· December, 2011

Stories about Brazil from December, 2011

Brazil: “We Have Overtaken the United Kingdom's GDP. So What?”

  31 December 2011

The news, published in the international press and echoed by the country's media, filled nationalist Brazilians with with pride and optimism, and left those who analysed the numbers more closely concerned. Bloggers ponder the meaning of being the world's sixth largest country in terms of Gross Domestic Product, and occupying the 84th position in Human Development Index.

Online Highlights from the Portuguese-Speaking World in 2011

  31 December 2011

2011 has been another year in which bloggers and activists from a number of Portuguese-speaking countries have come together to report, translate and promote blogs and citizen media from all over the world. This article selects the highlights in the coverage of Lusophone countries on Global Voices over the last year.

‘Developing Latin America': Open Data Projects

  27 December 2011

The 'Desarrollando Latin América' (Developing Latin America) competition, a public hackathon for creating technological solutions to education, security and budgetary problems in six countries in the region, took place on the 3rd and 4th of December. Juan Arellano, who acted as a judge in Lima (Peru), summarises the results and the reactions from the participants.

Latin America: Youth Unemployment

  27 December 2011

Bloggings by boz looks at youth unemployment in Latin America, concluding that “with growth projections decreased for 2011 and 2012, the current situation for youth unemployment is almost certainly getting worse. That could have major economic, political and social implications moving into 2012.”

Brazil: Murder or Suicide of Controversial Blogger?

  26 December 2011

Blogger Alexander Hamilton, 'the Mosquito', was found dead in his apartment in Brazil. According to the police, it was a case of "suicide by hanging." This quick conclusion, however, has not convinced his friends and family, who are demanding a rigorous investigation of the case.

Brazil: Titan Kids and Surfing as Hope

  22 December 2011

‘Titan Kids’ is a documentary about the kids of Titanzinho, a slum in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil. Birthplace of professional surfers, surfing is perceived as hope in face of “drugs, prostitution, and extreme violence”. Directors Lee-Ann Curren and André Silva (himself a surfer and former resident) released a teaser...

Brazil: Blogging on the Archives of the Dictatorship

  22 December 2011

Journalist Niara de Oliveira published quotes [pt] from a selection of blogs that participated in the fourth blogging carnival #DesarquivandoBR (Unarchiving Brazil), that took place on December 14, on opening the archives of the Brazilian Dictatorship (1964 to 1985).

Brazil: Blogger Murdered in the State of Rio Grande do Norte

  21 December 2011

Tiago Aguiar denounces the assassination of the blogger Edinaldo Filgueira, from the small town of Serra do Mel, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Edinaldo, who believed in “information as a form liberation of humanity”, was allegedly murdered due to a survey on public education he posted...

Brazil: How Many Lives Does the Guarani-Kaiowá's Land Cost?

  20 December 2011

Last November, 42 gunmen attacked an indigenous reserve in Mato Grosso do Sul, executing Nísio Gomes, 59, chief of the Guaraní Kaiowá and several other villagers. These attacks take place at the same time as Brazil consolidates its position as one of the leading exporters of agricultural goods and biofuels in the world, and Mato Grosso do Sul one of its most productive states.

Brazil-Bahrain: Tear Gas for Repression “Made in Brazil”

  17 December 2011

Brazilian cartoonist Carlos Latuff reveals on Twitter that the tear gas devices used for repressing the civilian population of Bahrain is manufactured [pt] in the city of Nova Iguaçu, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, and adds he feels ashamed [pt] for his country exporting such weapons.

Brazil: Bishop Points Out Rape as Women's Excuse for Abortion

  17 December 2011

Luis Soares, from the blog Pragmatismo Político (Political Pragmatism) quotes [pt] Bishop of Guarulhos, in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, Luiz Gonzaga Bergonzini, who said that “women lie when they say they were raped”. In the bishop's mind, he adds, women lie in order to have abortions, because the...

Brazil: Monitoring Human Rights During the World Cup and the Olympics

  15 December 2011

The People's Gateway for the World Cup and the Olympics [pt] has been launched to monitor forced evictions, government misconducts and violations of human rights due to the major urban changes planned for the mega-events of 2014 and 2016. The website was created by a national coalition of committees advocating...

Brazil: Blogger Found Dead, Hanged: Suicide or Assassination?

  15 December 2011

Brazilian blogger Altamiro Borges announces [pt] on his blog, the death of blogger Hamilton Alexander, the “Mosquito”, found dead, hanged, at his home. He adds that friends and family are not convinced of this version, because the blogger was famous for attacking politicians in his state, Santa Catarina, south of...

Brazil: A Book on Fraudulent Privatizations

  14 December 2011

Brazilian filmmaker Jorge Furtado comments on [pt] a book that he considers to be the best of 2011: “Privataria Tucana”. The title is a play with words that links piracy, privatization and toucans, the symbol of the Social Democrat Party (PSDB). The book exposes policies of privatization carried out during...

Brazil: Central Bus Station Reflects Precariousness of Human Rights

  14 December 2011

Emmanuel Rodrigues, writing for the Brazilian blog Eleições Hoje (Elections Today), comments on [pt] the precarious situation of homeless people and others who ramble around the central bus station of Brasilia, Brazil's capital. Rodrigues makes a comparison with the overall situation of the country and the denial of rights to...

Brazil: On a Bill that Bans Drinking in Public Places

  14 December 2011

Brazilian blogger Leonardo Cisneiros comments on [pt] a proposed bill in the city of Recife (Pernambuco state) that prohibits the consumption of alcoholic beverages in public places. The proposed bill has caused mixed reactions among the population, including  a motion of disgust [pt] and online reactions that have been censored...

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Fernanda Canofre
Fernanda Canofre is the Brazil editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.