The Brazilian Report

16/11/2024

📊 : Brazil’s favela population sees a significant increase

The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics defines favelas as “self-organized communities that emerge from grassroots efforts to address housing and essential needs — such as commerce, services, leisure, and culture — driven by a lack of adequate public policies and private investments that ensure the right to the city.”

By the numbers. The latest census data shows that, by 2022, Brazil had more than 12,300 favelas, home to nearly 16.4 million people. The favela population has grown by 43 percent since 2010, while the number of favelas doubled. Eight percent of Brazilians live in these communities, up from 6 percent in 2010.

This growing favela-ization of urban areas underscores Brazil’s intensifying socioeconomic, territorial, environmental, and racial divides. “We’ve seen deepening inequality in access to basic rights, exacerbated by social policy cuts,” said Denise Morado, an urban inequality researcher at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, back in 2021.

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15/11/2024

🎥📊Seven videos & data visualizations worth showcasing

Our audience knows how much we appreciate charts, data visualizations, and multimedia content across our newsletters, articles, and podcasts. Today, we’re taking a look back at some of our favorite pieces of visual journalism over the years.

1. Our dear “How Big Brazil is” infographic, which you’ve almost certainly seen in some corner of the internet at some point over the years.

2. During the pandemic, Vox republished our “short, slick” video showcasing Bolsonaro's statements playing down the severity of the coronavirus, portrayed alongside the growing number of Covid infections and deaths.

3. We published a special report on a crisis in the city of Maceió, Alagoas, parts of which faced the risk of collapse due to abusive salt mining processes by major corporation Braskem. We produced a video with footage from the ground, and interviews.

4. In 2021, we produced an explainer about the Yanomami people’s struggle in the Amazon. The video warned about the risk the Yanomami people were facing and how Covid and other diseases were harming their local community.

5. In 2022, we went on camera to deliver special coverage of Brazil’s 2022 presidential election. In both rounds of the 2022 election, we were there to provide the best coverage of the Brazilian vote in English.

6. Almost two years after the original story on salt mining in Maceió, the city was braced for disaster as neighborhoods were evacuated amid collapse risks. To follow up on the developments, we tailored visualizations to explain how deep and on which level of the soil the problem was located, and which neighborhoods had to be evacuated.

7. In our premium newsletter “Debt and Disaster”, we crossed flood risk projections with financial data to discover that almost half of the 108 Brazilian municipalities in debt to the federal government are considered to be at a high or very high risk of floods in the coming years.

Each video and data visualization helped to highlight important matters of their stories and to bring our audience closer to a more accurate perspective. Which one stands out to you?

15/11/2024

🌍🪑G20 Social Summit aims to give civil society a seat at the table

The first-ever G20 Social Summit opens this Thursday in Rio de Janeiro, just days before heads of state from the world’s largest economies meet on November 18-19. The summit concludes a year’s work by 13 thematic civil society groups, who will present their recommendations to the Group of Twenty leaders.

Since 2010, these Engagement Groups have advocated policy recommendations, but they became more prominent after Brazil assumed the G20 presidency.

Their strengthened influence reflects both the expanded G20 agenda — which has evolved from an exclusive focus on financial issues to include social and environmental priorities since the 2008 financial crisis — and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s own ambitions.

🔗Read more in our full article by Isabela Cruz here 👇
https://brazilian.report/power/2024/11/14/g20-social-summit-rio-de-janeiro/

Brazil’s G20 leadership pushes for social and environmental priorities — but questions remain about how far these promises will reach.

15/11/2024

💣🔍Brasília bomb attack gives January 8 investigations new momentum

Over nearly two years, Brazil’s far right has sought to absolve those responsible for the violent January 8, 2023, attack, when thousands of supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed Brazil’s Congress, Supreme Court, and presidential palace. Their aim: to incite a military coup just one week after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s inauguration.

Hard-line conservatives first pushed for a congressional investigation, claiming the assault was a “false-flag” operation staged by the government to undermine their movement. Mr. Bolsonaro’s supporters suggested that leftist infiltrators sabotaged what they described as a peaceful demonstration.

But that narrative failed. The inquiry’s final report implicated Jair Bolsonaro and his allies for stirring anti-democratic fervor among his supporters.

Following this setback, far-right politicians began advocating amnesty for the rioters.

🔗Read more in our full article here 👇
https://brazilian.report/power/2024/11/14/brasilia-bomb-january-8-investigations/

The bomb attack of Brazil's Supreme Court may lead to a whiplash from authorities — a bad omen for the far right.

