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Anti-China ex-Foreign Minister to be grilled on vaccines

May 18, 2021 8:30 8 min read

Today, Bolsonaro’s former Foreign Minister takes the stand in the Covid inquiry. The hurdles to privatize Brazil’s massive energy company. Public companies knock Q1 out of the park.

Former Foreign Minister in the firing line today

Former Foreign Minister in the firing line today
Through former Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo (left), senators will try to get to presidential son Eduardo Bolsonaro. Photo: Raylson Ribeiro/MRE

This week’s Covid hearings sessions are the most anticipated so far,...

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roe v wade abortion
Power

Bolsonaro official signed amicus brief against Roe v. Wade

An official in the Brazilian Human Rights Ministry signed a brief that helped the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade, in yet more evidence of Bolsonarism's involvement in American culture wars

2 days ago • Cedê Silva
There were 35 sexual harassment complaints filed by workers in the Justice Ministry, more than in any other department in federal government. Photo: R.M. Nunes/Shutterstock
Power

Sexual harassment complaints within Brazil’s government at over one per day

Most reported victims are female, white, and aged between 20 and 39 years

2 days ago • Amanda Audi
Security Council Considers Situation in Guinea-Bissau
Power

What to expect from Brazil’s UN Security Council presidency

Over the course of July, Brazil will head the UN's top body. Brasília correspondent Cedê Silva investigated the country's priorities

2 days ago • Cedê Silva
President Jair Bolsonaro supported the 2018 truckers strike, but has done the impossible for a new such movement to happen during his administration. Photo: Alan Santos/PR
Power

How Bolsonaro tries to pander to truckers

Truckers are both vital to the Brazilian economy and a key support base for Jair Bolsonaro. The president has spared no expense to keep them happy, a challenging task as diesel prices soar

4 days ago • Cedê Silva
black Current and Former House Speakers Arthur Lira (standing) and Rodrigo Maia both self-declared mixed-race in 2018. Mr. Maia attributed it to a mistake in his application. Photo: Pedro Ladeira/Folhapress
Power

Black lawmakers ‘go white’ after being elected

Dozens of Brazilian lawmakers self-declared as black before getting elected, which grants them some benefits when financing their campaigns, only to change their status after taking office

5 days ago • Amanda Audi
June Amazon rainforest fires reach a 15-year high
Insider

June Amazon rainforest fires reach a 15-year high

2 days ago • Fabiane Ziolla Menezes
Fuel tax caps Governors
Insider

Fuel tax caps enter into force. Governors protest “tax chaos”

2 days ago • Cedê Silva
unemployment services
Insider

Brazil’s unemployment rate below 10-percent for the first time in six years

3 days ago • Ana Ferraz
Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco. Photo: SF
Insider

Decision on Education inquiry request comes next week

3 days ago • TBR Newsroom
At least five women have talked to a news outlet to accuse Pedro Guimarães of sexual harassment. Photo: Marcos Corrêa/PR
Insider

Caixa boss out following sexual harassment allegations

4 days ago • Ana Ferraz
wear masks again cases soar
Coronavirus

States ask Brazilians to wear masks again, as cases soar

2 days ago • Lucas Berti
Coronavac vaccine
Coronavirus

CoronaVac vaccines will no longer be produced in Brazil

6 days ago • Lucas Berti
booster pfizer
Coronavirus

Pfizer files for approval of boosters for children aged 5 to 11

1 week ago • TBR Newsroom
Brazilians have stopped taking preventive measures against Covid. Photo: F. de Jesus/Shutterstock
Coronavirus

Data issues mask new Covid rise in Brazil

4 weeks ago • TBR Newsroom
fourth-vaccine-brazil
Coronavirus

Over-50s to be offered fourth Covid vaccine throughout Brazil

1 month ago • Constance Malleret
electoral A ruling limits how much parties can spend on political advertising in 2022. Photo: Joa Souza/Shutterstock
2022 Race

