Diogo Martins Pauta lives in a Rio favela. People like him are transforming Brazil, but depending on where you’re from, he may not be your mother’s idea of “middle class.” Anyone reading on Brazil in the last half-decade has heard about the rise of the ‘new middle class’. It’s one of the favorite topics amongst us(…)
In Brazil, the man who would have been pope
Brazil ‘lost’ to Argentina at the Conclave in Rome last week. But São Paulo Cardinal Odilo Scherer will remain a towering figure for the world’s largest congregation. By Dom Phillips There was surprise and disappointment here when the white smoke pouring from a Vatican chimney meant a new pope had been chosen – and he(…)
Pope Francis – a radical choice, but burdened by history
Well, they didn’t give it to the Brazilian. But in the moments after Wednesday’s announcements there were three things that seemed radical about the choice of Cardinal Bergoglio. Not radical in the context of wider society in 2013, of course, but radical within the context of the papacy and its recent history. 1. Most obviously(…)
Worlds collide on the streets of the mega-city
In hyper-dynamic São Paulo, South America’s largest city, people battle for space every day – and never more so than on out the roads. This weekend, the battle hit a macabre low, when a 21-year old hit-and-run driver threw the detached arm of a cyclist he had struck into one of the city’s filthy rivers(…)
Watching Venezuela
I don’t believe that it’s just because I lived there that my eyes are on Venezuela today. I think everyone with an interest in Latin America is paying attention, after Hugo Chávez, one of the region’s most transformative leaders, died yesterday at the beginning of another six-year term. It goes without saying that the man(…)
Brazil’s new supercouple
Neymar and Bruna are, for now at least, the country’s Posh and Becks, says Dom Phillips. Looks profitable. Let’s see if it lasts. Above, a picture “The New Pelé” instragrammed of her during Carnaval. By Dom Phillips “TOGETHER, AT LAST,” read the headline on this week’s edition of Brazilian celebrity weekly Contigo!. “To the delirium of(…)
Cars in São Paulo – why so many?
Lots of people could save plenty of money, even if they take taxis everywhere. Above: São Paulo, a terrifyingly beautiful mega-metropolis. With too many cars. I live in São Paulo, and I can afford a car. Why don’t I buy one? Because it doesn’t make any sense. Personally, I enjoy the rare luxury of being(…)
Post-Carnaval – bloco party
Claire Rigby takes us behind the televised spectacle and into the free and fluid world of the street party – Rio’s true Carnaval. Above: The outskirts of a bloco in Leblon, on Tuesday morning. By Claire Rigby From the world-class razzle-dazzle of the sambadrome to the endless, hedonistic celebration that takes place in its streets, Brazil(…)
Pre-Carnaval
Dom Phillips walks us through the joyful insanity of Rio Carnaval costume etiquette, and the pre-celebration celebrations that are often better than the real thing. By Dom Phillips Ambling through the blazing heat and Saturday afternoon crowds on Rio de Janeiro’s SAARA street market, I was getting nowhere in my search for a crucial purchase:(…)
Santa Maria – the worst kind of journalism
Unfortunately, I spent much of last week in Santa Maria, covering the nightclub fire that took the lives of so many young people. I say unfortunately not only because of the deeply horrific nature of the ordeal for everyone involved, but also because this is the worst kind of journalism, both to practice and to(…)
