Stories about Brazil from May, 2006
Brazil: Manifesto of the PCC
David Lee Wilson has translated the manifesto of the PCC, which reads more like a Marxist declaration than a street gang handbook. Indeed, Wilson wonders who the manifesto was written for.
Riots in Sao Paulo: Prison cells and cell phones
One week has passed since the city of Sao Paulo was paralyzed by gang attacks and the blogosphere in Brazil is wildly spinning the many aspects of this unprecedented confrontation.
Brazil: On Last Week's Violence
Andrew Comings last week's gang violence and the nature of the Brazilian penal code. Luís Afonso Assumpção recommends an article from FrontPage Magazine.
Brazil: Leftist Origins of Last Weekend's Violence
Luis Afonso explains why he believes 60's leftists radicals were the origin of last weekend's crime wave in Sao Paulo and much of Brazil. Andrew of Comings Communique, after watching the violence on TV wrote, “tonight for the first time I heard my wife express the opinion that perhaps Brazil...
Brazil: “City of Rhyme”
Ethan Zuckerman tells the story of his college roommate, Kurt Shaw, who has been working with the group Pé no Chão (“Feet in the Dirt”) to help street kids express themselves through breakdancing, capoiera, grafitti, beats and MC’ing. The group has just released “City of Rhyme,” a compilation of “a...
Bolivia, Brazil: Evo and Lula in Vienna
Boli-Nica says not everything was friendly between Evo Morales and Lula da Silva as Latin American leaders met with their UN counterparts in Vienna. Briegel Busch says that Lula's dialogue with Evo Morales was much more firm than was reported by the press (ES). Meanwhile, Jim Shultz compares AP and...
Bruna Little Surfer: blog turns into book, call girl turns into writer
Bruna Little Surfer is how she became known, the Brazilian blogger named Rachel Pacheco turned celebrity while posting in her online diary details about her job as a call girl. The mainstream media is emphasizing the "tramp-to-celebrity" phenomenon more than the blogosphere which is providing some very interesting discussion.
Brazilian Gangs Wage War On Police
One of Brazil's biggest gangs, the First Capital Command (of First Command of the Capital -- PCC), took the fight to Sao Paulo's government developing a wave of co-ordinated violence since Friday.
Brazil, Ecuador: “Is There Racism in Latin America?”
Tanya Hernandez, focusing on Brazil, asks “is There Racism in Latin America and What Does That Mean for Race Relations in the United States?” One commenter responds, “If I must choose my poison (racism), I'll choose the American brand. Latin American racism is made more pernicious by the fact that...
Argentina, Brazil: Alternative Energy
Wondering if increased consumption of Biodiesel will be a boon to Argentina, Martin Varsavsky asks “Is Oil to Chavez what Biodiesel is to Kirchner?” Sangroncito recently wrote about Brazil's success with Ethanol.
Bolivian gas sets Brazilian political debate on fire
The Bolivian president Evo Morales has put president Lula in a difficult position. In a move to fulfill his campaign promise of nationalizing oil and gas in Bolivia, he published a decree that affected directly Petrobras, the Brazilian state-owned oil prospection company.
Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru: Poll Numbers
Boz has his Latin America Friday poll numbers, Cinco de Mayo version. Three new polls in Mexico show a big change for the upcoming presidential election.
Kiskeya: Conference on Haitiano-Dominican Relations
A conference on Haitiano-Dominican relations held in Santo-Domingo ends today, reports (FR) Haitian newsfeed Radio Kiskeya. The conference was sponsored by Norway in partnership with Dominican churches and, in addition to Haitian and Dominican delegations, featured Brazilian and Chilean ones. The conference's goal was “to incite political, religious and international...
Brazil: “Hidden Talent”
Andrew of Comings Communiqué has posted a video a talented saxophonist he encountered at a church service in Northeastern Brazil. The verdict? “Kenny G, has nothing on this guy!” I most certainly concur.
Brazil raps about transition to digital TV
It is in a year where Brazilians will face a World Cup -- and hot presidential elections -- that the debate about the digital TV implementation is arriving in Brazil. The open network is one more time sheltering the most productive exchange of ideas and arguments on the issue.
About our Brazil coverage
Fernanda Canofre is the Brazil editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