Electoral courts sets campaign spending caps for 2022

2 days ago • Lucas Berti
Marina Silva is one of Brazil's most respected environmentalists. Photo: Marcello Casal Jr./ABr
2022 Race

Former Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva to run for House seat

4 days ago • TBR Newsroom
bolsonaro running mate braga netto
2022 Race

Bolsonaro promises former Defense Minister as running mate

6 days ago • TBR Newsroom
New Datafolha polls shows stability in presidential race
2022 Race

New Datafolha polls shows stability in presidential race

1 week ago • Cedê Silva
electoral Former Infrastructure Minister Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas. Photo: Marcelo Camargo/ABr
2022 Race

São Paulo electoral court benefits former Bolsonaro minister

2 weeks ago • TBR Newsroom
oi telecom
Business

Brazil’s Oi telecom: to the brink of bankruptcy and back

After six years of court-supervised recovery, Oi, Brazil’s fourth-largest telecom, may now emerge with much lower debt

9 hours ago • Fabiane Ziolla Menezes
debt brazil
Business

Market roundup: Brazil’s debt costs continue to balloon

High inflation and the world’s steepest monetary tightening process have increased pressure on Brazil’s public debt

2 days ago • Ana Ferraz
Bank account ownership grew more in Latin America than any other global region
Business

Bank account ownership grew more in Latin America than in any other global region

Brazil experienced double-digit bank account ownership growth since 2017. Global Findex, a World Bank report produced with Gallup every three years, surveyed over 125,000 adults in 123 economies

3 days ago • Fabiane Ziolla Menezes
Caio Paes de Andrade Petrobras
Business

Petrobras board greenlights new CEO appointment

Petrobras workers who own shares of the company do not like the nomination and have filed a complaint with the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission

6 days ago • Ana Ferraz
President Jair Bolsonaro, Elon Musk, and Communications Minister Fábio Faria. Photo: Cleverson Oliveira/MCom
Business

What Elon Musk wants from Brazil

Reports that Elon Musk aims to provide internet to the Amazon may miss the deeper story: the tech mogul’s potential designs on Brazilian nickel

6 days ago • Cedê Silva
Tech Roundup data protection
Tech

Tech Roundup: Government fails to set an example on data protection

The Brazilian government has been lackadaisical in adopting data protection protocols in government agencies

1 week ago • Ana Ferraz
Latin American research is in Google and Microsoft servers. That is a problem
Tech

Latin American research is in Google and Microsoft servers. That is a problem

With the pandemic, education institutions moved online en masse and started using ostensibly free systems provided by big tech companies. But not enough questions are being asked about data protection

1 month ago • Amanda Audi
access to information law
Tech

Tech Roundup: Ten years of the Access to Information Law

Experts warn that Bolsonaro is chipping away and the effectiveness of the Access to Information Law, a crucial piece of Brazil's transparency structure

1 month ago • Ana Ferraz
supreme court big tech data
Tech

Supreme Court to rule on its access to social media data

A long-running case on how Brazilian authorities can access data held by Big Tech firms is due to be tried in the Supreme Court. At stake is the celerity of Brazilian investigations into digital crimes

2 months ago • Amanda Audi
5g chip shortage
Tech

Tech Roundup: Chip shortage delays 5G

Implementation of 5G in major Brazilian cities is likely to take longer than first expected, as companies lack equipment amid semiconductor shortage

2 months ago • Ana Ferraz
bolsonaro Opposition senators file a request to investigate the Education Ministry. Photo: Geraldo Magela/SF
Podcast

Explaining Brazil #204: A second swing at Bolsonaro

The opposition failed to remove Bolsonaro from office with last year's Covid hearings. They want a new congressional investigation to hurt him at the ballot box

4 days ago • Euan Marshall
The president v. Petrobras
Podcast

Explaining Brazil #203: The president v. Petrobras

While the price of gas isn't exactly the best metric to understand the economy at large, the ubiquity of fuel and its direct impact on people's monthly budgets make it an easy shorthand for the broader economic scenario — especially when prices are going up

2 weeks ago • Euan Marshall
Dom Phillips Bruno Pereira
Podcast

Explaining Brazil #202: Where are Dom and Bruno?

