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Tech Roundup: Startup brings favelas into e-commerce boom

A digest of the most important news on technology and innovation in Brazil

Paraisópolis favelas
Paraisópolis, in São Paulo. Photo: Fabio Utumi/Shutterstock
May 28, 2021 14:14 6 min read ( Updated: May 28, 2021 14:23 )

This week’s topics: B2W joins a logistics startup to improve delivery in Brazil’s favelas. A study shows the effects of digital exclusion on accessing Covid-19 emergency benefits. And the debate on cryptocurrency regulation increases with a public hearing on pyramid schemes. 

Startup puts favelas on the Brazilian delivery map

favelas delivery
“We put favelas’ zip codes on the Brazilian e-commerce map,” says CEO Giva Pereira

Brazil’s favelas pose a significant problem for logistics services....

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defense minister democracy
Power

Brazil’s Defense Minister and his “threats to democracy”

A major Brazilian newspaper published alleged threats made by Defense Minister Walter Braga Netto, saying that next year's election would be canceled unless Congress reintroduces paper ballots

5 days ago • Janaína Camelo
From left to right: Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco (at the microphone), President Bolsonaro, and House Speaker Arthur Lira. Photo: Alan Santos/PR presidential
Power

Calls for a semi-presidential system in Brazil: profound change, or diversion tactics?

House Speaker Arthur Lira is under immense pressure to launch impeachment proceedings against his close ally, President Bolsonaro. In a bid to change the subject, he is now pushing for a radical change in Brazil's political system

1 week ago • Janaína Camelo
bolsonaro empty diary
Power

Bolsonaro’s increasingly empty diary a sign of his political isolation

President Bolsonaro has met with lower house representatives just 60 times since the beginning of the year, signaling that his support in Congress is dwindling at the same pace as his public approval ratings

1 week ago • Janaína Camelo
vaccine scandals
Power

Understanding the complicated web of Brazil’s vaccine scandals

Senators in the Covid inquiry are currently investigating two separate — yet connected — scandals involving vaccine purchases by the federal government. We break down who's who in each case

2 weeks ago • Janaína Camelo
bolsonaro hospital health
Power

Doctors “satisfied” with Bolsonaro’s health condition

It is still unclear when the president will be discharged from the hospital. With details scarce, observers fear his condition could be worse than reported

2 weeks ago • Janaína Camelo and Gustavo Ribeiro
investment fdi investments
Insider

Foreign direct investment in June lowest for Brazil since 1995

21 hours ago • Lucas Berti
Victims of Mariana dam disaster protest. Photo: Rodrigo S Coelho/Shutterzsock
Insider

Mariana disaster’s case reopens in UK courts

22 hours ago • Ana Ferraz
afd german party bolsonaro
Insider

Bolsonaro meets with German far-right figurehead

2 days ago • Gustavo Ribeiro
bolsonaro campaign 2022
Insider

Bolsonaro shifts tone on campaign fund as Supreme Court weighs in

2 days ago • Janaína Camelo
Meeting postponed Chief of Staff
Insider

Meeting postponed with Bolsonaro’s new Chief of Staff

2 days ago • Janaína Camelo
exports freight prices
Business

High sea freight costs continue harming Brazilian exports

A double whammy of the pandemic and the Suez Canal blockage means freight rates have soared, with few alternative means of transport for Brazilian exporters

24 hours ago • Ana Ferraz
Brazilian women to take Bayer to court over Essure side effects
Business

Brazilian women to take Bayer to court over Essure side effects

Over 300 women plan to launch a class action for damages from the pharmaceutical giant, complaining that they developed severe complications after implanting Bayer's permanent contraceptive Essure

2 days ago • Renato Alves
postal company Court decreed the bankruptcy of Correo Argentino S.A. Photo: Andrea V. Gutierrez/Shutterstock
Business

Argentina a cautionary tale as Brazil moves to privatize postal service

Bolsonaro’s Economy Minister looks to complete his first privatization, but the matter remains controversial, and may only create a private monopoly instead

3 days ago • Lucas Berti
sustainable Açaí berries being transported from an Amazonian community. Photo: Paralaxis/Shutterstock
Business

