2020 will be remembered as the year when a novel strain of coronavirus spread around the globe, leaving a trail of death, despair and disruption in its wake. In this podcast, we explore the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting lives worldwide. We ask how it will change the world as we know it - from the global economy and geopolitics to the long-term consequences for people, societies and cultures. And we want to know: What can we learn from this pandemic and our responses to it?

The COVID-19 outbreak in Brazil is turning from bad to worse. According to some scientific models, more people may be infected with COVID-19 in Brazil than in the US. While politicians in Brasilia are divided about what to do, experts say none has an effective strategy. Brazil was already in the midst of a political and economic crisis before the coronavirus pandemic. And all the while, COVID-19 is taking more lives in Brazil, by the day.

In this episode Joel Sandhu speaks to Oliver Stuenkel, a non-resident fellow at the Global Public Policy Institute and an associate professor of international relations at Gétulio Vargas Foundation in São Paulo, Brazil. They discuss the impact COVID-19 is having on Brazil’s politics, economy, and most importantly on its people.

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