By Anakwa Dwamena, The New Yorker — Several months before the coronavirus first arrived in Brazil, this spring, a series of man-made tragedies befell Maria Marques Martins dos Santos. On November 12th, dos Santos, a thirty-eight-year-old mother of three, whose five-foot frame is crowned by curly brown hair, was at her home, in Favela do Amor, in São Paulo. Just after midnight, her fourteen-year-old son, Lucas, went out to buy soda and…
By teleSUR — Brazil’s government stopped publishing the total accumulated COVID-19 deaths and infections, in an attempt to hide the real extent of the disease in Latin America’s largest country. After months of criticism of President Jair Bolsonaro’s handling of the pandemic, the government decided to withdraw a Ministry of Health website, which provided daily figures on deaths and infections. The site was launched a while later, but totals of…
Bolivian coup leader Luis Fernando Camacho is a far-right multi-millionaire who arose from fascist movements in the Santa Cruz region, where the US has encouraged separatism. He has courted support…
The government of newly inaugurated President Jair Bolsonaro set to work quickly on Wednesday, issuing decrees that lift protections for minorities and reward his allies in agribusiness, while forging closer political ties with the US. By France24, Rueuters — Bolsonaro, a former army captain and seven-term congressman, won elections in October and was sworn in on Tuesday as Brazil’s first far-right president since a military dictatorship gave way to civilian…
“I want a country where black people and LGBTQ individuals can walk freely. As a woman, I want to walk around without being afraid I’ll get raped.” By Gislene Ramos,…
Brazilians elected Jair Bolsonaro, “the Trump of Brazil,” as their next president on Sunday. By Phillip Smith, Drug Reporter — The far-rightist Jair Bolsonaro won Sunday’s presidential election with 55 percent of…
It’s Complicated: Why Some Afro-Brazilians Are Willing to Vote for a Racist Presidential Candidate Who’s Calling for More Police Violence. Kiratiana Freelon, The Root — Last week, Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s white, hard-right presidential candidate, received an unexpected American endorsement. “He sounds like us,” said David Duke, an unabashed white supremacist and former Grand Duke Wizard of the Louisiana Ku Klux Klan. “He is a total European descendant, he looks like any…
‘We Are Afraid’: Anti-Bolsonaro Voters, Journalists Targeted in Wave of Political Violence Across Brazil, Activists Call for Action. According to Agencia Publica, Bolsonaristas have been behind at least 50 separate attacks targeting left-wing activists and groups since Sep 30. By TeleSur — Thousands of activists, women and young Brazilians marched in Sao Paulo Thursday to protest against right-wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, who won the first round of the Brazilian…
At a moment when few Brazilians trust their government, the controversial, ultra-conservative Jair Bolsonaro looks poised to win. By Chayenne Polimédio, The Atlantic — Tomorrow, Brazilians head to the polls for the first round of presidential elections. Running on the Social Liberal Party slate is Jair Messias Bolsonaro, an ultra-conservative military officer-turned-politician and likely top finisher. If he’s one of the top two vote-getters, he’ll be the favorite in the…
New polling data show that Jair Bolsonaro’s social conservatism, law-and-order positions, and anti-corruption stance appear to be trumping his history of sexism. By Shannon Sims, The Atlantic — In Brazil, there’s a video that just won’t go away.It shows a young male congressman, dressed in a suit and tie, sparring with a female congresswoman as photographers and journalists encircle them.The subject of the argument has been lost over the 15 years since…
Tens of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets Saturday in protest against the presidential front-runner, a far-right congressman whose campaign has exposed and deepened divisions in Latin America’s largest country. By Sarah Dilopenzo, Associated Press — SAO PAULO (AP) — Tens of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets Saturday in protest against the presidential front-runner, a far-right congressman whose campaign has exposed and deepened divisions in Latin America’s…