🇧🇷 Brazil Episodes

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".

The Chamber may analyze this week the Bill that loosens the rules for environmental licensing. Last Wednesday (21), the Senate approved the text with a large majority: 54 senators voted in favor; only 13 voted against. Criticized by environmentalists and the Minister of the Environment, Marina Silva, it was nicknamed "Devastation Bill". The project's defenders, such as Senate President Davi Alcolumbre, see it as an opportunity to unlock works. The project facilitates the release of environmental licenses for ventures with potential impact on the environment (such as overpasses, bridges, hydroelectric plants, tailings dams, for example); waives the license for works and activities such as traditional agriculture and small-scale livestock; and creates the License by Adhesion and Commitment (LAC), a type of automatic licensing by self-declaration. To explain how a project that has been in progress for over 20 years gained urgency in Congress, Natuza Nery talks to Marcio Astrini, executive secretary of the Climate Observatory. Astrini comments on the political context of the vote in the Senate and warns about the environmental impacts that may reflect on the entire society – and how this affects the country's image on the eve of COP30, which takes place in November, in Belém.

Dois funcionários da embaixada israelense foram mortos a tiros em Washington, quarta-feira. Sarah Milgram e Yaron Lischinsky foram baleados perto do Museu Judaico de Washington por Elias Rodríguez. O atirador foi preso. O governo dos EUA classificou o caso como antissemitismo. Líderes mundiais repudiaram o crime, afirmando ser antissemitismo. Michel Gherman explica o antissemitismo. Ele é professor da UFRJ e pesquisador da Universidade Hebraica de Jerusalém, relembrando perseguições históricas a judeus. Gherman explica a diferença entre antissemitismo e antisionismo, e os riscos da guerra Israel-Hamas intensificarem atos contra judeus.

In 2022, a man with Brazilian documents tried to get an internship at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Dutch intelligence blocked his entry, Victor Muller Ferreira was extradited and sent back to Brazil, where he remains imprisoned. Victor is actually Sergey Cherkasov. He and at least eight other Russian secret agents used Brazil to "launder" their identities and, in the eyes of the world, be considered Brazilian. The story of Sergey Cherkasov has been closely followed for over three years by journalist Álvaro Pereira Jr, guest of Natuza Nery in this episode. Special reporter for Fantástico, Álvaro recalls how Victor and other Russians posed as Brazilians while acting as secret agents for Vladimir Putin. This Wednesday (21), the American newspaper The New York Times exposed how Brazil became a "factory of spies" for the Moscow government. Álvaro recounts behind-the-scenes details of how he found the documents used by Putin's spies, and how one of them even took forró lessons to avoid raising suspicions about his Brazilianness. He details the meticulous work of the Federal Police to dismantle this "hotbed" of spies. And he concludes how the invasion of Ukraine by Putin's army boosted investigations that found Russian spies worldwide.

After two and a half months, about 100 trucks with supplies arrived in the Gaza Strip this Tuesday (20). The unblocking of humanitarian aid was done on the same day that the European Union and the United Kingdom increased international pressure for Israel to allow aid to Gaza. For Israel, the blockades serve as a way to force Hamas to release the hostages who have been under the terrorist group's power since the attacks of October 7, 2023. The situation in Gaza is so critical that it led the UN to warn that 14,000 babies could die in 48 hours if aid did not arrive. After international pressure and the UN appeal, about 100 trucks with humanitarian aid entered the territory. "They are attacking us with hunger, with thirst," reports the Palestinian Assmaa Abo Eldijian in conversation with Natuza Nery in this episode. Born in the United Arab Emirates, Assmaa lived in Brazil from the age of 4 to 20. Living in Gaza since 2006, where she married and lives with her children, the Palestinian tells how it is to deal with the conflict that has lasted almost 600 days and has already left more than 50,000 dead. Natuza also speaks with João Koatz Miragaya, who speaks directly from Israel. Master in History from the University of Tel Aviv, Miragaya responds how the Israeli population sees the war against Hamas at this moment. He recalls how the blockade of humanitarian aid was one of Israel's first responses to the Hamas attack that killed more than 1,400 Israelis. And he concludes how the perception of the Israeli population about the war has changed since the last exchange of hostages, in February.

The world's third-largest poultry producer, Brazil, managed to keep avian flu away from its commercial farms since confirming the virus in a wild bird in 2023. Until, at the end of last week, a case was detected in Montenegro, Rio Grande do Sul. Since then, more than 15 countries and the European Union have closed their markets to Brazilian chicken meat. In circulation since the 1990s, the avian flu virus has never had proven transmission between humans. There is a risk for people who work directly with contaminated animals. Experts say that consuming chicken meat and eggs is safe. These foods should be well cooked before ingestion. This Monday (19th), the Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro, stated that the country needs 28 days to be considered free of the H5N1 virus again. By Monday night, four other cases were being investigated. In a conversation with Natuza Nery in this episode, economist José Roberto Mendonça de Barros says that the expectation is that the cases will be isolated and will not cause major turbulence in the Brazilian economy. Founder and partner of MB Associados, the economist explains how Brazilian chicken meat and the surveillance system are well regarded worldwide. He says that the Brazilian situation is very different from what is happening in the USA, where more than 150 million birds were slaughtered. And he explains how the drop in exports could make chicken cheaper in the national market. Paula Salati, g1's Agro reporter, also participates in the episode. Paula recalls how the virus had already been circulating in wild birds for two years and recounts the measures taken by producers and the government to contain the H5N1 virus.

The use of biometrics has greatly accelerated and facilitated the lives of many: unlocking cell phones, accessing bank accounts, entering buildings and even stadiums. The technology uses facial features as a kind of "password". An advance that brings benefits, but also risks. Last week, the Federal Police arrested criminals who bypassed a biometrics system to access user accounts on the gov.br platform. In this episode, Natuza Nery talks to Ronaldo Lemos, chief scientist at the Institute of Technology and Society of Rio de Janeiro. Ronaldo explains how each person's face is "sensitive data" and requires a high level of protection, like banking data. He answers in which cases it is possible to refuse the use of one's face to access certain environments. Ronaldo Lemos indicates how to protect oneself and cites good examples of identification use, as is the case in India. With more than 1.4 billion inhabitants, the country created an individual recognition system through the iris of the eyes and fingerprints. Afterwards, the conversation is with Álvaro Massad Martins, executive director of IT By Insight, and coordinator of the MBA in Cybersecurity at FGV. He details how biometrics systems work and gives tips on what to do to protect yourself from possible fraud.

National Day to Combat Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation is celebrated next Sunday, May 18th. In Brazil, 13 children and adolescents are victims of some type of sexual, physical, or psychological violence every hour. There are more than 115,000 victims per year, according to the 2025 Violence Atlas, released this week by Ipea and the Brazilian Public Security Forum. In this episode, Natuza Nery listens to the account of one of these victims, the artist Georgia Bergamim. At 34 years old, Georgia had her story told in the documentary 'Despite'. On the Matter, she recalls when she realized she was a victim of her stepfather and how she was silenced by people close to her. "While I was a child, I never felt confident in being able to talk about it," she says, recalling how she "emitted signals" that something was wrong. She talks about how the routine of abuse marked the way she deals with her own body. And she recalls the mechanisms that helped her cope with the trauma. Also participating in the episode is lawyer Luciana Temer, CEO of the Liberta Institute, which works to combat sexual violence against minors. Luciana exposes the existence of an "epidemic of abuse" that may be even greater: according to her, only 11% of cases are reported.