Brazil Is Growing, Like a Donkey's Tail
Brazil's 2005 budget was announced: US$ 4 billion for education,
health, sanitation, highway maintenance work, housing, social
programs, and everything that would contribute to further development.
And US$ 73 billion to the pockets of foreign predators of our
economy, those who speculate with the lives of Brazilian citizens.
by Carlos Chagas
Brazil Lula's Empty Promises
By vetoing what had been accorded, the Brazilian President
demoralizes his leaders and transforms future agreements into
empty promises, and shows contempt in the way Congress is
treated. Elected on social promises, Lula now distances himself
from the pledges and the trends occurring around the world.
by Cristovam Buarque
In Brazil, for Every Moment There Is a Beer
Boys were drinking cachaça while outside the rain smacked the
roofs of huts. Every so often a boy would sneak off to the back of
the house to vomit, pretending that nothing had occurred, and
then come back for some more rum. We left quickly. Jaymes had
just insulted his girlfriend for refusing to kiss him good-bye.
by Nicholas Arons
Death to Brazil's Varig!
In Brazil, only a foolish traveler flies Varig; or those fuming
patriots, who insist in honoring "our stuff", no matter how bad
it is. Despite its extortive fares, for years Varig has not managed
to be out of the red. Last year, the company's loss was US$ 612
million, following negative results of US$ 956 million in 2002.
by Janer Cristaldo
Voters to Choose Between Past and Future in Brazil
A win for Marta Suplicy as Mayor of São Paulo would indicate
that Brazilian President Lula was on the right track. It would
help him press on with his foreign policy. Why so much attention
on the outcome of one election when there will be thousands of
elections? The fact is São Paulo is the only one that matters.
by Guy Burton
In Brazil, It's Always Killing Time
The recent killings of homeless people in São Paulo led to
politically correct indignation and a demonstration organized by
the Catholic Church and the Workers Party. This protest showed
the nauseating sight of Mayor Marta Suplicy helping to carry a cross,
trying to compare the sufferings of the homeless with those of Jesus.
by John Fitzpatrick
Is Elis & Tom, Special Edition, Worth the Trouble?
How many people will want to pay for a DVD-CD combo when
their equipment is capable of playing only the CD? It's wonderful
to know that a superior version is available. But until the rest of
us are sufficiently equipped, Philips and Trama would be well
advised to bring out a stand-alone CD with the bonus track.
by Daniella Thompson
PSDB, Brazil's Comeback Party
With municipal elections getting closer, Brazil's PSDB party is
showing great potential in several state capital mayor races
throughout the country. In Brazil's largest city, São Paulo, the PSDB
candidate José Serra is tied for first place against Marta Suplicy
from the PT. In a run-off election Serra should be the winner.
by Daniel Torres
Damn the Drummer, Where's the Composer?
For drummer Deppenschmidt to suggest that he be given credit
for the Jazz Samba project at this stage in the game, let alone
bring suit in a court of law over it is, in my view, a highly debatable
issue that flies in the face of the most inescapable element of all:
the qualities of bossa nova itself and those of its creators.
by Joe Lopes
Embraer, a Brazilian Shining Example
Government administrations in Brazil need to get rid of the habit
of destroying what their predecessors started, changing names
and ideas of projects every time power changes hands. They need
to learn that only through decades of continuity successful
projects, which will make the nation proud, can be carried out.
by Cristovam Buarque
William Taught Me All I Needed About Brazil
In the Brazilian Northeast, a land haunted by deserts, the parties,
the music, and the poetry never end. You will find many good
souls, and you will hear stories about men and women that
once walked this land. The people who told me stories that made
me weep would make sure that at the end of the day I was smiling.
by Nicholas Arons
In Brazil, Dictatorship Is Back
Brazil's President Lula is intent on building a brilliant and lasting
career. He has proposed the Federal Council of Journalism, to
get a better grip on those "coward journalists" who don't have the
guts to back projects from his administration. The prototype, for
comparison purposes, is the Ethics National Commission... from Cuba.
by Janer Cristaldo
Brazil: Blame It on Neoliberalism
Brazil is at a crossroads, according to João Pedro Stédile, a leader
of Brazil's Landless Movement. For him it was not enough that
Brazilians voted against neoliberalism when electing President Lula.