14/11/2024

🇦🇷 🛢️Brazil-Argentina shale gas deal reportedly close to completion

Brazil and Argentina are reportedly on the verge of finalizing a long-awaited shale gas purchase deal, with the announcement expected to occur after the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro next Monday and Tuesday.

The agreement involves Brazil purchasing shale gas from the Vaca Mu**ta fields in Patagonia, allowing Argentina to significantly increase its gas exports and providing Brazil with cheaper imports when needed.

As reported by news website Poder360, the deal will be for Brazil to buy 2 million cubic meters (roughly 70.6 million cubic feet) of gas per day at first, an amount that would increase to 10 million m3 a day for three years, before reaching 30 million m3 a day in 2030.

🔗Read more in our full article by Euan Marshall here 👇
https://brazilian.report/liveblog/politics-insider/2024/11/14/argentina-shale-gas-deal-close/

Brazil and Argentina are on the verge of finalizing a long-awaited shale gas purchase deal — which should be signed after the G20 summit.

14/11/2024

🎨 : Democracy, quite literally, under attack

Less than a day after a man died in a failed bombing attempt outside the Supreme Court headquarters in the capital Brasília on Wednesday evening, Brazil is still in shock.

Security camera footage showed Francisco Wanderley Luiz, 59, a locksmith and failed city council candidate from the southern state of Santa Catarina, advancing toward the Supreme Court building while holding explosives, drawing the attention of security guards.

After throwing explosive devices toward the famous Lady Justice statue that sits outside the court, the assailant was seen igniting another device and lying on top of it, indicating a su***de attempt. He was killed by the explosion.

🔗Read more in our full article here 👇
https://brazilian.report/cartoons/2024/11/14/democracy-under-attack/

14/11/2024

☯️ The two sides of Hispaniola

The never-ending institutional crisis in Haiti saw a new chapter this week after the country’s Transitional Presidential Council, established to organize new elections, fired interim Prime Minister Garry Conille. He is now set to be replaced by a local businessman.

Who’s the boss? Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s resignation created a power vacuum after three years of interim rule between 2021 and 2024. No elected authorities were left in a country that has struggled to organize elections, as gangs effectively control large parts of its territory.

New leader. The council responded by firing PM Conille with a near-unanimous vote, appointing businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aimé as his replacement. A former Boston University student, Mr. Fils-Aimé owns a number of dry cleaning companies and served as chief of Haiti’s Chamber of Commerce. He has significant support from the country’s private sector.

🔗Read more in our full newsletter by Lucas Berti and Carlos Ignacio Portes here 👉 https://brazilian.report/newsletters/latin-america-weekly/2024/11/13/haiti-dominican-republic-kirchner/

Power vacuum grows in Haiti with the firing of its prime minister. Luis Abinader bans indefinite re-elections in the Dominican Republic.

14/11/2024

🪶✊Indigenous leader demands Lula keep his word on demarcations

In mid-September, indigenous representatives and members of Brazil’s federal government, including President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attended a ceremony at Rio de Janeiro’s National Museum to unveil a sacred indigenous cloak that had been taken from Brazil at least 335 years ago.

Previously on display in Denmark’s National Museum and made entirely from scarlet ibis feathers, the recently repatriated artifact is a relic of the Tupinambá de Olivença indigenous people — a community that has lived in the south of the northeastern Brazilian state Bahia for at least half a millennium.

However, despite their long ancestral history, existing long before the arrival of Portuguese colonizers, the Tupinambá de Olivença have no protected land to call their own. And their leaders made use of the publicity surrounding the return of their sacred cloak to make demands of Brazil’s leftist president.

🔗Read more in our full article here 👇
https://brazilian.report/environment/2024/11/13/indigenous-leader-lula-word-land-demarcations/

Lula promised progress with the demarcation of an indigenous territory in Bahia, but the government has passed the buck to the Supreme Court.

14/11/2024

💣 Failed terrorist plot

A man died in a failed bombing attempt on Wednesday near the Supreme Court in Brasília. Around 7:30 pm, two explosions were reported near Three Powers Square, where the three branches of government are headquartered. While the Supreme Court had closed for the day, sessions in the House and Senate were still underway.

Details. Authorities identified the bomber as Francisco Wanderley Luiz, who unsuccessfully ran for city council in 2020 in Santa Catarina, a state in southern Brazil. He ran as a candidate for the Liberal Party, the same as former President Jair Bolsonaro — although Mr. Bolsonaro only joined the party in 2021.

Threats. Shortly before Wednesday evening’s attack, Mr. Luiz posted references to bombs and blasts on social media, stating that Brazil’s Federal Police would need to defuse a device.

