Tech Roundup: Brazilian government adopts blockchain technology

Power

Change to Brazil’s misconduct law brings more certainty but hinders anti-corruption fight

The Bolsonaro government has made sweeping changes to the so-called Misconduct in Office Law, making it harder to convict public officials for wrongdoing. Experts are split on the move's importance

4 days ago • Amanda Audi

House Speaker Arthur Lira (PP-AL) during an event with sugar producers in São Paulo. Photo: Igor do Vale/Folhapress

Power

How Brazil’s House Speaker wields his power

House Speaker Arthur Lira has managed to whip votes for government-backed projects within the opposition to Jair Bolsonaro. And here's how he does it

4 days ago • André Spigariol

Power

Social democratic primaries in Brazil an exercise in futility

The PSDB party was once a dominant force in Brazilian politics. It will hold a historic primary election on Sunday. But does anyone care?

1 week ago • Janaína Camelo

Power

New ICC complaint against Jair Bolsonaro unlikely to prosper

After a first attempt was turned down by judges in The Hague, the ABJD is lodging another complaint against Jair Bolsonaro to the ICC, for "crimes against humanity"

2 weeks ago • Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Power

Sergio Moro all but launches presidential bid for 2022

The former anti-corruption judge-turned-politician talked about "fighting for Brazil" and "renewing the country's leadership" as he joined the center-right Podemos party

2 weeks ago • Janaína Camelo

Insider

Brazilian football eyes up Gulf money as corporate ownership becomes possible

For the longest time, Brazilian football clubs have been private members' clubs with elected presidents. But a new law will allow them to become companies — and woo big bucks from the Middle East

2 days ago • Ana Ferraz and Euan Marshall

Business

Candidates for 2022 must address Brazil’s energy crisis

This year's water crisis has laid much of the country's energy vulnerabilities bare, and the electricity sector is adamant that the 2022 election campaign must contain a broad debate on the industry's future

5 days ago • Janaína Camelo and Euan Marshall

Passion fruit field in Petrolina, Pernambuco. Photo: Alf Ribeiro/Shutterstock

Business

The passion for passion fruit goes beyond Brazil’s borders

Among Brazil's most-loved summer fruits, the country's passion fruits are also sought after abroad for their medicinal and cosmetic properties

7 days ago • Renato Alves

Business

Brazil continues selling arms to conflict zones, violating UN treaty

Brazil is a signatory of the UN's Arms Trade Treaty, but data shows that the country's major weapons and munitions manufacturers are still selling arms to war zones and places with poor human rights records — and in astonishing quantities

1 week ago • André Spigariol

Coffee deposit in Itabela, Bahia, Brazil. Photo: Joa Souza/Shutterstock

Business

Demand for Brazilian coffee skyrockets in Colombia

It is becoming increasingly hard to find homegrown beans in Colombia. Instead, Brazilian coffee is far more widespread

3 weeks ago • Ana Ferraz

Delivery app drivers around Brazil have staged protests and walkouts over working conditions. Photo: Shutterstock

Tech

Tech Roundup: Rio enters the delivery app business

The main news about tech and innovation in Brazil. This week: Rio's delivery app, data privacy, and Black Friday

1 day ago • Ana Ferraz

Tech

Tech Roundup: Government adopts blockchain technology

This week. E-commerce is big in Brazil, but online shoppers still tend to be richer. The government makes the use of blockchain in documents official. Brazilian startup aims to become the ‘Apple of urban agriculture’

1 week ago • Ana Ferraz

Tech

Eyeing the presidency, São Paulo governor makes push for 5G antennas

São Paulo Governor João Doria makes a push for 5G technology, as a way to beef up his résumé ahead of his party's primaries

2 weeks ago • Janaína Camelo

Tech

Tech Roundup: Patent delays deter innovation in Brazil

The main news about tech and innovation in Brazil. This week: patent delays, instant payments, real estate startups

2 weeks ago • Ana Ferraz

Tech

Embraer launches concept line of ‘green planes’ amid ESG shift

The Brazilian planemaker's very future was in jeopardy last year, but it is now betting on a sustainability push to guarantee its market share in the medium and long-term

3 weeks ago • TBR Newsroom

Podcast

Explaining Brazil #179: Brazil’s vaccination success

This time last year, Brazilian citizens were unsure if they would ever get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Now, the country has immunized 80 percent of its adult population

4 days ago • Gustavo Ribeiro

Podcast

Explaining Brazil #178: Argentina’s far-right lion

Javier Milei: vaccine skeptic, climate change denier, libertarian economist … and now, one of the biggest political stars in Argentina

2 weeks ago • Euan Marshall

Podcast

Explaining Brazil #177: What Brazil did at COP26

Brazil showed up in the west of Scotland ready to listen and compromise with the international community. But were its commitments enough?

