Features
Ana has written enterprise stories on a vast range of subjects, from culture and technology to trade wars, eroding trust in democracy and the destruction of the Amazon. She is particularly interested in telling stories that explore the intersection of politics, identity and society — and those seeking to explain the legacies of Latin America’s complex history.
The Trade War’s Impact on Your Barbecue: Pricier Burgers. (May 2025, The New York Times)
Americans are eating record amounts of Brazilian beef. Now, tariffs and trade wars could push up U.S. prices and send more of this coveted beef to China.
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’s Best Picture Nominee Sparks New Fight for Justice. (February 2025, The New York Times)
For decades, nobody was held accountable for killings and forced disappearances at the hands of Brazil’s military junta. “I’m Still Here” may be changing that.
The Mafia’s Grip on a Brazilian Lottery Seemed Invincible. Until the Apps Came. (January 2025, The New York Times)
Digital gambling could spell the end for a lottery run by criminal gangs that has been a fixture of Brazilian life for decades.
Under a Highway in Rio, a Dance Style Charms a New Generation. (December 2024, The New York Times)
On Rio de Janeiro’s fringes, partygoers have been dancing “charme” to the sounds of R&B for decades. Now, a new crop of dancers is reviving — and transforming — the scene.
A Surprise Blockbuster in Brazil Stokes Oscar Hopes, and a Reckoning. (December 2024, The New York Times)
Decades after her mother missed out on an Oscar, Brazil’s Fernanda Torres may have a chance to win a golden statuette with a role in a film that has set off deep soul-searching.
What Do 5 Million Brazilians Have in Common? A Name With a Grim Past. (December 2024, The New York Times)
Silva, the surname of presidents and soccer stars, has long carried stigma over its colonial links. Now, many see its legacy in new ways.
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.
A Corruption Case That Spilled Across Latin America Is Coming Undone. (November 2024, The New York Times)
Operation Car Wash, which started in Brazil, revealed a bribery scheme that spanned at least 12 countries. Brazil’s Supreme Court has reversed much of its impact.
37 Square Feet That Show Brazil’s Racist Past. (August 2024, The New York Times)
In Brazil, rooms for maids, a vestige of the country’s history of slavery, are disappearing or being transformed as the country confronts deeply ingrained inequities.
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.
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.
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.
‘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.