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Catherine Osborn

@ccosborn.bsky.social
1.2K followers 202 following 133 posts

Journalist and author of Foreign Policy's Latin America Brief

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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
For @npr.org I wrote about why 🇧🇷's election is being watched far beyond its borders. It has implications for climate change, the resilience of democracy in a country where its latest leg is only around forty years old, the economy, and the reach of Trump's influence. www.npr.org/2026/10/02/n...
npr.org
Brazil's big political rematch: What to know about the Brazilian election
Four years after President Lula narrowly defeated Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil is back at the ballot box. This time, Lula faces Bolsonaro's son, Flávio, in a high-stakes rematch.
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
fiscal reform alive in the fractured legislature is notoriously difficult. Goldsmith argues that durable reforms in the past have come from moments of broad national consensus.
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Bolsonaro has also been trying to deepen his support among opinion shapers in 🇧🇷's financial sector by pledging to slash the deficit. Adam Goldsmith writes that Brazil’s hefty national debt is a significant problem for its ability to grow—but that keeping 🧵 foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/15/b...
foreignpolicy.com
Brazil’s Election Won’t Fix Its Biggest Problems
Slow growth and corruption have dogged the right and the left.
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
“women could enter public life without giving up their identities as wives, mothers, and Christians.” But, Della Costa writes, the Liberal Party’s strategy of boosting Michelle has limits: moments when she disagrees with party leadership. 🧵 foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/25/b...
foreignpolicy.com
The Woman Remaking Brazil’s Far Right
Former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro is playing a key role in her stepson’s presidential campaign.
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Bolsonaro’s political camp, meanwhile, is trying to improve on their poor record with women voters by elevating Senate candidate and former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, writes Beatriz Della Costa. Michelle has used the language of female empowerment to spread a message that 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
He frames his heightened focus on military spending as a strategy for industrial growth and a way to boost Brazil’s sovereignty against the backdrop of the aggressive U.S. approach to the hemisphere, Guimarães writes. 🧵 foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/30/b...
foreignpolicy.com
Lula Bets Big on Defense Ahead of Election
Brazil’s leftist leader has unusually put military spending at the heart of his campaign.
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Thayz Guimarães examines the politics of Brazil’s defense sector. After some members of the military took part in the coup plot against Lula in 2022-23, Lula for the first time in his seven presidential runs has made strengthening Brazil’s defense sector a main campaign pledge. 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
This week's @foreignpolicy.com Latin America Brief: Three recent FP deep dives help explain how Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro are trying to win over constituencies that might have voted for the other side in 2022: 🧵 foreignpolicy.com/2026/10/02/b...
foreignpolicy.com
The Forces Shaping Brazil’s Election
How gender, civil-military relations, and the economy help explain the contest.
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
spectrum and across Latin America. It's also triggered a comparison to the Russian oil privatizations of the 1990s, which enriched oligarchs who opposed democratization—lest their contracts face increased scrutiny. For @foreignpolicy.com : foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/04/u...
foreignpolicy.com
Venezuelans Aren’t Happy With the U.S. Oil Deal
Critics have decried the opaque agreement as oligarchic and colonialist.
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
The U.S. government plans to own a partial stake in production at multiple Venezuelan oilfields, at no cost to the U.S. taxpayer, and buy part of the oil at a steep discount, the White House said this week. The no-bid deal has ruffled feathers across Venezuela's political 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
They're increasingly strategizing together on how to push back against the Trump Doctrine, including through a rapid-alert system when sovereignty is threatened. For @foreignpolicy.com : foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/28/p...
foreignpolicy.com
Western Hemisphere Progressives Plot a Comeback
A gathering in Uruguay sought to counter the “Donroe Doctrine.”
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Last weekend's Panamerican Congress in Uruguay showed that while several of the region's left-wing presidents have tempered their criticism of Trump while seeking to lower tariffs, leftist lawmakers are more openly critical. 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
For the past several years, Latin America's right has been rallying momentum around their ideas at regional spinoffs of CPAC, the U.S.-origin conservative conference. Progressives are now meeting together in regional conferences too. 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
all ideologically friendly. This week's @foreignpolicy.com Latin America Brief looks at the details, as well as a U.S.-China-Argentina dustup over Huawei's expansion and the final season of a One Hundred Years of Solitude adaptation for the screen. foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/14/c...
foreignpolicy.com
Colombia’s Week of Rupture
Monday’s deadly earthquake presents the country’s new president with his first big test.