3 weeks ago • Gustavo Ribeiro

Podcast

Explaining Brazil #176: Will Chile get Kast away?

Seen as Chile's answer to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, José Antonio Kast has been consistently rising in polls since early in September. Could he win on November 21?

3 weeks ago • Euan Marshall

Podcast

Explaining Brazil #175: An obituary for Brazil’s spending cap

Brazil's government is about to obliterate the federal spending cap. One economist believes it is now time for damage limitation, at best

1 month ago • Gustavo Ribeiro

Society

Brazil’s drug policy is desperately lacking — but not because the UN says so

Brazil ranked dead last in a study analyzing drug policies in 30 countries. However, while Brazil's approach to drugs is poor, it isn't for the reasons highlighted by the ranking

1 week ago • Amanda Audi

Society

Over 19,000 people rescued from modern slavery in Brazil since 2010

A recent raid at a farm in Goiás rescued 166 people from working conditions analogous to slavery, including children and teenagers. Offending companies are put on a "dirty list"

2 weeks ago • Janaína Camelo

Society

Operation Welcome not all rosy amid Venezuelan migrant crisis

The Brazilian government has held up its Operation Welcome shelter and relocation scheme as a triumph, but chaos still reigns in the country's border towns

2 weeks ago • André Spigariol

Society

A year and a half of closed schools will harm kids. And the economy

The effects of one of the world’s longest pandemic-driven school closures will be felt over the coming years

2 weeks ago • Ana Ferraz

Volkswagen Gol in Acapulco, Mexico. Photo: Art Konovalov/Shutterstock

Society

Volkswagen puts its iconic Gol out to pasture in Brazil

The compact Gol was the best-selling car in Brazil for almost 30 years, but is now set to be discontinued to meet new safety and sustainability demands

2 weeks ago • Janaína Camelo

Environment

Brazil’s ESG commitments: ask corporations, not the government

On the whole, major Brazilian companies seem to be on board with a more sustainable approach to business. Customer engagement and social norms are also pushing the ESG agenda

2 days ago • Anna Lygia Rego

Environment

Courts become a new ally in fight against climate change

Climate change litigation is becoming more and more common around the world, and the trend is gaining ground in Brazil

3 weeks ago • Rebeca Stefanini and Isabela Ojima

Brazilian agriculture is set to face increased scrutiny and altered processes amid announcement of international climate funding. Photo: PlinioMiranda/Shutterstock

Environment

With strings attached for Brazilian agro, rich nations agree to fund forest conservation

The so-called Global Forest Finance Pledge will provide billions in funding to boost climate initiatives in developing countries, but there's no such thing as a free lunch for the Brazilian government, with Big Agro set to face changes

4 weeks ago • André Spigariol

Environment

Brazil to unveil new, but unambitious climate goals at COP26

While the country's proposed new climate pledge raises emissions reduction goals, it does not go nearly far enough — and may even allow Brazil to pollute more

4 weeks ago • André Spigariol

meat Cattle being moved in Pocone, Mato Grosso. Photo: Cacio Murilo/Shutterstock

Environment

Brazil, Argentina among meat producers scolded for “greenwashing” ahead of COP26

Revelations by Greenpeace UK show that countries acted to dilute findings and recommendations that run counter to agro interests in an IPCC report

1 month ago • Charlotte Peet

Latin America

Opposition competes in Venezuelan elections, but Maduro wins again

Doubts over the fairness of gubernatorial races persist, but the opposition missed a chance to challenge Nicolás Maduro with it still riven by internal divisions

15 hours ago • Ignacio Portes

Latin America

Kast and Boric reach decisive presidential runoff in Chile

Polarized election confirms the anti-establishment sentiment in Chile, as traditional parties fall to fourth and fifth place

6 days ago • Ignacio Portes

Latin America

Chile heads into its most consequential presidential election in decades

Left-wing momentum emerging from the 2019-20 protests has now been challenged by a rising far-right candidate, with unpredictability and surprising turnarounds the order of the day

1 week ago • Ignacio Portes

Latin America

Haiti crisis goes from bad to worse amid fuel and water shortages

Political conflict has led to a blockade at Haiti's ports, stopping fuel from reaching the capital, causing water shortages and public health risks

1 week ago • Janaína Camelo

Latin America

Changes are coming to Cuba thick and fast. But not without conflict

The planned reopening of the country will bring in badly needed tourism, but tussles with the U.S. over its Cuba policy and domestic protests lie ahead

2 weeks ago • Ignacio Portes

Opinion

Brazil’s Central Bank is the world’s most hawkish. So why do inflation expectations keep rising?

