☀ Domingo Brief — Carnival Returns

Welcome back to the Domingo Brief! This week, we’re keeping up with Ecuadorian electoral intrigue, a legal power struggle in Honduras, and more.

Trivia of the Week 🎯

Just over a mere third (37%) of you correctly guessed that Brazil’s Old Republic (1889-1930) was characterized by so-called cafe com leite (milk coffee) politics, referring to the oligarchic domination of national politics by the elites of São Paulo and Minas Gerais. This name alludes to the coffee (SP) and dairy (MG) industries which powered the economies of these two states. The political system came to an end with the rise of the Estado Novo regime in the 1930s.

Each week, tune back in for the answer to the previous week’s trivia question. No cheating!

🇧🇷 Carnaval has returned to the streets of Brazil. The world’s largest party, in which millions of people dress up in fun costumes, join neighborhood blocos, and watch the famed Sambadrome parade, is expected to bring in an impressive $2.04B in tourism revenue, a decade-high figure. Rio de Janeiro alone should receive upwards of 2M people per day to its streets.

🇨🇴 Edwin Palma has been named as the new energy minister in Colombia. The former head of Colombia’s oil workers union, Palma has previously served as deputy labor minister in the current administration of President Gustavo Petro. His new role will involve trying to move the country forward on Petro’s goal of weaning off fossil fuels—a tall order, given oil and coal products made up roughly half of Colombia’s total exports in 2023.

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