Brazil Before the Olympics

Abstract

This essay investigates why Brazil could become one of the classic examples of emerging states at the beginning of the 21st century, and how it has recently turned into a country hit by economic and political crises, whose international prestige seems to be fading away. The article was written on the occasion of the Rio 2016 Summer Games, and therefore has a special emphasis on sports, yet, its main objective is to provide a general, though necessarily sketchy account on the inner conditions of Brazil.