Neoliberalism, he says, is still present in the press, in the government,
in the universities, even in grade schools and high schools.
by Mauricio Hashizume
Brazil: More Power to Quilombos
Quilombos are rural Afro-Brazilian communities that originated
in the 17th century with the rebellion of African slaves in Brazil.
Today there are still more than 1,000 of these groups throughout
the country. The government is starting to demarcate and
secure ownership of the land to the people who live there now.
by Adital
Brazil Sees Death Squad in Homeless Massacre
A 2003 study by Brazil's Economic Research Institute Foundation
shows that over ten thousand homeless in São Paulo sleep in
the city's streets, squares, underpasses, thoroughfares, cemeteries,
and shelters. Fifteen of them have been severely beaten while
sleeping. Six died and the others are in critical condition.
by Juliana Cézar
Brazil: A Decade-Long Lynching
In 1993, the weekly magazine Veja made an error, falsely accusing
House Representative Ibsen Pinheiro of improprieties he never
committed. That article ruined Pinheiro's career and reputation.
Eleven years later, another magazine, Isto É, is uncovering the truth.
The real story, however, is the conspiracy that lasted a decade.
by Alberto Dines
Brazil: Lula's Friends Have License to Kill
If Brazil's Central Bank president becomes an insurmountable
liability, be it for the series of accusations or not, what does the
future hold for him? Should that turn out to be the case he would
be named Brazilian ambassador to a country of great magnitude;
and he would return to politics in time for the 2006 elections.
by Carlos Chagas
Brazil Grows Despite High Interests
Some Brazilian economists are optimistic about Brazil's prospects
for this and next year. Companies are investing again. For 2005,
the key question will be investment. Infrastructure, such as roads,
ports, and energy, will demand urgent solution from the part
of the government and from Public-Private Partnerships.
by Edla Lula
Brazil's Quilombos to Become Legal
Brazil's 1988 Constitution acknowledges the rights of quilombo
communities, rural villages founded by blacks who were slaves.
There are over one thousand of them throughout the country,
but only 29 have received property deeds. Quilombos have
their own customs, which differ from the rest of Brazil.
by Pedro Malavolta
Linux Friendly Brazil
Twenty percent of all computers used by the Brazilian ministries
are running Linux and other open source software. In a few months
this number should grow to 100 percent. Through its Digital
Inclusion Program Brazil wishes to democratize the use of computers.
Government telecenters are being created throughout Brazil.
by Leonardo Stavale
Brazil's Doleiros: A Breed in Extinction?
Brazil's Federal Police are in the midst of a national crackdown on
doleiros, illegal money changers and sometimes trusted personal
bankers. According to police, the doleiros received dirty money in
Brazil and sent it abroad. Part of this money returned to Brazil
as investments after going through off-shore tax shelters.
by Daisy Nascimento
Brazil Vows Better Care to Blacks
Municipal and state administrators of the Brazilian Federal
Health System are gathering now in Brasília, Brazil's capital,
to discuss the health care given to blacks by the government.
To deal with Brazil's recognized racism, the Lula administration
has created the Secretariat for the Promotion of Social Equality.
by Juliana Andrade
Brazil's Piracy, a Cultural Challenge
Cigarettes top the list of illegal merchandise sold in Brazil. Around
32 percent of the cigarettes sold there are contraband or counterfeit.
The fiscal harm caused by illegal cigarette sales alone amounts
to US$ 1.2 billion annually. Authorities believe legislation alone
will not solve the problem. Brazilians need a new mindset.
by Juliana Andrade
Left Unchecked Lula Would Muzzle Brazil
Three recent proposals by Brazilian President Lula have caused uproar
in Brazil. The first would create a Federal Counsel of Journalism
to police journalists' activities. The second would establish a
National Agency of Movies and Audiovisual. And the third would
prohibit certain government officials from speaking to the press.
by Richard Hayes
A Note to Lula: Haiti Is in Brazil
If the Brazilian President really thought football would bring peace
he should have arranged for the match to be staged closer to home.
