Tabata Amaral

It took six minutes for Tabata Amaral to become a political sensation in Brazil. In March, the Congresswoman delivered a searing critique of Education Minister Ricardo Vélez. The video quickly went viral, announcing the freshman as a force to be reckoned with. Though she’s now one of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro’s most visible critics, Amaral is trying to separate herself from Brazil’s bitter partisan divides. It’s a complicated task: her vote in favor of a conservative-backed pension-reform plan led to a temporary suspension from her center-left party this summer. But Amaral says fixing Brazil’s problems (fewer than half of adults have a high school diploma, for example) will require some new political thinking. “There is so much between left and right, especially in a moment that is so polarized, and in a world that is so complex with all the new technologies,” she says, “we have to find a way in between.” —Ciara Nugent