Joaquim Barbosa, the new authority in Brazilian justice. Mensalão, The PCC, and Caso Bruno – the messy reality of Brazil’s justice system has dominated news recently. Despite obvious problems, some things seem to be improving. Last week, the Brazilian Minister of Justice said he would rather die than do time in the Brazilian prison system.(…)
Innocence and the spotlight
Selling her virginity for over 1.5 million reais earned her some fame and a place in the front row at Rio fashion week, as seen above. But how far would the culture of love and celebrity in let the stunt take her? By Dom Phillips Should we feel sorry for Catarina Migliorini, the 20-year-old Brazilian(…)
“Click here to save the Indians”
When an entire Guarani-Kaoiwá indigenous community asked to be collectively put to death rather than forced off what they consider ancestral lands, social network campaigns kicked into high gear and may have provided them some brief respite. But few real solutions for the tragic conditions in which many of Brazil’s native peoples find themselves are(…)
Last weekend’s municipal elections – win for Lula, and a messier party system
Fernando Haddad, Lula and Dilma’s man, will run São Paulo. But across the country, the sprawling multi-party system became even more complicated. By last Sunday every city in Brazil had selected a new mayor. This will affect everyone here differently, as they will be governed at the local level by one of the 19 –(…)
Brazil’s evangelical churches – cash flow
At the Penha chapter of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, on the poor outskirts of São Paulo: “Let me tell you a story,” the white-clad pastor said. “One of our faithful was unemployed, and was about to receive his very last unemployment payment before going completely broke. Do you think he was(…)
What it feels like to take over a favela these days
Dom Phillips reports on the tension, cautious optimism, and small media circus involved in the recent invasion of the Manguinhos favela, one of the latest to be re-taken by the state. By Dom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro 2,000 heavily armed police and marines, with 13 armoured cars and helicopters, set off at dawn Sunday(…)
NYT comes to Brazil, says something puzzling
Why did they choose Brazil over Spanish-speaking Latin America? The New York Times has announced they will be launching a Portuguese-language website in Brazil, with translated as well as original content. That sounds great, and should probably be a good business proposition. But in the FT article which announced the move, Michael Greenspon, general manager of(…)
Comando Vermelho leader seeks voluntary amnesty program
I recently interviewed Marcelo Piloto, head of the Comando Vermelho drug-trafficking criminal faction in the Mandela favela in Northern Rio de Janeiro. In the interview, he asked me to announce that he and many others want to give themselves in and turn over their weapons and territory in return for amnesty. This was going to(…)
Questions for Tulipa Ruiz, Brazil’s bold new pop star
An interview with Tulipa Ruiz, the exciting and cutting-edge Brazilian musician, and the video to her contagiously funky and kooky rock hit, “É”. by Dom Phillips Tulipa Ruiz bounded on stage at Rio de Janeiro’s Circo Voador recently, and the packed crowd of hundreds began singing along to every word. And continued until they finally let her go, many(…)
Coming up from the street – new movements in downtown SP
A set of artistic and cultural groups long active in trying to revitalize São Paulo’s run-down center crystallized last week around a uniquely political cause – to oppose Evangelical-backed mayoral candidate Celso Russomanno – and may have evolved into a more unified left-leaning movement now that he’s been defeated. by Claire Rigby Friday night in(…)