Brazilian consumers struggle to engage in sustainable consumption

Brazilians have become keener about pursuing green concerns, but income restraints and economic hardship are getting in the way of widespread adoption

6 days ago • Charlotte Peet
auto industry brazil semiconductor
Business

Hit by semiconductor crisis, Brazilian auto industry struggles to accelerate

Despite healthy demand, especially for heavy commercial vehicles, supply problems are holding the sector back

1 week ago • Ana Ferraz
Tech Roundup: sugarcane ethanol less polluting than once thought
Tech

Tech Roundup: sugarcane ethanol less polluting than once thought

The most important news on tech and innovation in Brazil this week

5 days ago • Ana Ferraz
Supercomputer shutdown could cause weather data blackout in Brazil
Tech

Tech Roundup: Brazil’s supercomputer under threat

The main news about Brazilian tech and innovation this week

2 weeks ago • Ana Ferraz
health ai brazil
Tech

Tech Roundup: How AI helps Brazil’s health system

The main news on tech and innovation in Brazil during the week

2 weeks ago • Ana Ferraz
investment startups agtech innovation
Tech

Tech Roundup: Equity crowdfunding a potential boost for Brazilian startups

The week's most important news on technology, innovation, and investment in Brazil

4 weeks ago • Ana Ferraz
solar power energy startups
Tech

Tech Roundup: Startups tapping into solar power business

The weekly tech roundup is a digest of the most important news on technology and innovation in Brazil

1 month ago • Ana Ferraz
bolsonaro The military chiefs with Defense Minister Walter Braga Netto (second from the left). Photo: Alexandre Manfrim/Defense Min.
Podcast

Explaining Brazil #162: Coup or No Coup

Struggling in the polls, President Jair Bolsonaro has threatened to ignore next year's election results. But is the risk of democratic rupture real? Or is the far-right simply crying coup?

4 mins ago • Gustavo Ribeiro
bolsonaro hospital health
Podcast

Explaining Brazil #161: Little transparency around presidents’ health

President Bolsonaro has recently been discharged from the hospital. While he was in, however, conflicting reports about his health made the Brazilian public suspicious

1 week ago • Euan Marshall
Explaining Brazil #160: Bolsonaro's Evangelical Supreme Court justice
Podcast

Explaining Brazil #160: Bolsonaro’s Evangelical justice

Jair Bolsonaro is using a Supreme Court nomination to rally his base. We explain the effects of his appointment on Brazilian justice and politics.

2 weeks ago • Euan Marshall
Eduardo Leite. Photo: Valter Campanato/ABr
Podcast

Explaining Brazil #159: Leite is no Milk

Governor Eduardo Leite of Rio Grande do Sul came out as gay. But don't expect him to be a Brazilian Harvey Milk. Instead, he might be closer to Pete Buttigieg

3 weeks ago • Gustavo Ribeiro
vaccine scandals bolsonaro
Podcast

Explaining Brazil #158: Never-ending vaccine scandals

The Bolsonaro administration purposely stalled vaccine deals with Pfizer. Now, members of the government are suspected of having asked for bribes before purchasing immunizers

4 weeks ago • Gustavo Ribeiro
teenagers Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga. Photo: Marcello Casal Jr/ABr
Coronavirus

Health Ministry plans vaccination of Brazilian teenagers

39 mins ago • Lucas Berti
Vaccination station in Copiapó, Chile. Photo: Israel Chavez Rojas/Shutterstock
Coronavirus

Chile has lowest number of Covid-19 cases since April 2020

13 hours ago • Lucas Berti
Bogota nightclubs football fans
Coronavirus

Bogotá permits return of nightclubs and fans at football matches

16 hours ago • Gustavo Ribeiro
covaxin regulation
Coronavirus

Brazilian regulators suspend Covaxin import authorization

17 hours ago • Lucas Berti
Mexico rejects new lockdown
Coronavirus

For economic reasons, Mexico rejects new lockdown

17 hours ago • Lucas Berti
pro guns German and Swiss firearms fueling armed conflict and police violence in Brazil
Society

German and Swiss guns fuel armed conflict and police violence in Brazil

More and more European-made guns are among the most lethal firearms seized by Brazilian police

7 days ago • Diogo Rodriguez
u.s. visas visa
Society

How many Brazilians are moving to the U.S.?

