Presidential Candidate Renan Santos Says Brazil Should Have Nuclear Weapons
Listen to the story
Renan Santos, a candidate for president of Brazil, appeared on TV Globo for a long interview.
This kind of interview is called a sabatina in Brazil. It is used to test a candidate with tough questions before an election.
During the program, Santos said Brazil should be able to develop a nuclear weapon.
He argued that having this kind of weapon would help Brazil become a bigger protagonist on the world stage, meaning a country with real global influence.
Santos stated clearly that Brazil needs the ability to build an atomic weapon, a device that uses nuclear energy to cause a huge explosion.
After his interview, columnists from the newspaper GLOBO shared their opinions about his answers.
The columnists are writers who regularly give their views on political events.
This interview is part of coverage of the 2026 presidential election in Brazil, when voters will choose their next leader.
Brazil currently does not have nuclear weapons and has signed international agreements against developing them.
Santos's comments are likely to spark further debate among politicians and analysts in the coming days.
Vocabulary10 words
- candidate
- a person trying to win an election
- sabatina
- a tough public interview to test a candidate
- nuclear
- using the power inside atoms
- protagonist
- a very important or leading country
- atomic
- related to very small particles that hold huge energy
- columnist
- someone who writes opinion pieces for a paper
- election
- the process of voting for a leader
- influence
- power to affect other countries or people
- device
- a machine or tool made for a purpose
- agreement
- a formal deal between countries
Quiz
Answer key
1. Brazil should build a nuclear weapon 2. A tough interview to test a candidate 3. No, and it has signed agreements against building them
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Renan Santos, a _____ for president of Brazil, appeared on TV Globo for a long interview.
This kind of interview is called a _____ in Brazil.
During the program, Santos said Brazil should be able to develop a _____ weapon.
He argued that having this kind of weapon would help Brazil become a bigger _____ on the world stage.
Santos stated clearly that Brazil needs the ability to build an _____ weapon.
After his interview, _____ from the newspaper GLOBO shared their opinions about his answers.
This interview is part of coverage of the 2026 presidential _____ in Brazil.
Brazil currently does not have nuclear weapons and has signed international _____ against developing them.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think a country might want nuclear weapons?
- Do you agree that having such weapons makes a country more important globally?
- What risks could come from a country developing nuclear weapons?
- How important are televised interviews like the 'sabatina' for voters deciding on a candidate?