Deforestation in the Western Amazon. Photo: Carl De Souza/AFP/Getty Images
When Jair Bolsonaro was elected Brazil's president 9 months ago yesterday, there were high hopes he'd clean up corruption and revitalize the economy — and fears he'd endanger the environment and further divide the country.
So how's he doing?
On corruption... Bolsonaro's administration, the Economist reports, "looks nearly as scandal-prone as the one it replaced."
- "One of his sons, Flávio, a senator from Rio de Janeiro, is being investigated for money-laundering. Messages leaked to the Intercept... have damaged the reputation of Sérgio Moro, the justice minister."
- "Mr Bolsonaro nominated another son, Eduardo, to be Brazil’s ambassador to the United States, adding nepotism to his administration’s list of sins."
On the economy... the FT notes, "Bolsonaro has achieved two of the biggest breakthroughs in Brazilian policymaking in years, with a new EU-Mercosur trade deal and the likely passage of pension reform in the coming months."
- The economic payoffs can't come soon enough. Growth forecasts for this year have been repeatedly slashed.
On the environment... Bolsonaro is sticking to his promise to open up the Amazon to new economic ventures, Axios' Ursula Perano writes.
- The Brazilian part of the rainforest shed 1,330 square miles of forest cover — 39% more than during the same period last year.
On polarization... Bolsonaro campaigned as a culture warrior, lambasting gay rights and the political Left. He's governed that way too.
- That may rile up the base, but his approval rating is down to 33%.