The rate of migration to the U.S. usually follows economic conditions at home in Brazil. We crunched the numbers with a view to identifying trends

1 week ago • Francisco Ricci
The radio reaches even Brazil's most isolated neighborhoods — something the internet still doesn't. Photo: Ronaldy Irfak/Shutterstock
Society

Brazilian public school kids go gaga for radio classes

Distance learning has been an extreme challenge for Brazil during the Covid-19 pandemic, with millions of students unable to access online teaching platforms. The solution? The tried and trusted radio

2 weeks ago • Renato Alves
covid deaths north
Society

Covid spikes in Brazil’s North were even deadlier than believed

Gross coronavirus death figures do not account for age differences between populations. A recent study found that mortality in northern cities was even more pronounced than initially measured

2 weeks ago • Renato Alves
vaccine sommelier Brazilians are foregoing Sinovac and AstraZeneca shots to look for a Pfizer jab. Photo: Fabrício Costa/Futura Press/Folhapress)
Society

The rise of ‘vaccine sommeliers’ in Brazil

Thanks to waves of misinformation and vaccine skepticism spread on Brazilian social media, many citizens are now reluctant to take AstraZeneca or Sinovac immunizers, potentially compromising the country's vaccination efforts

3 weeks ago • Renato Alves
illegal deforestation amazon
Environment

Diseases in the Amazon and their links to deforestation

A recent study encountered a direct link between increased deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and a number of mosquito-borne diseases. Researchers also charted the spread of Covid-19 in the Amazon

4 days ago • Renato Alves
railway soy ferrogrão
Environment

Brazil’s new soy railway a threat to the environment, say experts

The Ferrogrão project involves building a railway directly from Brazil's soy belt to its major ports in the north. But construction would take works right through major conservation areas, threatening the livelihood of indigenous peoples

7 days ago • Renato Alves
fire bonito pantanal
Environment

Flames return to the Pantanal, scientists fear disaster

Brazil's Pantanal, the world's largest wetland, was devastated by fires last year. Blazes have returned and experts warn that droughts could make 2021 even worse for the region

2 weeks ago • Renato Alves
hydroelectric dam Itaipu dam. Photo: Bayazed/Shutterstock
Environment

The underexplored risks of hydroelectric power

Brazil's energy matrix is overly reliant on hydroelectric power. While a comparatively clean energy source, it is not without its dangers — which Brazil is experiencing after its driest summer in 91 years

3 weeks ago • Gustavo Ribeiro
Former Environment MInister Ricardo Salles
Environment

The legacy of Ricardo Salles as Brazil’s Environment Minister

As a member of the cabinet, Ricardo Salles was very closely aligned with the president's vision of “development.” He may prove to have been one of Mr. Bolsonaro’s most consequential ministers

1 month ago • Renato Alves
bukele el salvador
Latin America

Bukele: closer to Beijing, distant from Washington

Nayib Bukele, the increasingly powerful president of El Salvador, is gambling on a risky strategy of rapprochement with Beijing

3 weeks ago • Lucas Berti
moïse Residents of Port-au-Prince stage a protest against the government in September 2020. Photo: Arinda Mbanerjee/Shutterstock
Latin America

Moïse assassination plunges Haiti further into uncertainty

Jovenel Moïse was deploying increasingly authoritarian measures against his opposition. But his death will not bring peace to Haiti

3 weeks ago • Lucas Berti
Life expectancy another marker of urban inequality
Latin America

Life expectancy another marker of urban inequality in Latin America

A recent study shows the vast life expectancy differences between Latin American cities, showing massive disparities between nations and even within the same countries

1 month ago • Renato Alves
peru castillo fujimori elections
Latin America

Castillo leads in Peru, but will he be able to govern?

