Stories about Brazil from August, 2011
Brazil: Bank Account of Google Blocked Due to “Offensive” Blogs
The courts in the Brazilian state of Ceará blocked access to $140,000 in the accounts of Google Brasil after the company refused to take down a series of blogs deemed offensive toward the mayor of Várzea Alegre, José Máximo de Carvalho, reports the blog Journalism in the Americas .
Brazil: Blogging on Poetry
The Brazilian professor Nelson Souzza, on his blog Literatura & Linguagens (Literature and Languages) [pt], writes literary and historic analyses of lusophone poetry, with a focus on famous Portuguese and Brazilian writers and musicians.
Brazil: Mozambique Cedes Land to Brazilian Agribusiness
Mozambique is ceding 6 million hectares of land to Brazilian farmers. The idea is to draw on the Brazilian experience in the Cerrado, a biosphere similar to the African savanna, where industrial cattle grazing and soy plantations have already devastated 80% of the richest grasslands in the world.
Brazil: Global Action Against Belo Monte Dam in Images
Protests against Brazil's Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant dam have gone global. In this post, we compile a selection of photos and videos featuring the worldwide demonstrations, from the streets of many Brazilian cities to the rest of the world.
Brazil: Construction Starts on Controversial Belo Monte Dam
Despite the protesting voices of indigenous populations and traditional settlers of Volta Grande do Xingu region, construction on Brazil's Belo Monte hydroelectric plant has begun. Protests against the project will take place in 10 Brazilian cities and 16 countries on August 20.
Brazil: Loggers Threaten Government Officials in the Amazon
Police officers and officials from the Brazilian government's agencies dedicated to the environment (Ibama) and indigenous rights (Funai) were surrounded and threatened by a group of about 60 loggers in the Amazon forest on August 12. Journalist Leonardo Sakamoto reports [pt] that the loggers wanted to prevent the seizure of...
Blogging in Portuguese on Special Education
The blog Grito de Mudança (Cry for Change) [pt] gathers several articles and resources on special education and children with special needs in Portuguese language.
Brazil: Constraining the “Spread” of Homosexuality by Law
The City Council of São José dos Campos, in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, has approved a law by the councilman Cristõvao Gonçalves that forbids the “disclosure of any material that may induce children to homosexuality”, reports [pt] the blog Eleições Hoje (Elections Today).
Brazil: Teachers Protest for Better Wages
Brazilian blogger Rosangela Basso posts [pt] several photos and a videos of the latest protest of teachers that took place on August 9 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Teachers demand a considerable salary increase while the local government refuses to negotiate.
Brazil: Hetero Pride or Homo Intolerance?
On August 2, 2011, the city council of Sao Paulo, Brazil, established Heterosexual Pride Day, an event to be celebrated on the third Sunday in December. Indignant netizens are asking the question: does it make sense to dedicate a day to a majority social group that does not suffer any kind of prejudice?
Brazil: Proposal to Award a Homophobic Pastor Causes Outrage
The proposal of Rose Sales, councilwoman of the city of São Luis from the Communist Party of Brazil, to award a “Title of Citizen of São Luís” to the pastor Silas Malafaia has caused outrage among the defenders of gay rights. Malafaia is considered by many a homophobic preacher, tells...
Brazil: New Minister of Defence Becomes Trending on Twitter
Brazilian diplomat Celso Amorim, Minister of External Relations of the former President Lula da Silva, was appointed by President Rousseff as the new Minister of Defence, replacing the controversial Nelson Jobim, writes [pt] Hugo Albuquerque. Thousands tweeted the news as Amorim's name became [pt] a worldwide trending topic.
Brazil: Brazilian Singer Censored by Politician
Brazilian singer and songwriter Tonho Crocco is being prosecuted by the State Deputy Giovanni Cherini due to a song in which he criticizes 36 lawmakers from the state of Rio Grande do Sul for the 73% pay rise they voted for themselves, writes [pt] Jefferson da silva, from the blog...
Brazil: The Heterossexual Pride Day is Announced
Brazilian activist Alessandra Nane (@Lessinha_nane) informs [pt] that the City Council of São Paulo has just approved the Heterosexual Pride Day, a project led by evangelical leaders, to take place on the third Sunday of December. Nane ironically wonders when the “White Awareness Day”, among others, will also be approved.
About our Brazil coverage
Fernanda Canofre is the Brazil editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
