Every March the Fletcher Latin America Group (FLAG) facilitates a spring break trek. FLAG consists of students who are from Latin America, of Latin American descent, or Latin Americanists (people who are intimately familiar with the region). Latin America has a rich diversity of culture and people, which makes getting to know the region a lifelong endeavor. For that reason, FLAG uses the trek to provide the Fletcher student body with an opportunity to explore countries and see first-hand what life is like throughout Latin America. In the past FLAG has gone on treks to Colombia and Mexico. This year a lucky group of 18 students (nine organizers and nine participants) travelled to Brazil and had an eye-opening experience.
We spent one week in country that included four days in Rio de Janeiro and three days in Sao Paulo. In both cities we had a very ambitious agenda that consisted of meetings with important influencers in the political, business, social, educational, diplomatic, and military spectrum sector. FLAG prides itself on recruiting a diverse group of participants which include students from each degree program: Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD), Master of International Business (MIB), and Master of Laws in International Law (LL.M.). The comprehensive and extensive agenda was constructed with the purpose of providing each student the ability to engage with the sector(s) that he or she is likely to go into after graduation.
We also recognize we came to Brazil at a significant time in its history given that President Jair Bolsonaro would be assuming office three months earlier. In light of that, the common feeling amongst FLAG trek participants was that each group hosting us did its best to impart a strong understanding of how Brazil’s current climate is impacting people and the country’s place in South America and the world. For instance, we met with Mr. Guimarães, a journalist from O Globo, the most prominent print publication in the Grupo Globo media conglomerate and largest media group in Latin America. He spoke candidly to us about the relationship between the state and free press and how that has changed since the election. One of those changes included the influence of “fake news” in Brazil, and the journalism industry overall. In addition to O Globo, we met with the Center for Studies on Public Security and Citizenship headed by Ms. Lemgruber. Ms. Lemgruber was the official ombudsman for Rio’s prison system in the 1980s and has dedicated her life to researching and teaching prison and criminal justice reform, police brutality, and drug policy reform. She spoke passionately about these structural inequalities and its impact on Rio’s poor populations. These meetings were complemented with others like the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo and the Brazilian Naval War College that identified the financial market and nuclear armament as Brazil’s most pressing issues.
Another component of our trip was that in the week of our trek there were several developments in and out of Brazil that were influencing current affairs. Some of these included former President Michel Temer arrested on corruption charges, President Bolsonaro’s meeting at the White House with President Donald Trump, and country-wide protests on the divisive pension reforms. In most cases the speakers were reflecting on these developments in the moment and with us in attendance. The outcome was that the conversations were rich, raw, and authentic.
On a personal level, I am very happy to have travelled to Brazil with the FLAG trek. As the son of Colombian parents, I have done most of my travel in Latin America; I have also travelled to Brazil before. However, it was my first time traveling to Rio and Sao Paulo and it was my first time travelling as a Fletcher student. I was particularly impacted by our trip to the US Consulate in Rio because upon graduation I will be going into the State Department to serve as a diplomat. I appreciated receiving a high-level overview from the security team, public diplomacy team, and consulate section team. In particular, I enjoyed hearing first-hand from US Consul General Scott Hamilton on the relationship between President Trump and President Bolsonaro, the US and Brazil’s shared strategic interests, and how it compares to the information we received from the public sector.
Lastly, this FLAG trek in Brazil was incredibly rewarding because it was 100 percent student-led and mostly funded by student efforts. In the months leading up to the trek, we recruited participants, solidified meetings, conducted fundraisers, and coordinated housing and travel logistics. While in Brazil we had an amazing group of participants that were engaged, asked tough questions, and truly immersed themselves in the experience. The trek’s success is a testament to the hard work and to the Tufts Fletcher School brand. Most importantly, the trek provided us each with our own intimate and unique connection to Brazil, the people, and its place in the international community.