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Unbridled celebration for Ítalo Ferreira's gold medal-winning performance has been replaced with cognitive dissonance. Photo: Rodolfo Vilela/Rede do Esporte
Sports

Political polarization affecting Brazil’s enjoyment of the Olympics

Instead of simply putting their unwavering support behind any and all Brazilian athletes during the Tokyo Games, a significant part of the population is conditioning their backing to the political viewpoints of Brazil's sportsmen and women

10 months ago • Lucas Berti
Brazilian storm surfing italo ferreira
Sports

The man who discovered Ítalo Ferreira, Brazil’s surfing gold medalist

Luiz Campos "Pinga" first spotted a teenage Ítalo Ferreira back in 2007 and trained him up to win the world championship 12 years later. Now, he's Brazil's first champion in the Tokyo Olympics

10 months ago • Euan Marshall
olympic games armed forces medal
Sports

Brazil’s Olympic medal hopes rest with the Armed Forces

Thanks to the Defense Ministry's High-Performance Athlete Program, the majority of Brazil's top athletes at the Tokyo Games are members of the Navy, Army, and Air Force

10 months ago • Renato Alves
olympics medals brazil
Sports

Athletics scholarships face cuts as Brazil competes in Tokyo Olympics

Funding for Brazil's renowned Bolsa Atleta program fell 17 percent over the last Olympic cycle, the first budget cut since the program's creation

10 months ago • Beatriz Farrugia
premier league moment
Sports

Will Brazilian clubs finally have their Premier League moment?

With the local FA as politically weak as ever, clubs try to make a rare push for independence — obtaining more control over broadcasting rights and forming a breakaway league

10 months ago • Lucas Berti and Euan Marshall
Copa America A white elephant parade
Sports

Copa America: A white elephant parade

Besides the obvious problems with holding an international football tournament during a raging pandemic, the Copa America will showcase brand-new Brazilian stadiums which are hemorrhaging money

12 months ago • Beatriz Farrugia
South American Football pandemic
Coronavirus

South American football says: “What pandemic?”

Football in South America has continued largely unaffected during the Covid-19 pandemic, and executives want fans in the stadium

1 year ago • Lucas Berti
bernabéu bela vista real madrid
Sports

The part-time Brazilian team that sold out the Santiago Bernabéu

In 1958, a football team billed as the "champions of Brazil" played a glamorous tour in Europe — but the lowly Bela Vista had won anything

1 year ago • Renato Alves
generals Former Army Commander Eduardo Villas-Bôas, who suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, speaks to President Jair Bolsonaro at a 2019 event. Photo: Isac Nóbrega/PR
Power

Brazil’s ‘pajama generals’ reveal their plan for the country

In yet another indication of the symbiosis between the Army's 'old guard' and the Bolsonaro administration, retired officers launched a manifesto for the country — under the auspices of the president

2 days ago • Amanda Audi
third way capitulates tebet misinformation Senator Simone Tebet is set to be the third way's presidential candidate. Photo: Roque de Sá/SF
Power

Brazil’s “third way” admits defeat

It has become clear that the center-right will not break the Lula-Bolsonaro dichotomy. So parties have stopped trying and are setting more pedestrian goals

6 days ago • Amanda Audi
The 2022 election for Congress will feature new rules, which will make it more difficult for tiny parties to get representation in the House.
Power

Election changes should reduce fragmentation. And benefit the ‘Big Center’

The 2022 election for Congress will feature new rules, which will make it more difficult for tiny parties to get representation in the House

1 week ago • Beatriz Rey and Amanda Audi
Voter registration office in Curitiba, Paraná. Photo: Eduardo Matysiak/Futura Press/Folhapress
Power

Meet the Brazilian voter

The center has been squeezed out of Brazilian politics, and successful candidates appeal to their opponent’s critics rather than the middle ground. In this context, certain segments of the Brazilian electorate hold the key to this year’s election results

1 week ago • Amanda Audi
One governor's race foreshadows complicated election dynamics Brazil will face
Power

One governor’s race foreshadows complicated election dynamics Brazil will face

Political mess in Alagoas state could have important lessons for the general elections, as House Speaker Arthur Lira flexes his electoral muscles in his home state

