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Shock and Calls to Action in Brazil: The Turbulent Wake of the 2026 First-Round Election
Democracy in Brazil is now facing its greatest test since the restoration of constitutional order in the mid-1980s and the adoption of the new Constitution in 1988. The general election in Brazil includes candidacies for the presidency, Congress, governors, and state legislatures, and Brazilian society is divided between two staunchly opposing candidates and ideologies: President Lula, who is seeking reelection to serve his fourth, non-consecutive term on a platform of defending sovereignty, democracy, the state as a driver of social justice, and an active diplomatic policy that includes its participation in the BRICS; and, on the other hand, Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Bolsonaro, who was imprisoned in November, 2025.
![MP Materials, which operates this rare-earth open-pit mine in Mountain Pass, California, is one of 10 US companies added to China's export control list [File: Steve Marcus/Reuters]](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/images/2026-01-28T223535Z_178008069_RC2LAJAJ37I6_RTRMADP_3_USA-MINING-TRUMP-PRICE-1770293508.jpg?itok=5wOO1Nvx)
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