👎 A Supreme defeat

The week had begun well for the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva administration. Several polls showed a modest uptick in the president's approval rating — enough for his allies to hope a turnaround is on the horizon. By Wednesday evening, the mood had shifted completely, and more bad news is expected later today.

First, the Central Bank raised its inflation expectations, a shift that could halt the monetary easing cycle (more below). Then came the real blow: the Senate rejected Lula's nomination of Solicitor General Jorge Messias to the Supreme Court. 

Messias had worked hard to put distance between himself and the government…

Don’t miss out! Upgrade to unlock full access. The process takes only seconds with Apple Pay or Stripe. Become a member.

We’re here for readers who want to truly understand Brazil and Latin America — a region too often ignored or misrepresented by the international media.

Since 2017, our reporting has been powered by paid subscribers. They’re the reason we can keep a full-time team of journalists across Brazil and Argentina, delivering sharp, independent coverage every day.

If you value our work, subscribing is the best way to keep it going — and growing.