The favelas in Brazil can easily be as wretched as the shantytowns
in Haiti. Furthermore, Brazilian soldiers are available to maintain
order in Haiti, none are around to do likewise in Brazil's favelas.
by John Fitzpatrick
Guaranis, Brazil's Original Owners
Brazil's Guarani Indians were displaced by modern agriculture in
the '70s. They were moved to one of eight Indian reservations that
had been set up at the beginning of the century. The reservations
were located near cities, in keeping with the conventional wisdom
of the time that what the Indians needed was to be "civilized."
by Spensy Pimentel
Brazil: A Bill for Reining In the Media
The Brazilian government is threatening to create an institution,
which would be able to prevent journalists from working. They
forget that the Brazilian Constitution considers working an unalienable
right, which can only be suspended by a judicial sentence.
It's a farce. Every government since Ramses II hates criticism.
by Carlos Chagas
Brazil to Expropriate Slave Owners
More than 6,400 Brazilian workers have been freed from slave-
like work conditions since the beginning, 18 months ago, of a
national operation to crack down on slave work. Now the Brazilian
Congress is debating a bill that would change the Constitution in
a way that those guilty of having slaves would lose their land.
by Juliana Andrade
Bull Time in the Brazilian Economy
While inflation in Brazil shows signs of abating, the figures
for industrial production are up. Last week's forecast of 5.76
percent annual growth in industrial production grew to 5.95
percent, and growth expectations for this year's GDP now stand
at 3.92 percent, in comparison to 3.57 percent one month ago.
by Stenio Ribeiro
Brazil's Lula, the Dictator's Apprentice
The series of allegations that is making Brazil's rulers lose sleep
was once welcome and encouraged by oppositions to the former
administration, who viewed the disclosures as fruits of legitimate
"investigative journalism." Journalists don't need to be protected
by the Executive. They need protection from the Judiciary.
by Alberto Dines
Coffee Profit Is Up in Brazil
According to the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, the coffee market
has shown signs of recovery this year. 13.9 million sacks were
exported between January and July, compared to 14.2 million
sacks during the same period last year. Although this year's
export volume was less, revenues were up US$ 232 million.
by Nádia Faggiani
Lula Confident in Brazil's Recovery
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva believes that his country
has begun a new cycle of recovery and growth. Newspapers'
headlines seem to confirm this. For Lula, exporting is
essential for Brazil to obtain financial resources and, mainly,
to protect the domestic economy from fluctuations in the global market.
by Gabriela Guerreiro
Brazil Gets a Hint from Venezuela
Brazilian legislators want to introduce a Venezuela-style referendum
into the Brazilian electoral legislation. The idea was brought back
to Brazil by two House Representatives who went to Venezuela as
part of a delegation of international observers during the popular
referendum that decided to keep current President Chávez in office.
by Ellis Regina
Brazil's Gun for Cash Drive Is a Hit
Brazilians who own unregistered weapons must turn them in
or register them by December 23. Brazil's Disarmament Statute
determines that illegal bearing of weapons is a crime without bail.
The country is now promoting a disarmament campaign. In one
month, more than 50,000 guns have been surrendered to police.
by Juliana Andrade
Brazil Cracks Down on Amazon Predators
A Brazilian government operation in the Amazon, in three weeks,
has confiscated 1,500 cubic meters of lumber, 2,000 liters of
fuel, 40 power saws, 2 tractors and one truck. The effort
coordinated by Brazil's Environmental Protection Institute
should reduce deforestation in the operation's area by 60 percent.
by Bianca Estrella
In Brazil, Good News Is No News
For sure, Brazil's government would take pleasure in installing its
own peculiar form of dictatorship. Marxism has always run in the
veins of the Workers' Party. It's in the DNA. Not by chance, every
so often, ghostwriters for President Lula, the Supreme Ignoramus,
find room to insert a Stalinist author amidst his fastidious speeches.