It has been 11 days since journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira were reported missing. The police are yet to find the two

3 weeks ago • Gustavo Ribeiro
summit biden bolsonaro
Podcast

Explaining Brazil #201: Is the Monroe doctrine dead?

A deflated Summit of the Americas won't bring many noteworthy resolutions, though it will be interesting to see what transpires from a bilateral meeting between Presidents Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil and Joe Biden of the U.S.

4 weeks ago • Caroline Coutinho
projeto mistura volunteers
Podcast

Explaining Brazil #200: Hunger haunts Brazil again

Brazil thought the economic growth of the 2000s had rid the country of hunger. But this ghost of the past has returned to haunt the country

1 month ago • Gustavo Ribeiro
Indigenous people hold a poster asking for justice for Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira, who were murdered earlier this month in a remote Amazon region. Photo: Bruno Rocha/Agência Enquadrar/Folhapress
Society

Data corroborates fears about growing lawlessness in the Brazilian Amazon

Brazil saw its overall murder rate decrease in 2021, but figures saw significant spikes in the Amazon region, highlighting an ongoing trend of violence in Brazil's North

5 days ago • Constance Malleret
peter lund lagoa santa
Society

The (Danish) father of Brazilian paleontology

Peter Lund spent the majority of his life living in Brazil, helping lay the foundations for paleontology and archeology in the country. He also discovered the remains of the oldest hominid in Latin America

2 weeks ago • Renato Alves
VALE DO JAVARI dom phillips bruno pereira
Society

How Brazil’s far-right tries to muffle discussions about the Dom Phillips-Bruno Pereira murder

Far-right netizens are pushing online content about the legend of a long-lost Amazon civilization as a way of drowning out news of the murders of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira, which have reflected negatively on the Bolsonaro government

2 weeks ago • Amanda Audi
vale do javari Search parties at the riverside community of São Rafael, where Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira were last seen. Photo: Pedro Ladeira/Folhapress
Society

Exclusive: Brazilian government ignored warnings about “imminent dangers” at Vale do Javari

Journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira went missing ten days ago in the Vale do Javari reserve. The government was warned about the lawlessness in the region at least four times

3 weeks ago • Amanda Audi
amazon disappearance Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira are missing since June 5. Photo: Brazilian Army via EFE
Society

Confusion over Amazon disappearances as Brazilian diplomacy relays misinformation

Members of the Brazilian Embassy in London wrongfully told relatives of British journalist Dom Phillips that authorities had found his body and that of indigenous expert Bruno Pereira

3 weeks ago • Euan Marshall
A fisherman slices the fin off of a shark at a beach in Manta, Ecuador. Photo: Guillermo Granja/Reuters
Environment

Unknowingly, Brazilians are big consumers of shark meat. That is a problem

Lax labeling means that Brazilians often don’t realize that widely consumed dogfish is actually shark or ray meat. A campaign is trying to change that and raise awareness around conservation issues

1 week ago • Constance Malleret
amazon Protests pay homage to Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso. Journalists and activists fear that the outrage about the murders will wane, and the danger they face will continue. Photo: Francisco Alves/Fotoarena/Folhapress
Environment

The future of Amazon journalism after British reporter’s brutal murder

The murders of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira in a remote area of the western Amazon have drawn attention to the criminal dynamics at play in the rainforest and highlight the challenges and risks of carrying out reporting there

1 week ago • Euan Marshall
satellite The main hydropower dam in the Belo Monte complex, in Altamira, Pará. Photo: Lalo de Almeida/Folhapress
Environment

The Belo Monte Dam is killing the Amazon’s ‘house of God’

Satellites over the Amazon capture the choking of the ‘house of God’ by the Belo Monte Dam – they can help find solutions, too