Trying to hold down consumer prices, the Central Bank has been furiously increasing benchmark interest rates, in a trend unlikely to end any time soon. But pursuing unrealistic inflation goals could spell disaster

3 days ago • Luciano Sobral

House Speaker Arthur Lira. Photo: J. Batista/CD/CC-BY 4.0

Opinion

House speakers hold too much power in Brazil, and that’s not changing any time soon

Arthur Lira is among the most powerful figures in the country's politics. And he would have to sign off on any attempt to reduce his vast and often damaging influence

6 days ago • Beatriz Rey

Opinion

Bolsonaro’s new party is a monument to Brazil’s political limitations

The Liberal Party is perhaps an odd choice for Jair Bolsonaro, given the party's reputation of corruption and political cronyism

2 weeks ago • Beatriz Rey

Opinion

Climate negotiations with Bolsonaro a lost cause

Brazil is heading into an election year in which environmental issues are unlikely to figure prominently

2 weeks ago • Andre Pagliarini

Opinion

The Brazilian Report takes home two prizes from 2021 EPPY Awards

We are delighted to have won in both the best news feature video and best homepage design categories at this year's EPPY Awards, capping off a remarkable 2021 for The Brazilian Report

4 weeks ago • Caroline Coutinho

Tourism

Once despised, jaguars become a symbol of ecotourism in Brazil’s Pantanal

As cattle ranching became widespread in the region surrounding the Pantanal wetland, jaguars were seen as pests. Now, some farmers are converting their properties into nature reserves and reaping the profits

1 month ago • Ryan Biller

Tourism

The never-ending taxiing of Brazil’s tourism sector

Tourism was one of the areas hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Now, even with vaccination coverage improving, a series of factors are standing in the way of any meaningful recovery

4 months ago • Ana Ferraz

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

4 months 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

7 months ago • Renato Alves

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

8 months ago • Renato Alves

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

2 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

2 months ago • Renato Alves

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

2 months ago • Renato Alves

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

6 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

7 months ago • Euan Marshall

Tech Roundup: Government adopts blockchain technology

This week. E-commerce is big in Brazil, but online shoppers still tend to be richer. The government makes the use of blockchain in documents official. Brazilian startup aims to become the ‘Apple of urban agriculture’

Brazil to use blockchain for official documents

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Change to Brazil’s misconduct law brings more certainty but hinders anti-corruption fight

The Bolsonaro government has made sweeping changes to the so-called Misconduct in Office Law, making it harder to convict public officials for wrongdoing. Experts are split on the move's importance

How Brazil’s House Speaker wields his power

House Speaker Arthur Lira has managed to whip votes for government-backed projects within the opposition to Jair Bolsonaro. And here's how he does it

Social democratic primaries in Brazil an exercise in futility

The PSDB party was once a dominant force in Brazilian politics. It will hold a historic primary election on Sunday. But does anyone care?

New ICC complaint against Jair Bolsonaro unlikely to prosper

After a first attempt was turned down by judges in The Hague, the ABJD is lodging another complaint against Jair Bolsonaro to the ICC, for "crimes against humanity"

Sergio Moro all but launches presidential bid for 2022

The former anti-corruption judge-turned-politician talked about "fighting for Brazil" and "renewing the country's leadership" as he joined the center-right Podemos party

Congress claims it made budgetary grants transparent. It hasn’t

Feds present 21 indictment requests for Brumadinho disaster

House approves bill for Bolsonaro’s new cash-transfer scheme

Bolsonaro peeved by Macron and Lula catch-up in Paris

Senate to speed up analysis of payroll exemptions bill

Under pressure, Bolsonaro lays groundwork to skip 2022 debates

Social democrat primaries debacle gets even worse

Brazilian social democrats get new voting app after primaries fiasco

VP Mourão considering run for Rio governor

Lula and Macron meet in Paris, both thinking of 2022

Brazilian football eyes up Gulf money as corporate ownership becomes possible

For the longest time, Brazilian football clubs have been private members' clubs with elected presidents. But a new law will allow them to become companies — and woo big bucks from the Middle East

Candidates for 2022 must address Brazil’s energy crisis

This year's water crisis has laid much of the country's energy vulnerabilities bare, and the electricity sector is adamant that the 2022 election campaign must contain a broad debate on the industry's future

The passion for passion fruit goes beyond Brazil’s borders

Among Brazil's most-loved summer fruits, the country's passion fruits are also sought after abroad for their medicinal and cosmetic properties

