian organized crime has become widespread even beyond the country's borders.

Since last Thursday's announcement of changes to the IOF (Tax on Financial Operations), financial market and productive sector agents have been united in their efforts to block the tax rate increase. In Congress, there are already 19 proposals to overturn the federal government's decree. The economic team announced the measure to increase revenue, balance public accounts, and meet this year's fiscal framework target. However, the IOF increase was so poorly received that a partial retreat occurred on the same day as the announcement: the rate for domestic fund investments abroad was removed from the text, but the increase in foreign currency transactions, such as purchasing dollars for travel, was maintained. To explain what the IOF is, what changes in practice, and what motivated the strong reaction from economic agents, Natuza Nery interviews Bernardo Guimarães, PhD in Economics from Yale University and professor at FGV-SP. Natuza also speaks with Gerson Camarotti, commentator for Globo and GloboNews and columnist for g1. He reveals the behind-the-scenes of the measure's announcement and subsequent retreat, as well as the battles between factions within the government and the economic team itself.

STF minister Alexandre de Moraes accepted a request from the Attorney General to open an investigation against licensed congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP) for evidence of coercion and obstruction of investigations. In the request, Attorney General Paulo Gonet alleges that Eduardo is acting to hinder the January 8th investigations. The PGR cited posts and interviews of Eduardo Bolsonaro and stated that the licensed congressman is trying to get the government of Donald Trump to impose sanctions on members of the Supreme Court. Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was questioned by a Republican congressman if the US is considering sanctions against STF minister Alexandre de Moraes. Rubio was direct: "there is a high possibility that it will happen". In this episode, Natuza Nery receives journalist Malu Gaspar, columnist for the newspaper O Globo, and political scientist Guilherme Casarões, professor at FGV-SP and researcher at the Extreme Right Observatory. Malu Gaspar recalls the arguments used by Eduardo Bolsonaro to request leave from office and go to the USA, where he has been since February. She tells what Eduardo's speeches raised the alert at the PGR, the reaction of the Supreme Court ministers and the political consequences of the investigation. Afterwards, Guilherme Casarões answers what the repercussions of the case are for the relationship between Brazil and the USA. Casarões analyzes the political weight of applying sanctions to authorities from another country. He states that "the US cannot, in theory, claim that a decision taken by the Brazilian Supreme Court is right or wrong".