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Colombia's earthquake this week came as De la Espriella was sharply redirecting the country's foreign policy. While his foreign minister denied ideology was steering the response, the administration said it would only accept rescue teams from a limited number of governments, 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
That doesn’t mean the journey to Brazil is easy, or getting definitive residency straightforward. My report for @npr.org: www.npr.org/2026/08/03/n...
npr.org
With U.S. doors shutting, Cubans turn to Brazil for asylum
For years, many Cubans hoping to leave the island looked to the United States. Now, with legal pathways largely closed, a growing number are heading to Brazil instead.
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Their experiences shine a light on an asylum system that the UN has praised for issuing work permission & access to govt social services while claims are processed, at a time when not only the U.S. but also European and other Latin American countries are restricting immigration. 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Cubans are now the top applicants for asylum in the country, outpacing Venezuelans, with more than 41,000 applications last year and this year on track for similar numbers. 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
As Washington ends immigration pathways for Cubans—and increases its pressure campaign on the island—those who want to flee are increasingly looking to Brazil. 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
It’s triggered a debate in the country, including among environmentalists—who argue that smarter taxes on fossil fuels could also be funding the energy transition. For @foreignpolicy.com: foreignpolicy.com/2026/07/17/o...
foreignpolicy.com
Latin America’s Oil Boom
Some exporters are reaping financial benefits amid the Iran war.
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Argentina is charging forward on oil sales with an eye to getting more dollars into its economy. Brazil took the unusual step of slapping a 12 percent tax on oil exports to help control domestic fuel prices. 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Latin American countries with growing oil exports have more financial room to maneuver amid the Hormuz price shock than heavy energy importers. But what they've chosen to do during the price spike varies. 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
being welcoming to visitors from all over the world. Fans’ experiences off the pitch are “fundamental” to how World Cups are cemented in international memory, one scholar said. foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/11/m...
foreignpolicy.com
Mexico Could Be the World Cup’s Biggest Winner
As the United States closes itself off from the world, its co-host is doing the opposite.
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
about whether the hosts stand to gain—or lose—reputationally. They said that Mexico, where tourism is already on the rise and soccer culture is strong, could benefit simply by offering something that was once thought of as a given: 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
The World Cup is unquestionably intertwined with soft power and countries’ images on the global stage. For @foreignpolicy.com, I interviewed international relations and sports history experts about what clues the lead-up to the tournament offers 🧵
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Reposted by Catherine Osborn
Benjamin H. Bradlow @bhbradlow.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Enjoyed chatting with @ccosborn.bsky.social for her report in @foreignpolicy.com on Chinese FDI in Brazil's auto sector. foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/08/b...
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
For @foreignpolicy.com , with thanks to @bhbradlow.bsky.social for his insights: foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/08/b...
foreignpolicy.com
China Is Transforming Brazil’s Car Market
BYD’s landmark sales fuel debate over working conditions and the country’s relationship with China.
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
The company's growth has sparked multiple controversies in Brazil and is part of stories not only about China seeking overseas markets but also about Brazilian officials, unions, and industry associations trying to wring decent jobs and industrial development from the shift. 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
In April, BYD became the top-selling brand in Brazil's retail car market for the first time. Company officials have waged a yearslong marketing campaign that helped lead to this moment, which even included placing BYD cars in popular soap operas. 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Latin Americans currently make up the majority of contenders—but UN-watchers say today’s geopolitical fractures could yet take the leadership race in a surprise direction. For @foreignpolicy.com: foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/24/u...
foreignpolicy.com
Latin America’s Turn Atop the U.N.?
The next secretary-general is likely to hail from the region.
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
be it navigating Argentina’s stark political divide, denouncing human rights violations in Venezuela, and carrying forward Costa Rica’s tradition of peacemaking. 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Informal U.N. custom suggests the next Secretary-General should hail from Latin America and the Caribbean. While the three candidates from the region have ample experience in the U.N. system, they were also shaped by their experiences in Latin American politics, 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
partially as an economic response to the global oil shock of 1973. For @foreignpolicy.com: foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/27/l...
foreignpolicy.com
Latin American Countries Boost Ties to Africa
Can this era of south-south cooperation outlast leftist leadership?
