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Andre Pagliarini

Andre Pagliarini is an assistant professor of history and international studies at Louisiana State University, a fellow at the Washington Brazil Office, and non-resident expert at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.
All Articles
July 10, 2024
Andre Pagliarini
The Motorcycle Diaries Made Revolution a Pop Culture Product
The diaries changed Che Guevara’s image from toughened fighter to sensitive, less certain young man.
April 24, 2024
Andre Pagliarini
Elon Musk Is Now Meddling in Brazil’s Democracy, Too
X’s chief troll is inciting a “censorship” moral panic in Brazil, undermining the democratically elected government’s efforts to squash far-right extremism.
December 27, 2023
Andre Pagliarini
The Billionaire Brothers Who Are Giving the Kochs a Run for Their Mone
Wesley and Joesley Batista run a business empire linked to rampant emissions, deforestation, worker abuses, Covid crises, bribery, price-fixing, SEC violations, and tainted meat. It’s almost impressive.
June 19, 2023
MagazineAndre Pagliarini
The Plan to Split Democracies Into Tiny Pieces
From start-up countries to gated communities, privately ruled zones can sidestep taxes, regulation, and democratic rule itself.
May 25, 2023
Andre Pagliarini
Brazil’s President Has a Choice to Make About the Amazon
Lula da Silva’s administration is in crisis over how to balance economic development with environmental priorities.
April 1, 2023
Andre Pagliarini
What the Right-Wing Freak-Out Over Trump’s “Banana Republic” Indictment Is Really About
Jair Bolsonaro returned to Brazil the same day Trump was indicted. The parallels are uncanny.
January 18, 2023
Andre Pagliarini
Brazil’s Post-Riot Social Media Restrictions Aren’t Worth a Free Speech Freakout
Democracies have the right to act in their own defense—even if that means some people temporarily have to go without tweeting.
January 9, 2023
Andre Pagliarini
The Pro-Bolsonaro Riot in Brasília Was Nothing Like the January 6 Insurrection—for Better and Worse
Politicians’ lives weren’t at risk, but the yellow-and-green swarm of government buildings on Sunday was the latest evidence that many Brazilians never cared much for democracy in the first place.
October 5, 2022
Andre Pagliarini
We Should Be Very Worried About Brazil’s Runoff Election
Jair Bolsonaro has already made it clear he will not accept defeat.
September 29, 2022
Andre Pagliarini
Capitalism Triumphed in the Cold War, but Not by Making People Better Off
In the wake of economic crises, liberal democracies proved most adept at imposing austerity.
July 27, 2022
Andre Pagliarini
Jair Bolsonaro’s Plan to Burn Brazil to the Ground
The authoritarian demagogue, who is lagging in polls ahead of October’s election, has been laying the groundwork for a threat to democracy that could make January 6 look tame.
July 7, 2022
Andre Pagliarini
The Amazon Rain Forest’s Future Is on the Ballot in Brazil
The murders of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira highlight the vast gulf between Bolsonaro’s lawless and exploitative approach to the rain forest and his opponent’s proposed reforms.
July 1, 2022
Andre Pagliarini
Live From Brazil: A Clueless Tucker Carlson
Fox News’s chief wingnut has spent all week fawning over authoritarian President Jair Bolsonaro and making absurd, ignorant statements about the country.
May 17, 2022
Andre Pagliarini
How Ian Bremmer Cultivates an Air of Expertise
His book on global crisis is less interested in plausible solutions than projecting a sheen of authority.
August 17, 2021
Andre Pagliarini
Steve Bannon Wants to Turn Brazil Into the Next MAGA Battleground
Right-wing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro wants to preemptively undermine the results of the next election. Bannon is happy to help with that.
April 23, 2021
Andre Pagliarini
Bolsonaro Doesn’t Want to Save the Amazon. He Just Wants to Extort the Countries That Do.
In theory, wealthy nations should pay to stop deforestation in Brazil. But Bolsonaro can’t be trusted to keep his end of the deal.
April 16, 2021
Andre Pagliarini
The Book That Stopped an Outbreak of Nuclear War
A new history of the Cuban missile crisis emphasizes how close the world came to destruction—and how severe a threat the weapons still pose.
July 30, 2020
Andre Pagliarini
Bolivia’s Covid-19 Election Nightmare Is a Warning
The world should be paying close attention to the country’s decision to postpone the vote.
July 15, 2020
Andre Pagliarini
Deb Haaland’s Plan to Embarrass Jair Bolsonaro
Bolsonaro has been a disaster for the environment and for Brazil’s indigenous people. But he’s proud of his U.S. connections.
June 5, 2020
Andre Pagliarini
Where America Developed a Taste for State Violence
From Indonesia to Brazil, the United States fostered a global network of brutal repression in the name of anti-communism.