· February, 2013

Stories about Brazil from February, 2013

Latin America Turns to iPhone App to Take Hammerhead Sharks Off the Chopping Block

  28 February 2013

Countries across Latin America are on a mission to get hammerheads onto the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) list for protection. They’re armed with a new iPhone app that promises to make fin identification quick and easy. Listing the sharks would help fund financially strapped programs in Latin America and restrict global trade.

Why Are Tourists Not Wanted at French Carnival?

  27 February 2013

A video featuring a group of masked Carnival revelers in Dunkirk, France chanting "we don't like tourists" has some web users ruing the flood of visitors who come year after year unprepared for the festival's madness.

Brazil: Cable Car Goes Up, Houses Come Down for World Cup

  27 February 2013

The construction of a cable car for tourists in preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in the Morro da Providência favela in Rio de Janeiro is kicking residents out. Demolished houses are being traded for a stipend of 400 reais (200 US dollars), and many families have been unable find a place to live.

Yoani Sánchez Divides Opinions on a Visit to Brazil

  22 February 2013

Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez was received in Brazil by pro-Cuban government protesters, who accuse her of receiving money from the United States' government and of being a CIA agent. The ones that support the dissident's actions accuse the Brazilian government of collaborating with the Cuban government's repression.

Brazil: Turtles Take Over Public Transport

  20 February 2013

While the citizens of Porto Alegre protest against the increase in bus fares [pt], bus companies demonstrate against the adjustment of wages. On February 19, a “turtle operation” took place, in which vehicles ran at speeds below 30 km per hour. The website PortoAlegre.cc shared a number of suggestions from...

Brazil: Newspaper and Satire Blog Battle

  18 February 2013

The main clash is between the version of Folha, which practices censorship under the guise of brand protection, and the version of Falha, which evokes freedom of expression. Brazilian journalist Lino Bocchini informs [pt] that the case of Folha de São Paulo newspaper against the satirical blog Falha de São...

Memorable Moments from the Brazilian Carnival

  16 February 2013

The importance of Carnival in Brazilian culture cannot be overplayed. Love it or hate it, the Party has bestowed joy on its anonymous masses, fired up those with an opportunistic unbridled penchant for the pursuit of fame, and destroyed the reputation of public figures who have lost all reason and personal boundaries. Check out the following for some magical, shameful, irreverent, controversial and entertaining flashbacks from this important Brazilian extravaganza.

‘Follow the Pope's Lead,’ Brazil Tells Senate President

  14 February 2013

Brazilians reveling in the recent Carnival holiday called on newly elected Senate President Renan Calheiros, who is accused of corruption, to follow Pope Benedict XVI's example and resign. An online petition demanding his ouster has gathered more than 1.5 million signatures.

Brazil Gets Into Carnival Mood to the Afro Beats in Salvador

  11 February 2013

The biggest party on the planet, Brazilian carnival, has grown to such an extent in Salvador, Bahia, that it’s now spread over three main points in the city, attracting half a million tourists during the days of revelry. Preserving Afro-Brazilian culture is key to the Bahian carnival, and this year the theme for the famous Pelourinho historical centre is ‘Black Carnivals’.

Solidarity Rises from Southern Brazil's Sunday Flames

  7 February 2013

One day after the tragic fire in the Kiss nightclub, in Santa Maria, which wiped away the lives of more than 230 young people, a siren went off at Vila Liberdade, in the north of Porto Alegre. 90 of the 150 houses were consumed by flames and around 800 people became homeless. The main social networking sites were used as a tool for the gathering of information about the incident, as well as a way of asking for help for the victims.

About our Brazil coverage

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