Terrence McCoy

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio de Janeiro Bureau Chief

Education: University of Iowa, BA, political science and journalism; Columbia University, MA, international politics and journalism

Terrence McCoy is The Washington Post's Rio de Janeiro Bureau Chief. He has twice won the George Polk Award and was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2023. He served in the Peace Corps in Cambodia. He joined The Washington Post in 2014, and has been a staff writer on the local, national and foreign desks.
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Latest from Terrence McCoy

Court could ban Brazil’s Bolsonaro from running for office again

Brazil's former president is accused of undermining confidence in the country's democracy. He is charged with abuse of power.

June 22, 2023

Why beef-loving Brazil is so obsessed with an American steakhouse chain

Despite Brazil's own grilling culture, the American riff on Australian barbecue has gained extraordinary cachet

June 20, 2023

How four children survived Amazon plane crash, 40 days alone in jungle

The 95-minute flight over the Colombian Amazon was supposed to deliver the children, ranging in age from 11 months to 13 years, to safety. Their mother died in the crash.

June 17, 2023

The Nile is the world’s longest river? The Amazon would like a word.

A new expedition wants to set the record straight.

June 12, 2023

Brazil’s Lula promised to save democracy. Why is he embracing Maduro?

The Brazilian leader's welcome was another stop in the diplomatic comeback of Venezuela's socialist authoritarian.

May 30, 2023

George Santos confesses to theft in Brazil to avoid prosecution

A day earlier, the New York congressman pleaded not guilty to wide-ranging charges brought by federal prosecutors in New York.

May 11, 2023

Bolsonaro’s vaccine status falsified before he entered U.S., police say

Bolsonaro promoted coronavirus skepticism while the country he led suffered one of the world's worst outbreaks. Investigators raided his home Wednesday and arrested several associates.

May 3, 2023

Bolsonaro to answer police questions about Brasília insurrection

The Jan. 8 riot, in which the former president's supporters stormed the capital in hopes of reversing his election loss, has only deepened Brazil's divide.

April 26, 2023

American school shooters inspire teen killers abroad

Brazil, which has suffered 11 attacks in the past eight months, worries that the carnage is only beginning.

April 12, 2023

Bolsonaro arrives home in Brazil — and faces an uncertain future

The former president faces a laundry list of investigations related to his controversial term in office.

March 30, 2023