Video: Expert Update on Brazil

Speakers:

• Elcior Santana, Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University, and Director, Movimento Brasil Competitivo (MBC)
• Paulo Sotero, Director, Brazil Institute, Wilson Center
• Anthony Harrington, Chair, Managing Board, Albright Stonebridge Group, and former U.S. Ambassador to Brazil
• Raquel Krähenbühl, Washington Correspondent, Globo News (moderator)

Addressing Brazil's fiscal situation will be most urgent issue facing the next president, Paulo Sotero said during a panel in Washington, DC discussing the scenario ahead of October elections. Elcior Santana gave a rundown of each candidate's political platform and economic advisors, and emphasized why the election of Jair Bolsonaro would be the most detrimental to the private sector. Meanwhile, at a time when the Latin American country is trying to open up its economy, the United States has pushed back on Brazil's prospects for joining the OECD, said Santana. Anthony Harrington noted that the bilateral U.S.-Brazil relationship is a "black hole" in U.S. foreign policy and is not a priority for either country at the moment.

Learn more about Brazil's vote in our election guide.