2 weeks ago • Beatriz Rey
Brazilian Health Ministry to monitor monkeypox The National Healthcare Council met on May 25. Photo: Walterson Rosa/MS
Insider

Brazilian Health Ministry to monitor monkeypox

6 hours ago • Natalia Scalzaretto
paulo guedes economy minister
Insider

Economy Minister says wage bump to public sector workers will be 5 percent

6 hours ago • Amanda Audi
tax appeal The government was not please with Adriana Gomes Rêgo's actions ahead of Carf. Photo: Edilson Rodrigues/SF
Insider

Government changes head of Brazil’s tax appeals court

11 hours ago • Amanda Audi
5g airports
Insider

Telecom regulator wants to create ‘attention zones’ for 5G near airports

12 hours ago • Constance Malleret
Augusto Aras, Brazil's prosecutor general since 2019. Photo: Marcelo Camargo/ABr
Insider

During live stream, Brazil’s prosecutor general almost hits colleague

12 hours ago • Amanda Audi
latin america paho A woman helping her husband put on a face mask in Rosario, Argentina. Photo: Wirestock Creators
Coronavirus

PAHO: Covid cases “continue to rise” in Latin America

6 days ago • Lucas Berti
Covid-related hospitalizations São Paulo
Coronavirus

Uptick in Covid-related hospitalizations in São Paulo puts experts on alert

6 days ago • Lucas Berti
São Paulo drops vaccine mandates and loosens mask requirements
Coronavirus

São Paulo drops vaccine mandates and loosens mask requirements

1 week ago • TBR Newsroom
covid deaths Health Secretariat of Duque de Caxias, a city in Rio de Janeiro state. Photo: Jorge Hely Veiga/Shutterstock
Coronavirus

Covid deaths in Brazil at lowest in two years. But cases are on the up

1 week ago • TBR Newsroom
Covid protocols inflight services airports
Coronavirus

Health regulators ease Covid protocols on flights, in airports

2 weeks ago • TBR Newsroom
doria drops out
2022 Race

João Doria drops out of Brazil’s presidential race

2 days ago • Gustavo Ribeiro
lula poll ipespe
2022 Race

Presidential polling curves begin to flatten

6 days ago • TBR Newsroom
electoral observers
2022 Race

Brazilian courts eyeing record number of election observers

6 days ago • TBR Newsroom
telegram fake news
2022 Race

Telegram inks deal with electoral authorities to curb fake news

1 week ago • Amanda Audi
ukraine jab mamae falei
2022 Race

Hard-right politician loses political rights over Ukraine jab

1 week ago • TBR Newsroom
petrobras Caio Paes de Andrade speaking during a COP26 event hosted by the Brazilian government. Photo: Washington Costa/ASCOM/ME
Business

Petrobras minority shareholders could fight against new CEO

The Bolsonaro government has booted out yet another Petrobras CEO over the relentless increase in fuel prices. But its latest pick to head the oil company may not cut it for minority shareholders

1 day ago • Amanda Audi and Ana Ferraz
Brazil’s air travel industry is rooted in World War II disputes
Business

Brazil’s air travel industry is rooted in World War II disputes

The Americans and the Nazis fostered air travel companies in Brazil as a means to exert control over extended parts of the territory. And it happened under the auspices of the government of the time

2 days ago • Amanda Audi
Eletrobras shares expectations Photo: Gabriel Cabral/Folhapress
Business

Market roundup: What to expect from Eletrobras shares?

The privatization of Latin America's biggest energy company is edging ever closer, but the government is in a race against time to push it over the line

5 days ago • Ana Ferraz
ev tesla vale mining
Business

How the global EV boom can benefit Brazil’s mining sector

As the electric vehicle market booms, surging demand for battery-related minerals creates opportunities in mining – but Brazil has a long way to go to seize these opportunities and diversify its mining sector

1 week ago • Constance Malleret
Petrobras CEO Photo: Ricardo Borges/Folhapress
Business

One month in, Petrobras CEO already in the hot seat

Petrobras head José Mauro Coelho could be facing premature dismissal as President Bolsonaro leads an onslaught against rising fuel prices in Brazil, seeking electoral gains

1 week 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

5 days 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

1 week 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 weeks ago • Ana Ferraz
Data protection and academia
Tech

Tech Roundup: Data protection and academia

The legal uncertainty around what is and isn't allowed can be a deterrent to innovation and science

3 weeks ago • Ana Ferraz
semiconductor industry streaming
Tech

Tech Roundup: Brazil’s wants to attract semiconductor producers

The government is hoping Brazil can become a major semiconductor hub, offering an alternative to Asian markets

4 weeks ago • Ana Ferraz
petro colombia
Podcast

Explaining Brazil #199: Who will face off against Petro in Colombia?

