· January, 2013

Stories about Brazil from January, 2013

Brazil in Mourning After the Tragic Fire in Santa Maria

On January 27, 2012, the college town of Santa Maria, located in the middle of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, suffered a tragic fire in the nightclub Kiss. Considered the second largest fire by number of victims in Brazil, the incident claimed the lives of around 231 people, most of them young, 90% of them by intoxication.

31 January 2013

‘Planet Asks for Pedalling': Cycling Through Latin America

"I understood that travelling like this, without being in a rush, gives you the freedom to get to know cultures more deeply and the simplicity of the people." Meet Beto, from Brazil, and his project 'Planet asks for Pedalling' that will take him on a 2.5 years journey cycling through Latin America.

30 January 2013

Indigenous Xavantes of Marãiwatsédé Fight for the Right to Their Land

Having inhabited the Marãiwatsédé territory in the north of Mato Grosso for centuries, natives of the Xavante ethnic group face occupation and threats from farmers who are trying to evictl them from their homeland, which was returned to them 14 years ago. On December 6, 2012, the justice department in Mato Grosso ordered the delivery of subpoenas for the removal of illegal occupants of these ancestral lands. A month and a half later the process has almost been finalized.

29 January 2013

Critical Mass: Cycling Through Brazil's Salvador City

In our attempt to discover the route of Brazilian Critical Masses, we spoke with two organizers of the Salvador Critical Mass (also known as “Bicicletada”), Roque Júnior and Rosa Ribeiro. Here's the second part of the interview, in which we get to know a little more about the city’s urban mobility policies.

29 January 2013

Brazil: “Massacre of Pinheirinho”, One Year Later

January 22, 2013 marked one year since the violent eviction of the Pinheirinho settlement in the city of São José dos Campos, Brazil. A demonstration to commemorate the date took place at the entrance to the grounds of Pinheirinho. The land has since remained empty and the people who lived there remain homeless.

28 January 2013

Critical Mass: Wheels of Activism Come to Brazil's Salvador City

The international cycling movement Critical Mass - or Bicicletadas as it is been known in Brazilian Portuguese - has won the hearts of Brazilians, since cars have reached a saturation point on the country's congested roads. Visiting the city of Salvador in Brazil, Global Voices contributor, Thiana Biondo talked to Critical Mass local activists Roque Junior and Rosa Ribeiro. Check out the first part of the interview.

24 January 2013

Profile of Brazilian Blogger Nessa Guedes, the Coca-Cola Girl

The Global Voices Online community works together to share the voices of thousands of bloggers and citizen journalists who live around the world. Sometimes, however, these same bloggers are the target of our curiosity. In the interview below, we will discover a little bit more about Nessa Guedes, the Coca-Cola Girl.

19 January 2013

‘Travelling with Nannies’ Proves Controversial in Brazil

A blog post with useful tips for families who travel with nannies raised controversy as the author's statements reflected a prejudiced view of domestic workers and deeper troubling issues in Brazil's work relations. The post went viral and was ultimately taken down by the site's administrators.

18 January 2013

Brazil's World Cup Construction Threatens Indigenous “Living Museum”

About six years ago, the abandoned building of the First Museum of the Indian, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil turned into a “living museum” and became home to several different indigenous communities. On the morning of January 12, 2013, the military police arrived ready to evict the community. Activists soon arrived on the scene.

16 January 2013

Brazil Debates Human Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation – Part II

While European politics has made a favorable move to abolish prostitution as a legalized profession in the old continent, recently in France a couple was convicted to three years in prison for organizing a prostitution scheme of young Brazilians. In Brazil, the government and the media are trying to raise awareness on human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

9 January 2013

About our Brazil coverage

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