Explaining Brazil Podcast #17: Opioids in Brazil

June 27, 2018 • Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Brazilian Report published an article this week, signed by journalist Austin Andru, which explores how Brazil has become a target for major pharmaceutical companies. As regulations in North America and Europe are causing profits from the sales of opioids – powerful painkillers which are the chemical cousins of heroin – to shrink, these large companies are now looking for new markets. In this week’s podcast, we go into even more detail on the subject, bringing in additional information. How can Brazil’s public institutions avoid a crisis like the one that has haunted the United States? And what are the country’s shortcomings in preventing the steep rise of opioid use?

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On this podcast

Gustavo Ribeiro has extensive experience covering Brazilian politics. 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 holds a master’s degree in Political Science and Latin American studies from Panthéon-Sorbonne University in Paris.

Austin Andru is a young Canadian reporter who has recently finished his journalism degree at Durham College. Austin is taking a 7-week internship at The Brazilian Report‘s São Paulo office, under the supervision of Gustavo Ribeiro.

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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