Insurrections and elections in Brazil and America

This week on the show, we look at the role disinformation plays in the United States and Brazil. The storming in Brasilia of federal government institutions by supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro echoed strongly the events seen at the US Capitol Building on January 6th 2021. We discuss the impact on Brazil's democracy, the role played by social media platforms and how conspiracy theories percolate online.

This week we also look at the state of American politics going into 2023. How are things shaping up for Joe Biden’s presidency after the mid-terms now that a new Congress has been sworn in? And what are the wider challenges being faced more broadly by the American body politic? Our experts also discuss the legacy of January 6th, two years on from the insurrection at The Capitol.

Joining guest host Leslie Vinjamuri this week is Christopher Sabatini, Senior Research Fellow for Latin America, Serusha Govender the Mo Ibrahim Foundation Academy Fellow at Chatham House and Alex Krasodomski, a Senior Research Associate with our Digital Society Initiative.

Read our expertise:

Digital politics threatens democracy and must change

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Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Abdul Boudiaf and Robin Gardner.