by Janer Cristaldo
Brazil: Impasse Between EU and Mercosur
Representatives of the Mercosur and the European Union are
feeling frustrated after negotiations between the two economic
groups broke up. The expectation of a week of intense debate
ended up not coming true. The meeting terminated ahead of
schedule. The next meetings are set to take place in September.
by Ana Paula Ferrari
A Pact in Brazil to End Slave Labor
It is estimated that there are still at least 25 thousand people working
under slave conditions in Brazil. Workers are recruited in the
country's poorest areas and are taken to work in distant rural
properties. They often are unable to free themselves from debt to
leave. Besides, there are armed thugs to prevent workers from fleeing.
by Juliana Andrade
Brazil's Plans to Develop the Amazon
One of the major problems in the Brazilian Amazon is land- holding:
24 percent of the land is privately owned; 29 percent are
protected areas, which include Indian territories. The remaining
47 percent are public areas, devolved or disputed, in which
deforestation, illegal occupation, and squatting are rampant.
by Marina Domingos
Brazil Wants Less Criminals in Jails
The number of inmates in Brazilian jails has risen from 114,000
in 1992 to 300,000 this year. Brazil's Minister of Justice, Márcio
Thomaz Bastos is calling for a change, so that alternative sentences
can be used more frequently, reducing the population of prisons.
He also wants the courts to speed up the release of prisoners.
by Stefan Barth
Brazilian Ivan Lins Back in the USA
Brazil's singer-composer Ivan Lins is not much of a showman,
but he has a lot of charisma, which definitely helps him carry the
show. He is also the writer of many huge hits. Some of them were
recorded by artists such as The Manhattan Transfer, Sarah Vaughan
and many others. The inclusion of most of those pleased everyone.
by Ernest Barteldes
Brazil Puts Biodiesel in Its Tank
Brazil is encouraging the cultivation of castor-oil plants and
dendê palms in the poorest regions of the country in order to
produce biodiesel. According to the Brazilian government, this
program might generate over 150 thousand jobs in 2005. Biodiesel
can also be used to generate electricity in isolated communities.
by Ana Paula Marra
High Death Rate for Businesses in Brazil
Every year, 470,000 new businesses open in Brazil, but 43 percent
will close their doors before their third anniversary. The main
reason they do not survive is weak management skills
resulting in a shortage of working capital and other financial
problems, along with unsound or nonexistent market knowledge.
by Stefan Barth
Brazil Cracks Coffee Genome
With the success of the Coffee Genome Project, initiated in
February, 2002, Brazil becomes the leader in genetic research
on the beverage. Mastery of the genetic code will make it
possible to develop more productive varieties, capable of
tolerating climatic variations resisting the attacks of pests.
by Maurício Cardoso
Brazil: Lula's Popularity Rebounds Slightly
A new survey in Brazil found that 45 percent of Brazilians
believe that the economy is improving their quality of life. As
for income, 15.9 percent said their income had increased over
the last six months, while 31.4 percent said their income fell.
And 66 percent don't think this is a good time to go shopping.
by Keite Camacho
Brazil Now Wants to Change the World
After a government-financed campaign whose motto was "The
Best of Brazil Is the Brazilian," the Lula administration is
turning its gaze overseas. The new motto now is "We Can."
President Lula says that he wants to show the world, that an
affectionate gesture can do more than cannons and machine guns.
by Mylena Fiori
Brazil's Bugland, a No-Man's Land
In Brazil's Republic of Bugland anything-goes rules. The whistle
blowers of scandals don't run on some moral or civil duty sense.
