An international Libertarian organisation is behind proposals to privatise Brazilian cities, creating vast luxury condominiums for the most wealthy, and removing democratic rights from their citizens. Brazil’s federal government has been quietly exploring a grand libertarian experiment. Proposals have been put forward for the creation of privatised charter cities, special economic zones inspired by Honduras, Hong […]
The following speech was given by Brasil Wire editor Brian Mier on a World Social Forum webinar entitled: The Right to the City: Towards Social and Ecological Justice, which was hosted by ActionAid India. I have a long history of working on urban issues in Brazil but as the 2016 coup began, I got involved […]
Curitiba is known around the world for innovative urban planning and European heritage. During a speech at the World Social Forum, however, Carol Dartora accused the city government of hiding its black population and pushing the poor to neighboring dormitory cities. The following is an edited transcript of the speech, which was made in a […]
“We view the state of Parana as a laboratory for all of Bolsonaro’s worst ideas,” says Dartora, who is the first Afro-Brazilian woman elected in the 327 year history of the Curitiba City Council. With Brian Mier Curitiba, center of the US DOJ and FBI-backed Lava Jato investigation, has a reputation as a very conservative […]
Rio de Janeiro hasn’t elected a progressive mayor since the 1980s but this year progressives are celebrating anyway, as center right candidate and former Mayor Eduardo Paes beat a man widely considered the worst mayor in Rio de Janeiro’s 455 year history. By Luiz Matheus* The left’s failure to mount a coalition ticket, with vote […]
As the PT and Brazilian left made modest gains, the Bolsonaro coalition imploded By Brian Mier On Sunday, November 15, over 147 million Brazilians went to the polls in the largest round of local elections in the nation’s history. One state, Amapa, had to cancel most of its elections due the fact that most of […]
Sunday’s elections promise to provide solid, but not breathtaking advances for the Brazilian left. On the other hand, all signs show that it will be a day of huge losses for the coalition tied to far right President Jair Bolsonaro. by Brian Mier On Sunday, November 15th, residents of Brazil’s 5570 municipalities will vote for […]
Bolsonaro ally Governor Wilson Witzel’s Military Police are now killing 5 people a day. Most victims are Afro-Brazilian youth. Many are being killed execution style with gunshots at close range to the back of the head, or by helicopter snipers. On February 8th, in Fallet Favela near downtown Rio de Janeiro, members of the military […]
Rio De Janeiro Governor Wilson Witzel orders use of helicopter snipers in poor communities and police break 20 year record for killing civilians. On Sunday, May 5, a video appeared on the internet, showing Rio de Janeiro’s right-wing extremist governor, Wilson Witzel, addressing the camera: “Hello people,” he said, “we are starting today, in Angra […]
Brasil’s Education crisis is not a crisis, it is a project. – Darcy Ribeiro. Across the political spectrum Brazilians will tell you that the principal problem in the country is education, yet who profits most from programmed, weaponised ignorance? Research, science, technology, culture, and education are not ideologies, but approaches and attitudes toward them in […]