3 weeks ago • Pritam Das, Faisal Hossain, Hörður Bragi Helgason and Shahzaib Khan
The meandering Javari River, which forms the western boundary of the Vale do Javari indigenous reserve.
Environment

The tensions within the Amazon’s Vale do Javari reserve

A journalist and an on-leave government official have disappeared in a massive reserve coveted by wildcat miners, illegal fishermen, and drug gangs

4 weeks ago • Euan Marshall
View of two hikers climbing up Tronador hill and glacier Castaño Overo in the Andes mountains in Patagonia Argentina. Photo: Gonzalo de Miceu/Shutterstock
Environment

The Andes are melting, and what are we doing about it?

The imperious Andes region is home to 10 percent of the world's population, but melting glaciers could dramatically transform the area forever

4 weeks ago • Lucas Berti
Olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) in Nuquí, Colombia. Guillermo Ossa
Latin America

Colombia “really close” to protecting one-third of its marine zones

Outgoing President Duque said the country would meet UN commitments ahead of time. Critics say his administration was less than sustainable

9 hours ago • Lucas Berti
Argentinian Alberto Fernández and Economy Minister Martín Guzmán. Photo: Esteban Osorio/Pacific Press/Alamy
Latin America

Fernández’s post-IMF-deal economic plans are already teetering

Argentina had to close its doors to imports this week to meet foreign currency accumulation requirements

1 day ago • Ignacio Portes
Managua, Nicaragua Nicaraguan Army soldiers prepare to take part in a military parade in Russian tanks to mark the 42nd anniversary of the founding of the National Army on Bolivar Chavez Avenue in Managua, Nicaragua. Credit: Inti Ocon/dpa/Alamy Live News
Latin America

Nicaragua becomes a proxy battleground for Russia-U.S. tensions

The renewal of a decree allowing Russian — and American — armed forces to conduct exercises on Nicaraguan soil has drawn a harsh response from the White House, and more sanctions

6 days ago • Lucas Berti and Euan Marshall
Codelco's copper-smelting plant. Photo: Felipe Fredes Fernandez/Shutterstock
Latin America

Chile’s copper plant closure sets up clash between environmental and economic concerns

Miners and truckers go on strike after President Gabriel Boric announces the shutdown of a copper-smelting plant, following decades of concerns over pollution

1 week ago • Ignacio Portes
Part of the limestone mining by Vulcan Materials in Calica, in Quintana Roo state, Mexico. The government ordered a halt to Vulcan Materials, a producer of gravel and crushed stone, citing environmental concerns. Photo: Paola Chiomante/Reuters via Alamy
Latin America

Mexico’s AMLO willing to sue U.S. company over limestone extraction

Vulcan Materials has been operating in the eastern state of Quintana Roo for decades, but AMLO complains that its mining activities are leading to an "ecological disaster" in the famous tourist region

1 week ago • Lucas Berti
Bolsonaro desperation democratic safeguards
Opinion

Bolsonaro’s desperation presents a major risk for Brazilian democratic safeguards

Trailing in the polls, Jair Bolsonaro is sparing no expense — quite literally — in his re-election bid. His maneuvers are damaging to Brazilian representative institutions and democratic accountability

2 days ago • Beatriz Rey
corruption "Bolsonaro stole from the education budget," reads a poster on iconic Paulista Avenue in São Paulo. Photo: Renato S. Cerqueira/Futura Press/Folhapress
Opinion

Latest scandal forces Bolsonaro into unfamiliar territory

The president was hoping to use corruption as kryptonite against former President Lula. But he may be throwing stones in a glass house

3 days ago • Gustavo Ribeiro
BRICS leaders have an informal talk during the 2019 G20 meeting in Osaka, Japan. Photo: Alan Santos/PR
Opinion

How BRICS can boost cooperation in renewable energy

As the BRICS summit begins against a tense global backdrop, energy could be one area for advances, write Plataforma CIPÓ analysts

1 week ago • Renata Albuquerque Ribeiro and Adriana Abdenur
capitol bolsonaro coup
Opinion