Brazil continues selling arms to conflict zones, violating UN treaty

Brazil is a signatory of the UN's Arms Trade Treaty, but data shows that the country's major weapons and munitions manufacturers are still selling arms to war zones and places with poor human rights records — and in astonishing quantities

Demand for Brazilian coffee skyrockets in Colombia

It is becoming increasingly hard to find homegrown beans in Colombia. Instead, Brazilian coffee is far more widespread

Tech Roundup: Rio enters the delivery app business

The main news about tech and innovation in Brazil. This week: Rio's delivery app, data privacy, and Black Friday

Tech Roundup: Government adopts blockchain technology

This week. E-commerce is big in Brazil, but online shoppers still tend to be richer. The government makes the use of blockchain in documents official. Brazilian startup aims to become the ‘Apple of urban agriculture’

Eyeing the presidency, São Paulo governor makes push for 5G antennas

São Paulo Governor João Doria makes a push for 5G technology, as a way to beef up his résumé ahead of his party's primaries

Tech Roundup: Patent delays deter innovation in Brazil

The main news about tech and innovation in Brazil. This week: patent delays, instant payments, real estate startups

Embraer launches concept line of ‘green planes’ amid ESG shift

The Brazilian planemaker's very future was in jeopardy last year, but it is now betting on a sustainability push to guarantee its market share in the medium and long-term

Explaining Brazil #179: Brazil’s vaccination success

This time last year, Brazilian citizens were unsure if they would ever get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Now, the country has immunized 80 percent of its adult population

Explaining Brazil #178: Argentina’s far-right lion

Javier Milei: vaccine skeptic, climate change denier, libertarian economist … and now, one of the biggest political stars in Argentina

Explaining Brazil #177: What Brazil did at COP26

Brazil showed up in the west of Scotland ready to listen and compromise with the international community. But were its commitments enough?

Explaining Brazil #176: Will Chile get Kast away?

Seen as Chile's answer to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, José Antonio Kast has been consistently rising in polls since early in September. Could he win on November 21?

Explaining Brazil #175: An obituary for Brazil’s spending cap

Brazil's government is about to obliterate the federal spending cap. One economist believes it is now time for damage limitation, at best

Brazil’s drug policy is desperately lacking — but not because the UN says so

Brazil ranked dead last in a study analyzing drug policies in 30 countries. However, while Brazil's approach to drugs is poor, it isn't for the reasons highlighted by the ranking

Over 19,000 people rescued from modern slavery in Brazil since 2010

A recent raid at a farm in Goiás rescued 166 people from working conditions analogous to slavery, including children and teenagers. Offending companies are put on a "dirty list"

Operation Welcome not all rosy amid Venezuelan migrant crisis

The Brazilian government has held up its Operation Welcome shelter and relocation scheme as a triumph, but chaos still reigns in the country's border towns

A year and a half of closed schools will harm kids. And the economy

The effects of one of the world’s longest pandemic-driven school closures will be felt over the coming years

Volkswagen puts its iconic Gol out to pasture in Brazil

The compact Gol was the best-selling car in Brazil for almost 30 years, but is now set to be discontinued to meet new safety and sustainability demands

Brazil’s ESG commitments: ask corporations, not the government

On the whole, major Brazilian companies seem to be on board with a more sustainable approach to business. Customer engagement and social norms are also pushing the ESG agenda

Courts become a new ally in fight against climate change

Climate change litigation is becoming more and more common around the world, and the trend is gaining ground in Brazil

With strings attached for Brazilian agro, rich nations agree to fund forest conservation

The so-called Global Forest Finance Pledge will provide billions in funding to boost climate initiatives in developing countries, but there's no such thing as a free lunch for the Brazilian government, with Big Agro set to face changes

Brazil to unveil new, but unambitious climate goals at COP26

While the country's proposed new climate pledge raises emissions reduction goals, it does not go nearly far enough — and may even allow Brazil to pollute more

​​Brazil, Argentina among meat producers scolded for “greenwashing” ahead of COP26

Revelations by Greenpeace UK show that countries acted to dilute findings and recommendations that run counter to agro interests in an IPCC report

Opposition competes in Venezuelan elections, but Maduro wins again

Doubts over the fairness of gubernatorial races persist, but the opposition missed a chance to challenge Nicolás Maduro with it still riven by internal divisions

Kast and Boric reach decisive presidential runoff in Chile

Polarized election confirms the anti-establishment sentiment in Chile, as traditional parties fall to fourth and fifth place

Chile heads into its most consequential presidential election in decades

Brazil, Argentina among meat producers scolded for “greenwashing” ahead of COP26