Explaining Brazil #37: Coups and revolutions throughout Brazilian history

November 14, 2018 • Reading Time: 3 minutes

On November 15, 1889, military leaders and financial elites conspired to overthrow Emperor Pedro II. This marked the first official foray of the military into the center stage of Brazilian politics — an arena which they are never too far away from. But the proclamation of Brazil’s Republic is just one of a series of revolts, coups, and attempted revolutions that Brazil has witnessed throughout its history.

As a matter of fact, breaking with the established order — or at least attempting to do so — has been a constant in Brazilian history, from colonial times to as recently as the 1970s, when then-Military president Ernesto Geisel dissolved Congress in order to pass the reforms his administration wanted.

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Gustavo Ribeiro has extensive experience covering Brazilian politics and international affairs. His work has been featured across Brazilian and French media outlets, including Veja, Época, Folha de São Paulo, Médiapart and Radio France Internationale. He is the recipient of multiple awards, including the Abril Prize for outstanding political journalism. He also holds a master’s degree in Political Science and Latin American studies from Panthéon-Sorbonne University in Paris.

Claudio Couto is a political scientist, head of Fundação Getulio Vargas’ master’s program in Public Policy and Administration. He also writes as a columnist for The Brazilian Report. Claudio has conducted research on how the Brazilian democracy works – and has written numerous papers on Brazil’s 1988 Constitution.

This podcast was produced by Maria Martha Bruno. She is a journalist with 14 years of experience in politics, arts, and breaking news. She has collaborated with Al Jazeera, NBC, and CNN, among others, and worked as an international correspondent in Buenos Aires.

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