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What impact will the congressional inquiry have on broader policymaking in Brazil?

Essential Geopolitics: The Implications of Brazil's Jan. 8 Congressional Inquiry

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An attendant stands next to South African, Indian, Russian, Brazilian and Chinese flags during a BRICS summit in Xiamen, China, on Sept. 4, 2017. 

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The addition of other non-Western nations like Saudi Arabia would boost BRICS’ economic and political heft as an alternative to the G-7, though it may come at the cost of the bloc’s internal cohesion.

For BRICS, More Members Would Mean More Power -- and More Problems

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U.S. and South Korean flags are waved March 10, 2015, in Seoul, South Korea.

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A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: South Korea's President Meets Biden, Lula Pushes Spain on EU Trade

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Belfast Harbour on Jan. 17, 2023, in Northern Ireland. U.S. President Joe Biden on April 11 will visit Belfast, Northern Ireland, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Weekly Rundown: Biden Travels to Northern Ireland, a Saudi-Omani Delegation Visits Yemen

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South African President and ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa on Jan. 7, 2023, in Bloemfontein, South Africa.

The Weekly Rundown: South Africa's State of the Nation Speech, Biden and Lula Meet

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A digital illustration shows the flags of Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Chile and Peru. 

The rise of left-wing governments in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru is largely the result of growing anti-establishment sentiment fueled by economic volatility.

Is Latin America Experiencing Another Leftist Wave?

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (L) greets Tarciana Medeiros (R) during her inauguration ceremony as the new chair of Brazil's Central Bank on Jan. 16, 2023.

Brazil's new president balances rising government debt and slow growth with a newly independent Central Bank and a solid external financial position.

Brazil's Economic Outlook Under Lula

How will Brazil's government respond in the wake of the January capital insurrection?

Essential Geopolitics: The Fallout from Brazil's Jan. 8 Insurrection

Snapshots

Members of Brazil’s Federal Legislative Police stand next to a vehicle that crashed into a fountain as supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro invade the National Congress in Brasilia on Jan. 8, 2023. 

Increased efforts to halt the spread of misinformation, along with the arrests of officials involved in the Jan. 8 riots, could fuel more disruptive far-right protests.

Gauging the Fallout From Brazil's Capital Insurrection

Sweden

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Most Western insurers for marine traffic will stop providing coverage for war-related risks in Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian waters effective Jan. 1, 2023. The drop in coverage will result in some tankers refraining from sailing in Russian waters, even in Russia's Far East, or in tankers operating without insurance.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: Insurers Drop Marine War Coverage in Russia, Sweden Takes Over the EU Presidency

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Hong Kong SAR, China

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In this scorecard, we take a critical look at our successes and slip-ups in forecasting geopolitical events over the past year.

Grading Our 2022 Annual Forecast as 2023 Approaches

A supporter of Brazil's former left-wing president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva celebrates on a street in Sao Paulo after da Silva was declared the winner of the country's presidential election on Oct. 30, 2022. 

Brazil's polarized and conservative political climate will constrain President-elect da Silva from enacting his left-wing policy agenda -- especially if his predecessor refuses to concede. 

Brazil Gives Bolsonaro the Boot. What Now?

A congressional committee passed a bill in a 15-3 vote that seeks to strip Brazil's environmental and Indigenous affairs ministries of their oversight powers in a broader effort to boost the agribusiness sector in Brazil, Folha de Sao Paulo reported on May 25.

Brazil: Congressional Committee Approves Bill to Strip Ministries of Powers

Argentina suggested that it could expedite Brazilian imports if Brazil adopts a new credit system to conduct business in reais as opposed to the dollar as Argentina's Central Bank dollar reserves run low, Reuters reported on May 3.

Argentina: Government May Fast-Track Brazilian Imports in Exchange for Use of the Real

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed a provisional measure seeking to raise the country's minimum wage and create income tax exemptions for low-income earners, Reuters reported on April 30.

Brazil: Lula Announces Wage Hike, Income Tax Exemptions for Low Earners

Brazil's National Congress opened an inquiry into the Jan. 8 riot that saw protesters enter all three capital buildings in an effort to deny the legitimacy of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's presidential victory, Folha de S.Paulo reported on April 26.

Brazil: National Congress Opens Inquiry Into Jan. 8 Riot

Saudi Arabia

South Africa’s ambassador to BRICS (the informal bloc of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) said 19 countries had expressed an interest in joining the bloc, which will meet in Cape Town on June 2-3 to discuss enlargement, Bloomberg reported on April 24.

Global: 19 Countries Express Interest in Joining BRICS Ahead of Enlargement Discussions

The top security advisor to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva resigned after CNN Brasil released footage of him walking around the presidential palace while it was occupied by rioters seeking to overturn the results of the presidential election on Jan. 8, Reuters reported on April 19.

Brazil: High-Level National Security Advisor Resigns Over Presence at Jan. 8 Riot

Belize

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Cuba

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Venezuela

The leaders of Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Venezuela met virtually and agreed to take steps to facilitate commercial trade, La Jornada reported April 5.

Latin America: Left-Wing Governments Ally to Reduce Food Inflation

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stated that the leftist governments of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Cuba would join Mexico in launching a joint plan to curb food inflation, namely by removing tariffs to reduce the price of food items, Reuters reported March 2.

Latin America: Leftist Governments Push to Reduce Food Tariffs

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A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

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Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

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The President palace in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The administrative center of the Gakh region of Azerbaijan, located at the foot of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, on the river Kurhumchai.

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Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

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A horse grazes in front of Kara-Kul lake in the Chon-Ak-Suu valley, 300 kilometers southeast of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

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<p>Larger in land mass than the contiguous United States, Brazil borders every country on the South American continent except Ecuador and Chile. Three features define Brazil&#39;s geography: the Amazon Basin, tropical savanna and the Brazilian Highlands. The Amazon River and rain forest, the world&#39;s largest, encompass most of northern Brazil and make this region inhospitable to agriculture and large populations. To its south lies the Cerrado, a vast tropical savanna. Advances in agricultural practices have allowed large-scale farming to thrive in this region. However, due to distance and geography, Brazil faces daunting challenges in getting agricultural commodities to international markets. The Brazilian Highlands and the narrow strip of land between the mountains and the coast are home to the majority of the country&#39;s 197 million people. Most of the country&#39;s economic activity occurs in this region. Brazil&#39;s geography largely shields it from external military threats. The Atlantic Ocean, the Amazon Basin and the buffer states of Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay insulate the country. Brazil&#39;s varied regions have made centralized control and integration difficult for the core states of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais. Infrastructure linking the coast and the interior, as well as connecting the various coastal cities is technically difficult and requires high levels of investment. Isolated from the rest of the continent both geographically and linguistically and lacking internal cohesion, Brazil has traditionally been inward looking. Brazil&#39;s primary geographic challenging is consolidating control over its vast peripheral territory and connecting these regions more efficiently with its population centers and ports.</p>

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SITUATION REPORTS

Brazil: Congressional Committee Approves Bill to Strip Ministries of Powers

Argentina: Government May Fast-Track Brazilian Imports in Exchange for Use of the Real

Brazil: Lula Announces Wage Hike, Income Tax Exemptions for Low Earners

Brazil: National Congress Opens Inquiry Into Jan. 8 Riot

Global: 19 Countries Express Interest in Joining BRICS Ahead of Enlargement Discussions

Brazil: High-Level National Security Advisor Resigns Over Presence at Jan. 8 Riot

Latin America: Left-Wing Governments Ally to Reduce Food Inflation

Latin America: Leftist Governments Push to Reduce Food Tariffs

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