Coup or no coup, the damage to Brazil is done

The U.S hearings into the January 6 Capitol riot have offered Brazil a window of opportunity to address its own democratic risks with the 2022 election approaching. Whether it will heed the warnings or not is another matter

2 weeks ago • Filipe Campante
Former UN Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali makes a statement during a Rio-92 roundtable. He is sided by former Brazilian President Fernando Collor. Photo: Michos Tzovaras/UN Photo
Opinion

Thirty years after Rio-92, Brazil loses environmental protagonism

Rio-92 propelled Brazil to the forefront of the global environmental agenda. But the country has lost its clout due to recent mismanagement

4 weeks ago • Andre Pagliarini
travel industry
Tourism

War in Ukraine slowing down long-awaited recovery of Brazil’s travel industry

High oil prices, a still-unfavorable exchange rate, and inflation that bites into consumers’ discretionary spending mean the sector still faces a hard post-Covid road ahead

3 months ago • Ana Ferraz
gay tourism Farme de Amoedo Street, in Ipanema. Photo: Lazyllama/Shutterstock
Tourism

Brazil is an emerging gay tourism hotspot, but the government doesn’t want to know

Actions to promote gay tourism in the country have been actively ignored since Jair Bolsonaro came to power, despite Brazil having some of the world's best LGBTQ+-friendly spots

4 months ago • Amanda Audi
Marshal looking for survivors in Petrópolis
Tourism

Petrópolis disaster leaves a scar on Brazil’s historical landmarks

With hundreds dead and much physical destruction, evidence emerges of authorities’ negligence in preparing prevention and mitigation strategies

4 months ago • Renato Alves and Ana Ferraz
tourism canyon The Lake of Furnas, in Capitólio, Minas Gerais. Photo: Ricardo Benichio/Folhapress
Tourism

Idyllic canyon region tries to keep tourism alive after deadly disaster

A deadly cliff collapse in Capitólio has left tourists scared to return, and locals afraid they will lose their revenue

5 months ago • Renato Alves
flights brazil omicron
Tourism

While Brazil dithers on vaccine requirements, flights keep arriving

The government has clashed against regulators over vaccine mandates. Meanwhile, dozens of flights arrived in Brazil from Omicron hotbeds

6 months ago • Janaína Camelo
visa remote work
Guide to Brazil

Brazil creates a visa for foreign “digital nomads”

The country follows in the footsteps of dozens of nations around the world, offering temporary residence to people working remotely for foreign countries. Justice Ministry officials say it will attract foreign capital and boost tourism

5 months ago • Iure Pontes Vieira
october 12 People light candles to celebrate the day of Our Lady of Aparecida. Photo taken on Oct. 12, 2016. Photo: Nelson Antoine/Shutterstock
Guide to Brazil

October 12: a celebration of Brazil’s patron saint

According to legend, fishermen were inundated with fish to catch soon after finding an image of a black Virgin Mary. Since then, Our Lady of Aparecida has become Brazil's most popular and important saints

9 months ago • Euan Marshall
Rio's Christ the Redeemer. Photo: Ricardo Cohen/Shutterstock
Guide to Brazil

The story of Christ the Redeemer, 90 years old

Brazil's most popular tourist attraction, the story of how Christ the Redeemer came about is a fascinating one. This week's Rio celebrates the statue's 90th anniversary

9 months ago • Renato Alves
brazilian inquisition
Guide to Brazil

The lesser-known story of the Brazilian Inquisition

After terrorizing much of Spain and Portugal, the inquisition spread to many of these countries' colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Americas — including to Brazil

9 months ago • Renato Alves
Paulo Mendes da rocha
Guide to Brazil

Paulo Mendes da Rocha leaves behind incomparable legacy in Brazilian architecture

Among the most influential modernists in Brazilian history, Paulo Mendes da Rocha designed many of São Paulo's most famous tourist attractions and left a legacy of devoted followers

1 year ago • Renato Alves

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