Latest posts by Fernanda Canofre
What an attack on a far-right presidential candidate means for Brazil politics
The attack was only the latest episode of a political drama plagued by violence and impunity.
A Brazilian animation about drag queens is singled out, criticized on moral grounds
"If Super Drags is a cartoon for adults why is the Brazilian Paediatrics Society worrying itself?"
Facebook bans 196 pages in Brazil, attempting to rein in abuse and disinformation
Free Brazil Movement is accusing the platform of censoring right-wing groups.
Interview with Rosaly Lopes, a Brazilian NASA astronomer and the first woman to edit the journal founded by Carl Sagan
Her great inspiration? Francis Northcutt, the astronomer who, in 1970, helped to calculate the return route of Apollo 13.
City Councillor and Leading Rights Activist Shot Dead in Downtown Rio de Janeiro
Marielle Franco was the fifth most voted councilor for Rio's City Chamber. She was murdered after denouncing police violence in favelas. The crime is being investigated as an execution.
A Photo Shows a Boy Watching New Year's Fireworks. Why Do Some Brazilians Assume He's Sad and Poor?
"The people looking at the picture are pre-conditioned to understand that the image of a black person is associated with poverty and abandonment...This pre-condition is structural racism..."
After 121 Years, the First Indigenous Singer Performs at Brazil’s Teatro Amazonas
The theatre was built in the late 19th century with the wealth from rubber exploitation in the Amazon, which brought devastation for the indigenous communities in the forested region.
If You Want To Understand Brazil, You Should Check out Its Memes
"Brazilians don't care if you don't understand their language and their jokes, they will talk to you — or Katy Perry, or Nicki Minaj — as if you were Brazilian”
Is Rio de Janeiro at War? Its Residents Debate
A newspaper decided to create 'war pages' to cover Rio's rising violence numbers and cases. The decision raised questions if it does any good for Rio itself.
A Retired Teacher and Granddaughter of Slaves Gives Her Personal Account of Racism in Modern Brazil
Diva Guimarães asked for the microphone during a literature festival and recounted her experience with how Brazil treats the black population. Video of her talk went viral.
What Once Was the Main Slave Port in the Americas Is Now a World Heritage Site
The recognition forces Brazil to acknowledge a period of its history that it still struggles to fully confront.
What's It Like to Live in a Brazilian Prison Cell? Cramped, Dirty, and Dangerous to Your Health
With the fourth largest prison population in the world, Brazil is facing a collapsed system that fails to prosecute appropriately and reintegrate people once they have been in jail.
How a Case of Vigilante Tattoo Punishment Showcases Skepticism of Human Rights in Brazil
Two men tattooed "thief" and "scum" on a teen's forehead, thinking he had stolen a bicycle. The teen later told police he hadn't, but social media took the vigilantes' side.
What Role Did Brazilian Mainstream Media Play in the Murder of a Teenage Girl? This Filmmaker Wants to Know.
"Eloá’s story is the story of many Brazilians. Brazil is the fifth country in the world in terms of the number of women killed..."
In Uruguay, Where Abortion Is Legal, a Judge's Ruling Grants a Man the Right to Stop a Woman’s Decision
"It’s a moral regression for women, for we are again not masters of our own bodies. There's a law, but it’s not applicable for you."
Old Misogynist Hatreds Fuel a New Year’s Massacre in Brazil
It's a disturbing notion, but much about the man who massacred 11 people on Jan. 1 is hardly unusual, when it comes to gender-based violence
A Transgender Woman’s Modest Election Win Is a Huge Victory for Brazil’s Trans Community
"No one cried for us. On the contrary. To many families, as it still is today, it’s a relief when they kill us or when we die."
Former Guantanamo Prisoner Risks Death From Hunger Strike in Effort to Be Reunited With Family
"They have closed the doors on me and left me without any solution and this is the only path that I've found."
The Women Who Resisted Uruguay’s Dictatorship Get a Film Honoring Their Heroism
Manane Rodriguez's “Migas de Pan” tells the story of a group of women tortured and sexually abused by Uruguay's dictatorship, set thirty years after the regime's fall.
5 Accounts From Female Political Prisoners That Recall the Horrific Torture Under Brazil’s Military Dictatorship
A confessed torturer was recently praised in Brazil's Chamber of Deputies, creating an opening for the group of people who support or minimize state crimes committed during the 21-year dictatorship.
As President Faces Impeachment, Brazil’s ‘Royal Family’ Wants to Play ‘Game of Thrones’ For Real
It's been 127 years since Brazil was a monarchy, but President Rousseff's possible impeachment has presented the country's last royal family with an opportunity to appeal to supporters.
