Features
Ana has written features on topics ranging from inequality in Brazil’s healthcare system to the legacy of the world’s greatest footballer to eroding trust in the electoral process. She is particularly interested in telling stories that explore the intersection of politics, culture and society — and those that aim to explain the legacies of Latin America’s complex history.
A trip along Brazil’s Costa Verde (January 2024, Monocle)
For the Escapist Issue, we take a road trip past colonial towns, quilombos and quaint fishing villages. Far from Brazil’s best-known beaches, the heart and soul of its coast are on full display.
She Was Brazil’s Barbie. Now She’s Saying Sorry. (August 2023, The New York Times)
Xuxa was once Brazil’s biggest TV star. Now many are wondering whether a thin, blond, white woman was the right idol for such a diverse country.
Brazil contends with more gun ownership – and a rising gun culture. (June 2023, Christian Science Monitor)
Gun ownership – and culture – expanded in Brazil under former President Jair Bolsonaro. The new administration is finding that’s not so easy to backtrack.
For Indigenous defenders of Brazil’s rainforests, ‘Lula is our only hope’ (December, 2022, The Los Angeles Times)
Newly elected president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has pledged to halt the destruction of the Amazon, fuelling hopes at home and abroad that he may be able to avert a climate crisis.
‘Save this country:’ Brazil grapples with trust on heels of Lula victory (November 2022, Christian Science Monitor)
Mistrust in democracy is on full display following incumbent Bolsonaro’s electoral defeat. Can Lula rebuild faith in Brazil?
How Bolsonaro Built the Myth of Stolen Elections in Brazil. (October 2022, The New York Times)
In Brazil, millions believe the presidential election may be rigged. The New York Times mapped how Jair Bolsonaro built that myth, eroding trust in one of the world's largest democracies.
Brazil’s Evangelical Leftist (September 2022, Americas Quarterly)
Is there a future for leftist politics in Brazil’s rapidly growing Evangelical Christian community? A socialist pastor running for Congress in Rio is an interesting test case.
How evangelicals vote could determine Brazil's presidential elections. (March 2022, The Los Angeles Times)
When Jair Bolsonaro was elected four years ago, his staunchest support came from Brazil's growing evangelical population. Now, with his ratings down, he is vying for their support again.
Glória Maria, Who Broke Barriers in Brazilian Television, Dies at 73. (February 2023, The New York Times)
Thought to be Brazil’s first Black TV journalist and a rare female anchor, she was a trailblazer in a country with a long history of racism.
My Uncle Taught Pelé Guitar: The Mourning Is Deeper in One City. (January 2023, The New York Times)
While fans around the world grieve Pelé’s death, in Santos, Brazil, where he first made his mark, residents recall a friend and neighbor who never forgot them.
Brazil’s Joe Rogan Faces His Own Firestorm Over Free Speech. (February 2022, The New York Times)
Bruno Aiub became one of Brazil’s biggest podcasters with irreverent interviews of newsmakers. Now remarks about Nazis plunged him into a controversy akin to his idol’s.
Where will the next pandemic begin? The Amazon rainforest offers troubling clues. (November 2021, The Los Angeles Times)
As people encroach on the rainforest, the Amazon is offering the perfect breeding ground for the next pandemic.
‘Secret haircuts, an empty stadium and South America's biggest soccer tournament (July 2021, The Los Angeles Times)
Brazil ignored the warnings and agreed to host the Copa America, just as Covid-19 cases surged. The games ended up fuelling infections among working-class Brazilians.
Why Is Covid Killing So Many Young Children in Brazil? Doctors Are Baffled. (May 2021, The New York Times)
Experts believe Brazil’s overloaded hospital system and uneven access to health care are among the reasons babies and small children are succumbing to the virus at a high rate.
Rio makes do as Carnival festivities are canceled amid surge in Covid-19 cases. (February 2021, The Los Angeles Times)
Carnival festivities in Rio de Janeiro have been cancelled amid another surge in Covid-19 cases in Brazil, dealing a blow to communities and the economy.
‘Brazil dam disaster: Five years on, are new laws enough? (November 2020, Christian Science Monitor)
Following a devastating dam break in Brazil, new safety measures were created and a mining company pledged reparations. Is that enough to make “never” a reality?
A New Comic Exposes Racism Amid the Pandemic in Brazil. (August 2020, Foreign Policy)
“Confinada” critiques the disproportionate toll the coronavirus has taken on poor and Black Brazilians—on top of ongoing systemic inequality in the country.
Rio’s Carnival takes a stand against Bolsonaro’s divisive rhetoric. (February 2020, The Guardian)
As Rio de Janeiro prepares to kick off Carnival, several samba schools are using the world’s biggest festival as a platform for protest President Jair Bolsonaro’s rhetoric of intolerance.
Young Voters Care About Abortion Policy. Argentine Politicians Are Ignoring Them. (August 2019, Foreign Policy)
The youth vote is becoming increasingly important in Argentina, but the leading presidential candidates are deliberately avoiding the issue that matters most to them.