Not the first. As radical rhetoric escalates in Brazil, extreme acts of violence have become more common in the country. On Christmas Eve 2022, three men tried to detonate a bomb near the Brasília Airport. They hoped to “create chaos” and set conditions for Mr. Bolsonaro to declare a state of emergency and prevent the transition of power to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who took office on January 1, 2023.

🔗Read more in our full newsletter by Gustavo Ribeiro and Isabela Cruz here 👉 https://brazilian.report/newsletters/brazil-daily/2024/11/14/supreme-court-bombing-rubio-state-g20-rio/

The failed bombing attack against the Supreme Court. Marco Rubio nomination rattles Brazil. The security plans for G20 in Rio.

13/11/2024

🚨 Man dies after explosions near Brazil’s Supreme Court

A man died Wednesday near Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court after blasts close to Three Powers Square, where all three branches of government are headquartered in Brasília. The capital’s fire department confirmed the incident and has closed off the square’s perimeter. The explosions were heard around 7:30 pm — soon after the end of a Supreme Court sitting.

Emergency personnel, including firefighters and military police, remain on the scene. The Supreme Court issued a statement confirming that all justices and staff were safely evacuated.

Authorities are investigating the cause and potential motives behind the incident.

This is a developing story.

🔗Read more in our full article here 👇
https://i.mtrbio.com/eugnktgylt

A man died Wednesday near Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court after explosions were heard close to Three Powers Square, in capital Brasília.

13/11/2024

🎙️ : The Amazon at war

Imposing the capitalist logic of resource extraction on the Amazon, as has been done historically, means disregarding its living nature and, thus, subjecting the largest tropical forest in the world and its people to a veritable war. Considering the climatic effects of the biome reaching the so-called point of no return, the existential threat is one that is posed against humanity.

This is what journalist Marcos Colón, a professor at Arizona State University and founder of the website Amazônia Latitude, states. In this episode of To Be Read, he talks about his book "The Amazon in Times of War,” written in English and recently published by Latin America Bureau and Practical Action.

According to Mr. Colón, who has extensive experience in on-site reporting, war can occur in the form of an “open assault,” as was the case during the Jair Bolsonaro government (2019-2022), but it does not cease.

🎧Listen to the full podcast here 👇
https://brazilian.report/podcast/2024/11/13/to-be-read-amazon-at-war/

13/11/2024

🇧🇷🤝🇨🇳 Brazil and China discuss anti-corruption cooperation

Brazil’s federal comptroller general, Vinícius de Carvalho, visited China this week to further the two countries’ cooperation on governance, auditing, and transparency.

According to the Federal Comptroller General’s Office (CGU), in a meeting with China’s Justice Minister, He Rong, both countries expressed interest in creating legal assistance mechanisms to speed up investigations into transnational corruption, money laundering, currency evasion, and asset recovery.

Mr. Carvalho also met with Chinese officials to discuss sharing auditing practices and training, as well as developing oversight technology for the public sector. This included meeting with Fu Kui, deputy secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and Tong Jianming, deputy attorney general of the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office.

🔗Read more in our full article by Letícia Arcoverde here 👇
https://brazilian.report/liveblog/politics-insider/2024/11/13/brazil-china-anti-corruption-cooperation/

Brazil’s federal comptroller general visited China to further the two countries’ cooperation on governance, auditing, and transparency.

13/11/2024

🧮👑Brazil’s complicated and unequal tax system favors millionaires

Brazil’s tax system has long been criticized for its high complexity and regressive nature, levying high taxes on goods, services, and wages while largely sparing personal wealth from heavy taxation.

A new study by the Institute for Applied Economic Research (Ipea) highlights the extent of inequality within the country’s tax system. It shows that Brazil’s millionaires effectively pay a similar tax rate as workers who earn much less.

The research shows that because shareholder profits and dividends aren’t subject to income tax in Brazil, the average tax rate paid by the richest individuals in the country maxes out at 14.2 percent and decreases at the very top of the income ladder.

The study uses data from the Federal Revenue Service that includes all income sources declared to the authorities between 2017 and 2022. Unlike previous research, it takes into account how corporate levies contribute to how individuals are effectively taxed.

🔗Read more in our full article by Letícia Arcoverde here 👇
https://brazilian.report/business/2024/11/12/brazil-tax-system-favors-millionaires/

A new study shows that Brazil’s wealthiest pay tax rates similar to low-income earners due to systemic loopholes

13/11/2024

📈💸Brazil’s inflation outlook getting worse, will keep monetary policy tighter

The Brazilian Central Bank released minutes from its latest policy meeting on Tuesday, signaling that worsening inflation expectations could extend — and intensify — its tightening cycle.

