Carnaval brings prosperity, unity, and entertainment to millions every year, but its ties to organized crime run deep.
Joseph Bouchard
Joseph is a Senior Writer with Spheres of Influence, covering geopolitics, crime, and democracy in the Western hemisphere. He has spent over a year in Latin America, notably working as a freelance journalist covering democracy in Colombia, researching lithium mining in Bolivia, and studying organized crime in Brazil. His articles have appeared in The Diplomat, Mongabay, the City Paper Bogotá, The Rio Times, and Global Americans, and he has worked as a fixer for Al Jazeera English. Joseph has a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Latin American Studies from the University of British Columbia, and completed graduate coursework in international affairs at Texas A&M University. He has worked for a number of think tanks, including the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and the Igarapé Institute. He is based in South America, hoping to gain expertise in the region.
