The Next Couple Posts– Historic Democratizing Advances in Brazil

Back after more than a month-long hiatus, I am overwhelmed by recent events deserving of attention. Most importantly, the week of the 25^th of October 2011 will go down in history as one of Brazil’s great democratic moments of reckoning: the country enacted a freedom of information law after more than 3 years of deliberation, and a Truth Commission that has been on the agenda since Brazil emerged from a twenty-year dictatorship in 1985. President Dilma Rousseff’s presidency continues to signal a promising new chapter in Brazil’s consolidation of democracy. Most impressively, the President has managed to dispatch 6 ministers accused of corruption while avoiding blame for the crookedness of her cabinet. The next couple of posts will examine the freedom of information law, the Truth Commission, and Dilma’s remarkable resilience.