The minutes stressed the need for government fiscal discipline and highlighted risks from global uncertainty alongside Brazil’s strong economic performance and job market.

Last week, the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee raised the target policy rate by 0.5 percentage points to 11.25 percent, maintaining a tightening stance that began in September. As noted in last Wednesday’s announcement, the committee offered no specific forward guidance but reaffirmed a “firm commitment to inflation target convergence,” monitoring shifts over time.

🔗Read more in our full article by Letícia Arcoverde here 👇
https://brazilian.report/liveblog/politics-insider/2024/11/12/brazil-inflation-monetary-policy/

Brazil's Central Bank signaled that worsening inflation expectations could extend — and intensify — its tightening cycle

13/11/2024

😓 Approval slip

The Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva administration’s approval rating has dipped to 35 percent, according to a new MDA survey commissioned by the National Confederation of Transportation. It is the lowest point since he took office in 2023, highlighting a drop of seven percentage points since January and two points since the last survey in May.

Big picture. At the same points in his previous terms, Lula enjoyed much higher approval ratings of 45 and 71 percent, respectively. When compared to past governments, Lula’s approval only surpasses that of Fernando Henrique Cardoso’s second term and Michel Temer’s administration.

Support remains strongest among women, those over 60, lower-income residents, people with less formal education, and Catholics in the Northeast. These cohorts, heavily reliant on distributive welfare policies, underscores the political risks Lula would face if he attempted policy cuts.

🔗Read more in our full newsletter by Gustavo Ribeiro and Euan Marshall here 👉 https://brazilian.report/newsletters/brazil-daily/2024/11/13/lula-approval-amazon-water-homicides/

New Lula approval poll creates more hurdles for budget cuts. Drought reduces Brazil’s open water. Brazil’s alarming homicide clearance rates.

12/11/2024

🎰⚖️Brazil’s top prosecutor calls for online gambling ban

The Brazilian Federal Prosecution Office filed a lawsuit before the Supreme Court, requesting that justices declare unconstitutional the legislation that allows online gambling platforms to operate in Brazil. They also ask the court to strike down all ordinances published by the Finance Ministry regulating the sector.

“Current legislation falls short in protecting consumers’ fundamental rights against the predatory nature of the online gambling industry,” the lawsuit reads. “It also sidesteps constitutional restrictions on advertising high-risk health products.”

The nefarious effects of online betting platforms on society have come to the forefront of public debate in Brazil, after multiple studies suggest that gambling additions are hurting the economy — with millions of people using their disposable income on games of chance rather than on consumer goods.

🔗Read more in our full article here 👇
https://brazilian.report/liveblog/politics-insider/2024/11/12/brazil-prosecutor-gambling-ban/

Prosecutors say legislation permitting online gambling and sports betting should be deemed unconstitutional

12/11/2024

🦾 : Regulator sets rules for Brazil’s first flying car

Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) has issued new safety and construction rules for Eve Air Mobility’s electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, marking significant progress for Embraer’s subsidiary toward certification.

New rules. The new guidelines include requirements for stability in all configurations, proper ventilation and drainage, evacuation procedures, and the capability to sustain flight after a collision with birds up to one kilogram.

Eve has stated that it will adapt its development process to meet these criteria and continue to work with Anac toward certification. The company unveiled its first full-size prototype this July, and expects to begin testing the model next year in order for it to be operational by 2026.

Orders in. Eve says it has secured letters of intent from 30 possible customers across 13 countries, expressing interest in nearly 3,000 units of its eVTOL aircraft. The company has selected the city of Taubaté, located near Embraer’s headquarters in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, as the site for its factory.

🔗Read more in our full article by Letícia Arcoverde here 👇
https://brazilian.report/tech/2024/11/11/rules-certification-first-flying-car/

Regulators published requirements for the eVTOL aircraft developed by Embraer’s Eve, bringing the "flying car" closer to certification.

12/11/2024

📊 : An imprecise target

The Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva administration quietly published its new adjustment to the country’s goals under the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change ahead of the UN Climate Conference, which kicks off today.

The latest greenhouse gas mitigation targets for 2035 will form part of the country’s new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which will be submitted in the coming days.

Brazil is only the second country to disclose its NDC; the United Arab Emirates was the first.

Yes, but … Establishing a range for short-term reductions “runs counter to the core goal: to reduce emissions as quickly and deeply as possible,” says the Talanoa Institute, a think tank. “The focus should be on accelerating the trajectory toward net zero emissions, without limits that could suggest stagnation in the process.”

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