The final spot in the presidential runoff in Colombia remains up for grabs. The dispute between populist Rodolfo Hernández and establishment conservative Fico Gutiérrez will be decided by a razor-thin margin

12 hours ago • Euan Marshall
china zero covid economy
Podcast

Explaining Brazil #198: China raises red flags in Brazil

April economic data from China came worse than expected. Given the sheer importance of the Asian giant to Brazil, that is something for President Jair Bolsonaro, who seeks re-election in October, to worry about

1 week ago • Gustavo Ribeiro
lula launches legacy
Podcast

Explaining Brazil #197: Lula launches lunge for legacy

Former President Lula officially began the race for an unprecedented third presidential term. The challenges he will face are far greater this time around

2 weeks ago • Gustavo Ribeiro
biden elections
Podcast

Explaining Brazil #196: Will Biden keep a close eye on Brazil’s elections?

A group of researchers from the U.S.-based Washington Brazil Office believe the threat of democratic rupture in Brazil is very real, and they want Joe Biden to react

3 weeks ago • Euan Marshall
bolsonaro supreme court
Podcast

Explaining Brazil #195: Bolsonaro rattles institutions. Could they break?

When the holder of the highest office in the land openly challenges judicial decisions, it spells a bad omen for the endurance of democratic institutions

4 weeks ago • Gustavo Ribeiro
cracolândia police raid
Society

Police and government in the spotlight over controversial Cracolândia crackdown

'Cracolândia,' São Paulo's decades-old open-air drug market, is back in the headlines due to a series of heavy-handed police operations

4 days ago • Euan Marshall
justice journalism journalists
Society

Brazilian judges bullying journalists into silence

Award-winning investigative journalist Rubens Valente is on the hook for a massive defamation suit filed by a Supreme Court justice — and confirmed by the Supreme Court itself

2 weeks ago • Euan Marshall
'Disappearance' of indigenous community sheds light on Yanomami gold mining drama
Society

‘Disappearance’ of indigenous community sheds light on Yanomami gold mining drama

After accusing trespassing gold miners of raping and murdering a young indigenous girl, entire Yanomami village 'disappears' and causes commotion. Encroachment of illegal gold mining is an existential threat to indigenous groups

2 weeks ago • Euan Marshall
protest jacarezinho police
Society

A year after Rio’s “most lethal police raid,” mothers still ask for justice

Residents of Jacarezinho say little has changed since a May 2021 drug bust left 28 dead. Police abuse remains commonplace

2 weeks ago • Natália Scarabotto
Haitian man prison translation
Society

Haitian man spent 16 months in a Brazilian prison, waiting to be understood

Haitians make up the second-largest refugee group in Brazil — and the predominance of their Creole language has led to some worrying cases of language barriers

1 month ago • Amanda Audi
Bolsonaro's carbon market regulations are only for show
Environment

Bolsonaro’s carbon market regulations are only for show

A presidential decree fails to establish mandatory goals for carbon emission cuts and could create legal uncertainty around the issue, endangering the environment

5 days ago • Gustavo Ribeiro and Amanda Audi
mining View of Belo Horizonte from the Serra do Curral. Photo: Luis War/Shutterstock
Environment

New mining project in Minas Gerais sparks criticisms, concerns

A new mining complex in the Serra do Curral mountain range has been given the green light by state authorities, but environmentalists and local politicians are pushing back

2 weeks ago • Ana Ferraz
environmental fines ibama
Environment

Tens of thousands of environmental fines set to expire in Brazil

Data from protection agencies shows that the government would need ten times more workers to properly enforce environmental controls

