BRAZIL

In 2025, Brazil continues its difficult recovery from political and institutional crisis, amid a climate of persistent ideological polarisation. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, re-elected in 2022, governs in the face of strong opposition from supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, whose influence endures despite his removal from the political arena.

Tensions have been reignited by the opening of trials against several senior Bolsonaro allies implicated in the January 8th 2023 assault on democratic institutions in Brasília. Sentences were handed down in early 2025, sparking new waves of protests — sometimes violent — in various state capitals.

From a security perspective, Brazil’s major cities (Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Salvador, Recife) continue to face very high levels of crime. The favelas remain the scene of violent clashes between security forces and criminal groups, often involving armoured vehicles and helicopters. In some districts, there is a real risk of getting caught in crossfire, as well as of kidnapping for ransom — particularly for foreign nationals, especially Westerners perceived as wealthy.

Entire areas remain beyond state control, particularly in urban peripheries and in border regions with Paraguay, Venezuela, and Colombia. Drug trafficking, local corruption, and judicial impunity fuel these hotspots of insecurity in a country where social inequalities remain stark.

Violent crime is also spreading to rural areas, especially in the context of land disputes involving large landowners, indigenous communities, and peasant movements. Targeted killings of environmental defenders, indigenous leaders, and human rights activists remain frequent in the Amazon region.

On the environmental front, the Lula government has sought to curb deforestation in the Amazon, but results have been mixed. Illegal logging, gold mining, and cross-border trafficking continue to flourish. Several dam projects faced opposition from local communities in 2024.

For travellers, Brazil remains accessible but requires careful planning. Risks are higher in major cities and in the North/Northwest of the country. Visiting favelas, Amazonian border areas, or remote regions without a guide and proper security arrangements is strongly discouraged.

Natural climatic risks (landslides, floods) are also increasingly affecting the country, particularly in the Southeast and Northeast states, which were already hit by extreme weather events in 2024.