In general, they are akin to the accused. The press is seduced
into taking a lead role in the political process and drawing
benefits offered to those who seek to nibble a portion of power.
by Alberto Dines
Brazil Calls Army to Battle Deforestation
Deforestation of the Amazon destroyed over 23.7 thousand square
kilometers of forest last year alone. The Brazilian government
is counting on its Armed Forces to fight this problem. Through
the end of 2005, the Brazilian Army should receive US$ 6.10
million to underwrite its operations in the Amazon region.
by Maurício Cardoso
Public Pension Is Breaking Brazil
A huge pension bill has made Brazil one of the most indebted in the
world. The average age of retirement and life expectancy after
retirement in Brazil is 54 and 20.2 years respectively,
compared with 63.8 and 15.8 years in other countries. To finance
this, taxes in Brazil are twice as high as the Latin American average.
by John Fitzpatrick
Brazilians Ashamed of Being Brazilian
In the land of the non-blue-eyed-blondes, blue-eyed-blonde model
Gisele Bündchen, is the sole source of unrelenting adulation
amongst Brazilians. Anything or anyone that creates an
illusion that Brazil is part of Europe or the US is highly valued.
Anything that reminds Brazilians of their own roots is rejected.
by Alan P. Marcus
Brazil's Answer to Digital Inclusion
The Brazilian government plans to install 6,000 computer centers
around the country by the end of 2007. If this target is met, 18
million low-income Brazilians will have access to the Internet.
To save money Brazil will forgo Microsoft Windows and other
paid software and adopt instead free software like Linux.
by Gabriela Guerreiro
Brazil's Plan to Sell Out the Amazon
The Brazilian government is getting ready to put the Amazon
for sale. Foreign companies will be able to bid. Multinationals
and even governments of rich countries will buy almost the
totality of the soon to be privatized territory, thus anticipating
in decades their domination and internationalization.
by Carlos Chagas
Brazil's Lula, the Generous African
Cape Verde, which cannot meet its meager US$ 2.5 million debt
obligation, had it forgiven. This miserable sum doesn't pay for a
twentieth of Brazil's new presidential jet. In Gabon, Lula again
extended courtesy with his fellow citizen's hat. He managed to
pardon the US$ 36 million Gabonese debt. Such generosity.
by Janer Cristaldo
Brazilian Media's Art of Bullying
The Brazilian press continues to play an undignified role. Above
all, because it deals with information in a non-critical fashion.
The press is only concerned with the content of the allegation not
how the news leaked. Amidst the haste to report the charge, the
way in which the gun was loaded and the shot fired is left aside.
by Alberto Dines
Troubled Waters at Brazil's Central Bank
Aside from a possible change of command of the Central Bank, there
are no pending factors that would immediately alter the market's
favorable view of Brazil. The invasions of private property, even
when deaths result, and the gradual taking over of all government
agencies by the PT, do not seem to draw attention overseas.
by Richard Hayes
Manipulating the Number of the Jobless in Brazil
How many unemployed people do we have in Brazil? And those
who wish to work but cannot get a job? 12 million people,
13 million, 14 million, perhaps more? How about the 60 million
Brazilians who live under the poverty line, surviving on half
minimum wage? Most of them don't even have an informal job.
by Carlos Chagas
Brazil Competing with the World's Worst
Brazilian indignant ex-ministers say that Brazil does not have
109,113 illiterates. There are only 106,057. The difference
can signify that Brazil's Human Development Index would not
trail the island of St. Lucia's and Romania's; it would instead
follow those of Suriname, Bosnia, Albania and Tonga.
by Cristovam Buarque
Small Victory in Toothless Brazil
The World Health Organization says that up to the age of 12 children
should only have three cavities. In Brazil, the average has now
reached 2.8. But there are other less honorable numbers: 30
million Brazilians have never been to a dentist, 60 million do not
brush their teeth and 8 million have lost all their teeth.
by Caio d'Arcanchy
Brazil Hails WTO Agreement
Brazil is celebrating the results of the just-concluded Geneva
World Trade Organization talks. Brazilians are pleased that the
rich nations will eliminate agricultural export subsidies. The WTO
document, however, does not determine when the elimination
of subsidies will commence, nor how it will be implemented.
by Carolina Pimentel
Brazil, a Nation Without Heroes
Brazil produces saints at a higher rate than the Catholic Church,
which requires that he/she has performed at least two miracles.
