Fire and Death in the Amazon The reversal of the forest’s role in the international status of Brazil
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Abstract
The assassination of British journalist Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira, the Brazilian expert on Indigenous peoples, symbolized a shift in the nature of Brazil’s international image. During the far-right government of Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022), the Amazon rainforest came to play an increasingly important role in shaping Brazil’s international standing in the eyes of the foreign media. This article analyzes international media coverage of Brazil between May and July 2022, the period in which Phillips and Pereira were murdered. It assesses news related to the country published by seven newspapers from different countries and reveals how the murders increased the number of times Brazil was mentioned, while the tone of coverage became more negative. Based on our findings, we argue that the progressive destruction of the Amazon has become a concrete liability to Brazil’s international status.
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