November 15 is a big day for Brazil. It’s celebrated as the Proclamation of the Republic, when Brazilian army officers overthrew Emperor Dom Pedro and the monarchy came to an end. So it seems fitting that on Nov. 15 this year, on Brazil’s independence day, the country’s biggest corruption case came to an end.
The Mensalão Scandal surfaced back in 2005, and it took this long to finally put a dozen corrupt politicians and executives in jail. The timing also coincides with Brazil’s efforts to clean up its image before two of the world’s most widely viewed sporting events come to the South American country. Brazil will host soccer’s world cup next summer, and two years later the country will host the Summer Olympics.
To learn more on the state of journalism, corruption, and social activism in Brazil, Global Journalist spoke to two scholars.
Panelists:
Anthony Pereira directs the Brazil Institute at King’s College in London.
Paulo Sotero directs the Brazil Institute of the Wilson International Center for Scholars, in Washington, D.C.
Note: There is no video for this episode of Global Journalist.