3 weeks ago • Guilherme Mendes
amazon conflicts brazil
Environment

‘War’ is coming to parts of the Amazon

Brazil's inability to rein in Amazon deforestation has led to a scenario of widespread lawlessness, conflict, and pessimism about the forest's future

3 weeks ago • Guilherme Mendes
Brazil has the potential to go beyond forest restoration targets Nursery with seedlings for reforestation, in Rosario do Limeira. Photo: Alf Ribeiro/Shutterstock
Environment

Brazil has the potential to go beyond forest restoration targets

Researchers and private firms are analyzing the best ways to protest and restore Brazil's deforested biomes. Scientists say focusing on secondary vegetation is key

1 month ago • Constance Malleret
Cuban-American demonstrators at the White House ask for U.S. President Joe Biden to intervene in Cuba. Photo: Phil Pasquini/Shutterstock
Latin America

New pro-Cuba measures from the U.S.: real progress, or empty promises?

Veering away from the Trump-era policies, the Biden White House announced a set of measures to ease the U.S.'s relationship with Cuba, relaxing restrictions on money transfers

1 day ago • Lucas Berti
Sea turtle gets tangled on a plastic bag along the coast of the Galapagos Santiago Island. Photo: LouieLea/Shutterstock
Latin America

Plastic pollution is a big threat to Galápagos Islands

Strict rules seek to protect the ecologically-sensitive archipelago from environmental threats and the negative impacts of tourism. But the growing problem of plastic pollution is a tricky issue to tackle

2 days ago • Caroline Coutinho
Supporters of left-wing presidential candidate Gustavo Petro, during a rally in Soacha. Photo: Mauricio Dueñas Castañeda/EFE via Folhapress
Latin America

Petro’s economic agenda is ambitious. Perhaps too ambitious

Big tax and spending hikes, a pension reform, and a ban on oil exploration are the highlights of campaign promises proposed by Gustavo Petro, Colombia's presidential frontrunner

5 days ago • Ignacio Portes
Escazú Costa Rica Chaves
Latin America

Chaves marks a shift in Costa Rica’s environmental leadership

The new president of Costa Rica said he will not ratify the Escazú Agreement, in a sharp departure from the country’s active pursuit of sustainability

7 days ago • Lucas Berti
Pablo Neruda house Sebastiana in Valparaiso, Chile. Photo: Sun Shine/Shutterstock
Latin America

The memory of Pablo Neruda in jeopardy in Chile

Museums celebrating the Nobel Prize-winning poet have suffered from the impact of Covid. But as pandemic restrictions ease, help could come from the country’s new left-wing government

1 week ago • Lucas Berti
GDP report victory lap
Opinion

Brazil’s next GDP report will come strong. But it’s not time for a victory lap

Forecasts for Brazilian growth this year have been too downbeat, but a better than expected performance in Q1 2022 will not salvage the current government’s record

13 hours ago • Luciano Sobral
china debt trap brazil
Opinion

There is no Chinese “debt trap” in Brazil

As China increases its economic presence in Brazil, some fear it may have negative consequences for Brazil’s sovereignty

4 days ago • Bruno Gomes Guimarães
cia During a recent rally, Jair Bolsonaro defends "Brazil without abortions." Photo: Alan Santos/PR
Opinion

The U.S. has no interest in Bolsonaro questioning the elections

The CIA director has called on Brazilian officials to quit questioning the country’s upcoming elections. This shows that any attempts by President Bolsonaro to challenge the election results would face international pushback

2 weeks ago • Andre Pagliarini
Ethanol plant in Campo Florido, Minas Gerais. Photo: T photography/Shutterstock
Opinion

U.S. case helps contextualize Brazil’s ethanol policy scenario

Unlike corn-based ethanol in the U.S., Brazil's sugarcane ethanol industry was battered by the Covid pandemic. The future of the country's policies could be a key diplomatic issue going forward

3 weeks ago • Peter Sufrin
daniel silveira institutions
Opinion

Are Brazilian institutions working? Well, it’s complicated

President Jair Bolsonaro has consistently pushed the boundaries of what is acceptable in Brazilian politics. Some institutions are doing their best to provide him with some checks and balances, but that doesn't seem to be enough

4 weeks ago • Fernando Bizzarro
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

2 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

3 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

3 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

3 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

5 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

4 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

8 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

8 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

8 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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