In Brazil no miracles are necessary. As soon as we entered into
a new century, two ruffians who fought for the destruction of
our country are made into two people who built our history.
by Janer Cristaldo
WNBA Champion Prefers Brazil's Olympic Team
At 35, Brazilian basketball player Janeth Arcain has won most
contests in her professional life, ranging from the São Paulo State
tournament to the Brazilian championship to four WNBA titles in
the United States. She has never won an Olympics gold medal,
however, and hopes to change this in Athens, this month.
by Luis Waldmann
Brazil Fever in Manhattan
Brazilian parties have been popping up in various locations
throughout New York City. The latest one is called Samba at The
Gallery and it tries to catch the spirit of Brazil featuring Brazilian
music, food, and other attractions. The club has few Brazilians in
attendance and the crowd is made up of mostly young Manhattanites.
by Ernest Barteldes
Brazilian Amazon Gets Help from Science
Brazilians scientists have been discussing ways of reducing
greenhouse gas emissions in the Amazon. According to one
researcher, it is possible, with intelligence, science, and
technology, to conserve the functioning of Brazil Amazon's
ecosystems and reverse the process of forest destruction.
by Maurício Cardoso
Brazil Is Growing, Like a Donkey's Tail
Brazil Lula's Empty Promises
In Brazil, for Every Moment There Is a Beer
Death to Brazil's Varig!
Voters to Choose Between Past and Future in Brazil
In Brazil, It's Always Killing Time
Is Elis & Tom, Special Edition, Worth the Trouble?
PSDB, Brazil's Comeback Party
Damn the Drummer, Where's the Composer?
Embraer, a Brazilian Shining Example
William Taught Me All I Needed About Brazil
In Brazil, Dictatorship Is Back
Brazil: Blame It on Neoliberalism
Brazil: More Power to Quilombos
Brazil Sees Death Squad in Homeless Massacre
Brazil: A Decade-Long Lynching
Brazil: Lula's Friends Have License to Kill
Brazil Grows Despite High Interests
Brazil's Quilombos to Become Legal
Linux Friendly Brazil
Brazil's Doleiros: A Breed in Extinction?
Brazil Vows Better Care to Blacks
Brazil's Piracy, a Cultural Challenge
Left Unchecked Lula Would Muzzle Brazil
A Note to Lula: Haiti Is in Brazil
Guaranis, Brazil's Original Owners
Brazil: A Bill for Reining In the Media
Brazil to Expropriate Slave Owners
Bull Time in the Brazilian Economy
Brazil's Lula, the Dictator's Apprentice
Coffee Profit Is Up in Brazil
Lula Confident in Brazil's Recovery
Brazil Gets a Hint from Venezuela
Brazil's Gun for Cash Drive Is a Hit
Brazil Cracks Down on Amazon Predators
In Brazil, Good News Is No News
Brazil: Impasse Between EU and Mercosur
A Pact in Brazil to End Slave Labor
Brazil's Plans to Develop the Amazon
Brazil Wants Less Criminals in Jails
Brazilian Ivan Lins Back in the USA
Brazil Puts Biodiesel in Its Tank
High Death Rate for Businesses in Brazil
Brazil Cracks Coffee Genome
Brazil: Lula's Popularity Rebounds Slightly
Brazil Now Wants to Change the World
Brazil's Bugland, a No-Man's Land
Brazil Calls Army to Battle Deforestation
Public Pension Is Breaking Brazil
Brazilians Ashamed of Being Brazilian
Brazil's Answer to Digital Inclusion
Brazil's Plan to Sell Out the Amazon
Brazil's Lula, the Generous African
Brazilian Media's Art of Bullying
Troubled Waters at Brazil's Central Bank
Manipulating the Number of the Jobless in Brazil
Brazil Competing with the World's Worst
Small Victory in Toothless Brazil
Brazil Hails WTO Agreement
Brazil, a Nation Without Heroes
WNBA Champion Prefers Brazil's Olympic Team
Brazil Fever in Manhattan
Brazilian Amazon Gets Help from Science