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
about whether the Africa policies will endure. But it would be a "basic error" to say South-South cooperation has historically been restricted to the left, scholar Renata Albuquerque Ribeiro told me. Brazil's right-wing military regime sought such ties in the 1970s, 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
A Colombia summit last week showcased how several Latin American and Caribbean countries have been building up their Africa policies in recent years, with new embassies and increased trade flows. The trend is stronger in governments with leftist leaders, raising questions 🧵
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Chloe Hadavas @hadavas.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Very excited to share that we're launching a monthly newsletter @foreignpolicy.com to showcase our growing Books coverage, including criticism, excerpts, curated reading lists, and an international fiction column. Sign up for FP Bookshelf here:
foreignpolicy.com
Bookshelf Politics, Relations & Current Affairs – Foreign Policy
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
for counternarcotics-focused messaging—and for sorting leaders in the region by political ideology. For @foreignpolicy.com: foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/13/t...
foreignpolicy.com
Trump’s Summit Offers More Deference Than Details
Leaders emerged from the “Shield of the Americas” with few policy specifics.
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Latin American heads of state gathered in significant numbers for last weekend's Florida event with Trump, an opportunity to voice a joint agenda. But the event was light on specifics, serving generally to reinforce Trump's preference 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Observers say Boric nevertheless might be remembered for bringing a focus on human rights back to the Latin American left after the issue had faded in recent years, above all in the case of Venezuela. For @foreignpolicy.com: foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/06/c...
foreignpolicy.com
Chile Bids Goodbye to Boric
The outgoing president created a new blueprint for the Latin American left.
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Latin America's first crop of millennial presidents have now been around long enough that they are getting reelected—or replaced by the other side of the aisle. The latter is the case for Chile's Gabriel Boric, who leaves office on Wednesday. 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
in a country the size of Mexico. For @foreignpolicy.com: foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/27/m...
foreignpolicy.com
Sheinbaum Breaks From AMLO on Security
The killing of “El Mencho” shows that Mexico’s president has ditched her predecessor’s softer approach to cartels.
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
but also to gain access to intelligence for broader anti-crime operations, security analyst Eduardo Guerrero told me. Cecilia Farfán-Méndez of the Gl-TOC said Sheinbaum's approach of following the money still has a long way to go, flagging the low number of money laundering sentences 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
While Sunday's raid thrust the Sheinbaum administration's security policy into the spotlight, she has been carving a new path on security for months. The choice to step up cooperation with Washington allowed her not only to head off unilateral U.S. military action 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Brazil and India's positions on issues ranging from AI to critical minerals—which they also discussed in New Delhi—are increasingly important amid strains in the international order, Hussein Kalout said. For @foreignpolicy.com: foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/20/b...
foreignpolicy.com
In India, Lula Puts Middle-Power Diplomacy on Display
Brazil’s president hopes to cooperate on AI, critical minerals, and more.
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
between reaping AI's economic gains and protecting from its harms, tech policy expert @ronaldolemos.bsky.social told me the latter is currently overweighted. That’s why it's especially important the policies are seeing debate in global forums, he argued. More broadly, 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
At this week's AI summit in India, Brazil showcased its nascent policies toward the technology. Brazilian officials drew up much of the country's draft AI governance based on the EU model, and while they argue their approach strikes a balance 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
The humanitarian outlook could worsen sharply without a resolution to the standoff or change in tactics, experts say. For @foreignpolicy.com: foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/13/u...
foreignpolicy.com
The Human Toll of Trump’s Cuba Policy
Washington wants political change in Havana. Ordinary people are paying the price.
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
of working with a government insider who is open to cooperating. In the meantime, a U.S. tariff threat has broadly cut off oil shipments to the island; the government has begun rationing fuel at sites that reportedly include hospitals. 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
In Cuba, the top U.S. envoy said Washington is in talks with unspecified local officials in an effort to bring about political change this year. He suggested his team favored a repeat of the Venezuela strategy 🧵
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Catherine Osborn @ccosborn.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
to trade—and history of investments in high-tech sectors—also prompted a positive milestone last year, when the World Bank upgraded it to high-income status. For @foreignpolicy.com: foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/06/c...
foreignpolicy.com
Costa Rica Elects a Trump Ally
Why the country chose a tough-on-crime candidate for president.
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