News article + interviews on Brazilian insurrection



Following the insurrection in Brasília on 8 January 2023, I began interviewing young Brazilians in Brazil and abroad about their perspectives on their country’s democracy and their hopes and fears for the future.

The result is this news piece for Missing Perspectives, a media company which seeks to highlight untold stories from around the world.

I felt passionate about developing this story because while there is plenty of excellent writing on Brazil available (including reporting by Brazilian journalists), I hadn’t seen much news coverage surrounding Brazilian politics that highlighted the experiences and perspectives of young people specifically. When the insurrection took place, I was struck by the fact that for many young Brazilians, this moment potentially highlighted the vulnerability of democracy more than any other political event in their lifetimes. Brazil’s military dictatorship only ended in 1985. Given their country’s complex history and mutable politics, how do young Brazilians feel about their futures within in?

As for some authorship context, I developed an interest in this topic largely through spending time with Brazilian friends, and subsequently following more closely the activist work being done by the Brazilian diaspora in the UK. I speak Portuguese and, when I was 18, lived for a time in neighbouring Argentina. I have long been interested in South American history, economics, languages, and cultures.

Many thanks to all those who offered comments for this piece – I’m glad to have been able to highlight your insights.