Category Archives: Corruption

A Final, Farcical Footnote to Impeachment in Brazil

Posted on September 3, 2016 by

As many already know, Brazil’s Senate formally removed president Dilma Rousseff from office this week, voting 61-20 in favor of removal (59 votes were needed). The process had been a farce since the moment Eduardo Cunha, leader of the PMDB … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Corruption, Impeachment, Latin American Politics

Early Thoughts on What a Temer Administration Looks Like

Posted on May 17, 2016 by

One of the things that distinguishes impeachment in Brazil compared to the US is what the president does during the hearing. Whereas in the US, a president facing impeachment continues to serve as president, in Brazil, the president is removed … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Corruption, Latin American Politics, Neoliberalism, The "Right" in Latin America

Thoughts on Brazil’s Impeachment Vote Yesterday

Posted on April 18, 2016 by

As mentioned last night, the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies (Brazil’s lower house in the bicameral Congress) voted to move forward with impeachment proceedings against Dilma Rousseff. The final tally was 367 in favor of impeachment and 137 against impeachment, with … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Corruption, Coups in Latin America, Impeachment, Latin American Politics, Legal Issues in Latin America | 5 Comments

Anti-Corruption Sentiment and Popular Culture in Brazil

Posted on April 1, 2016 by

The Guardian recently ran an interesting piece on a Brazilian graphic artist who has created a comic series that offers a unique socio-cultural insight into anti-corruption sentiment in Brazil: While Brazil’s real-life political drama is more commonly compared to House … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Corruption, Latin American Cultures, Latin American Politics

Early Reflections on Brazil’s Odebrecht Documents

Posted on March 24, 2016 by

Yesterday, materials from Brazil’s massive construction company Odebrecht leaked [update: they were released publicly, not leaked]. This matters, as Odebrecht is at the heart of the corruption scandal that is currently affecting Brazil, with the company accused of using bribes … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Corruption, Latin American Politics

On Brazil’s Political Crisis

Posted on March 20, 2016 by

It’s been some time since I last waded into the political unrest in Brazil, in part because, in the first few months of the year, other matters had gained increasing focus/importance in Brazil. Certainly, the Zika outbreak brought considerable attention … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Brazil's Military Dictatorship, Corruption, Governance in Latin America, Impeachment, Latin American Politics, Legal Issues in Latin America, Protests in Latin America | 1 Comment

On Lynchings and the Weakness of the State

Posted on January 24, 2016 by

Well, this is horrible: The lynching began around 7:20 p.m., not long after the brothers had finished conducting their final interviews on tortilla consumption. Residents confronted them, mistaking the pair for kidnappers. The police confirmed that the men were, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, Brazil, Corruption, Governance in Latin America, Guatemala, Impunity, Mexico, Violence in the Americas

Catching Up on Impeachment, Corruption, and Brazilian Politics

Posted on December 21, 2015 by

Across this past semester, I got away from blogging less by choice than by circumstance, due to the vagaries of course preps, writing, researching, etc. My timing was not good, as political life in Brazil got….interesting. Even while corruption scandals … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Corruption, Impeachment, Latin American Politics, Legal Issues in Latin America | 2 Comments

Links Around Latin America

Posted on September 27, 2015 by

Several stories of note from around the region lately: Last week, Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos and FARC leader Timochenko met in Cuba to finalize a peace plan that could finally end a struggle that’s lasted over 50 years. Boz … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, Argentina's Military Dictatorship (1976-1983), Around Latin America, Brazil, Brazil's Military Dictatorship, Civil Conflict in the Americas, Colombia, Corruption, Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionárias de Colombia (FARC), Guatemala, Human Rights Issues, Human Rights Violations, Latin America, Latin American Art, The Malvinas War, Torture

On Corruption, Public Will, and the Distinctions between the 2013 and 2015 Protests in Brazil

Posted on August 28, 2015 by

Maruicio Savarese’s regularly-excellent A Brazilian Operating in this Area has a thought-provoking piece up about whether the anti-corruption protests in Brazil are effectively sincere. After waves of colossal protests in 2013 and 2015, it is very tempting to say Brazilians are fed … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Corruption, Latin American Politics