The Rachman Review

What would a Bolsonaro victory in Brazil mean for the world?

October 8, 2026·29 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Flávio Bolsonaro took a clear lead in the first round of Brazil’s presidential election, and is the favourite to assume power after a run-off against the incumbent, Lula Ignacio da Silva, later this month. Will Flávio, who is the son of imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro, follow his father’s playbook, by cosying up to Trump and slashing environmental regulations – or will he follow a more moderate path? Gideon speaks to Oliver Stuenkel, a professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Brazil and fellow with the Carnegie Endowment in Washington, to find out how a Bolsonaro victory would change Brazil. They discuss Brazil’s relations with the US, China, and its Latin American neighbours: and they examine why whoever wins the Brazilian election is unlikely to have a long honeymoon period. Clips: APTSubscribe to Gideon’s show on Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen.Further reading: Brazil’s Bolsonaro dynasty closes in on stunning comebackBrazil’s Bolsonaro comeback exposes Lula’s weaknessBrazil’s markets surge as investors bet on Flávio Bolsonaro election winPresented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Sean McGarrityRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Podzilla Summary coming soon

Sign up to get notified when the full AI-powered summary is ready.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of The Rachman Review and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.