Good morning! Today, we cover Jair Bolsonaro’s debut in the UN General Assembly. Is the Boeing-Embraer deal in jeopardy? And how Brazilians perceive corruption. (This newsletter is for platinum subscribers only. Become one now!)
UN General Assembly: Can Bolsonaro ‘green-wash’ Brazil’s image?
At 10 am today (Brasília time), President Jair Bolsonaro is expected to deliver the first speech of the 74th UN General Assembly. It is a tradition, dating back to the 1940s, for Brazil to open the debate rounds. This time around, however, Mr. Bolsonaro will face a level of scrutiny none of his predecessors did—following an international crisis sparked by a rise in Amazon fires (and Brazil’s subsequent aggressive rhetoric).
Why it matters. Mr. Bolsonaro is tasked with the mission of recovering Brazil’s image as an important agent in the fight against climate change. The president has been advised to propose bold actions to protect the environment and highlight the government’s ambitious economic reforms. Even the agricultural lobby is expecting an inflection in the recent tone of speeches from the federal administration—as they fear losing markets if their products are associated with environmental destruction.
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