Which Path Will Brazil Choose?

Which Path Will Brazil Choose?

When Latin America's most-populous nation was awarded the 2014 World Cup back in 2007, it was enjoying strong economic growth and being celebrated as a potential superpower. Brazil grew by 6.1 percent that year and by 5.2 percent the following year, and it suffered only a mild recession after the global financial crisis. In April 2009, Newsweek discussed its progress below the eye-catching headline "How Brazil Became a Superpower." Later that year, Rio de Janeiro was awarded the 2016 Summer Olympics, prompting then-President Lula da Silva to declare, "I've never felt more pride in Brazil. Now, we are going to show the world we can be a great country." The Brazilian economy went on to expand by 7.5 percent in 2010, its highest annual growth rate since the 1980s. Today, with the World Cup just a few months away, the euphoria of the Lula years seems a distant memory, as Brazil is mired in turmoil and stagnation.

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