Category Archives: Latin American Politics

What Presidents Do Post-Coup

Posted on September 6, 2016 by

Greg has an interesting post up on the path of Latin American presidents who’ve been removed from office in recent times – Manuel Zelaya in Honduras in 2009 through a coup; Paraguay’s Fernando Lugo through a highly dubious application of … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Honduras, Latin American Politics, Mexico, Paraguay | 1 Comment

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

Some Quick Thoughts on the Latest Polls in Brazil

Posted on July 18, 2016 by

Three months out from the impeachment of president Dilma Rousseff and the imposition of Michel Temer as acting President, Datafolha recently published new polling data that gives some interesting insights into how the impeachment and the Temer administration are resonating … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Democracy in the Americas, 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 the Immediate Fallout of Dilma’s Removal

Posted on May 16, 2016 by

As many by now know, last week, Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff was temporarily removed from office to face trial and impeachment over allegations of corruption for budgetary maneuvers that her defenders argue were legal at the time. Of course, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Impeachment, Latin American Politics, Legal Issues in Latin America | 1 Comment

Dilma Removed from Office for (at least) 180 Days

Posted on May 12, 2016 by

As has become typical of Brazilian politics in the last 6 months, the last two days have proven eventful. On Tuesday, the interim president of the Chamber of Deputies, Waldir Maranhão, attempted to annul the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff, … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Coups in Latin America, Impeachment, Latin American Politics, Legal Issues in Latin America | 1 Comment

Impeachment of Dilma Takes Inconceivable Turn

Posted on May 9, 2016 by

In a stunning development, the acting President of the Chamber of Deputies, Waldir Maranhão, has annulled the Chamber of Deputies’ vote to impeach Dilma Rousseff last month. It’s not so much that this is unexpected as it is something almost nobody seriously … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Latin American Politics | 2 Comments

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

Defending Democracy in Brazil

Posted on March 31, 2016 by

As I’ve noted before, the Brazilian media has portrayed the anti-Dilma/anti-PT/pro-impeachment protests as a case of the Brazilian people taking to the streets, with the implication that “Brazil” (and thus, the citizens of the nation) and the current administration are … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Impeachment, Latin American Politics, Legal Issues in Latin America, Protests in Latin America, Social Movements | 2 Comments