Peru has been marred in a never-ending loop of political crises, with weak presidents and a trigger-happy Congress

2 months ago • Lucas Berti
Ortega authoritarianism Nicaragua
Latin America

Ortega ramps up authoritarianism in Nicaragua

Charges against journalists and opposition leaders are part of the Ortega playbook to tip the scales ahead of November’s presidential election

2 months ago • Lucas Berti
Left-wing protesters ask for Brazilian authorities to lift vaccine patents. Photo: Vinicius van Coolwijk/Shutterstock
Opinion

Speeding up the patent process in Brazil

A recent Supreme Court decision altered rules for patents in Brazil. While causing some consternation, the country's patent office has worked hard to reduce its backlog, making the process increasingly faster and more straightforward

6 mins ago • Gustavo Sartori
borba gato statue fire
Opinion

São Paulo’s Borba Gato statue should be permanently removed. Here’s how to do it

Protesters set fire to a controversial São Paulo statue, commemorating a notorious slaver from Brazil's colonial period. But direct action can only go so far – the solution lies in legislation

2 days ago • Beatriz Rey
political reform brazil
Opinion

Can political reform succeed where it has failed so many times before?

The House Speaker is advocating for a system of “semi-presidentialism”, which he believes will generate less resistance than failed proposals of the past

2 days ago • Fernando Bizzarro
The devils of Brazil’s tax reform proposal
Opinion

The devils of Brazil’s tax reform proposal

Deemed insufficient, unclear, and filled with political uncertainty, Brazil's tax reform proposal seems set to sink without a trace

6 days ago • Luciano Sobral
bolsonaro power grab
Opinion

Why a Bolsonaro power grab remains a long shot

The president's recent messaging suggests that he plans to ignore the 2022 election result if he loses. However, with popular support dwindling, a power grab seems to be a remote possibility

2 weeks ago • Andre Pagliarini
shark attacks recife
Tourism

Recife’s shark problem: too many questions and too few answers

The northeastern city of Recife is famous for its beaches, but locals and tourists are warned to stay away from the water, due to the risk of shark attacks

1 week ago • Renato Alves
arrudatitan maximus monte alto brazil dinosaur
Tourism

Meet the Arrudatitan: São Paulo’s very own dinosaur

First discovered in 1997, the specimen was originally believed to be a relative of the Aeolosaurus, but new research shows it came from a completely different genus, exclusive to São Paulo

3 months ago • Renato Alves
Joan Lowell hollywood cerrado
Tourism

When Hollywood royalty traded it all for a Brazilian farm

In the mid-20th century, a group of Hollywood movie stars gave up the glitz and glamor to become farmers in the Brazilian state of Goiás

4 months ago • Renato Alves
Stone City Pireneus lost hidden history Brazil
Tourism

The ancient stone city of Pireneus: Brazil’s best-kept secret

The city of Pirenópolis attracts tourists from all over for its lavish vegetation. But its most stunning attraction is remains unknown

4 months ago • Renato Alves
voluntary lockdown brazil
Tourism

Businesses in Brazilian tourist city organize their own voluntary lockdown

Small business-owners in Alto Paraíso de Goiás took matters into their own hands after the local mayor failed to do so

5 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

2 months ago • Renato Alves
The Valongo Wharf was an active slave port for 20 years, during which up to 1 million African slaves landed in Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Halley Pacheco de Oliveira/WikiCommons
Guide to Brazil

The forced immigration of the slave trade in Brazil

Brazil took in more African slaves than any other country during the Atlantic slave trade, and the effects of this brutal period can still be felt today

2 months ago • Euan Marshall
discovery brazil portugal history
Guide to Brazil

The real story behind Portugal’s “discovery” of Brazil

School books will tell you that Brazil was discovered by Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500. Records show the country had visited the new land years before

3 months ago • Renato Alves
investors visa brazil
Business

How to get a Brazilian investor visa

Brazil offers indefinite residence permits for foreigners who invest in Brazilian companies, or set up their own enterprise

4 months ago • Iure Pontes Vieira
How to become a Brazilian citizen
Guide to Brazil

How to become a Brazilian citizen

Migratory processes in Brazil are notoriously cumbersome and time-consuming, but the country's requirements for naturalization are fairly liberal

6 months ago • Iure Pontes Vieira

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