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DEMOCRACY POLITICS SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

AFL-CIO gives Lula it’s 2019 Human Rights Award

The privileged elites have undermined Brazil’s fragile democratic institutions, especially its judiciary, and took extraordinary and illegal measures to prevent Lula from running for president in October 2018 when all polls predicted his victory. On March 14, 2019, the AFL-CIO labor union confederation, with 12.7 million members in the USA and Canada, awarded its 2019 […]

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AUTHORITARIANISM DEMOCRACY UNITED STATES

30 US Lawmakers warn of risks to Brasil’s Democracy

“Lula was barred from running in controversial circumstances that put at risk the right of the people of Brazil to freely choose their president.” On March 5, 30 Democratic US Congressmen sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, expressing their concern about the regressive trends pushing Brazilian democracy and the threats to the […]

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CULTURE DEMOCRACY POLITICS

Triggered, Bolsonaro commits impeachable offense – tweets porn video

After 5 days of ridicule at the hands of Carnaval goers, right wing extremist President makes homophobic rant and tweets porn video to 3 million followers, including thousands of children. Brazil’s 2019 Carnaval will go down in history as one of the most politicized ever. From tributes to slain Rio de Janeiro socialist city councilwoman Marielle Franco […]

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DEMOCRACY satire SOVEREIGNTY UNDERSTANDING BRASIL

Meet Brazil’s new President: José de Abreu

Taking lead from right wing Venezuelan opposition leader Brazilian actor declares himself President – challenges Juan Guaidó to debate By Brian Mier On February 25, veteran Brazilian character actor José de Abreu announced on Twitter that he was thinking of taking Juan Guaidó’s lead and declaring himself President of Brazil. Minutes later, in the midst […]

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AUTHORITARIANISM DEMOCRACY POLITICS

Meltdown: Bolsonaro breaks public disapproval record

As approval rating falls to 38.9%, Bolsonaro sets record for least popular presidential start of the 21st Century. The poll, by CNT/MDA, began measuring presidential popularity at the two-month mark in 1998. by Brian Mier Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in January, 2003, in the midst of a currency collapse and one of […]

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AUTHORITARIANISM DEMOCRACY FOREIGN POLICY SOVEREIGNTY

PT moves to block support for Trump’s “humanitarianism”

As the Brazilian government subordinates itself to the US, Workers Party Congressmen move to block support for Trump’s mission in Venezuela. On February 21, PT Congressmen Paulo Pimenta and Paulo Teixeira filed orders to summon Defense Minister General Fernando Azevedo e Silva and Foreign Affairs Minister Ernesto Araújo on February 21st, to explain Brazilian government support […]

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ARMED FORCES AUTHORITARIANISM DEMOCRACY

Meet the Military Junta running Brasil

A Junta has taken the power that was left vacant by the cartoon caricatures of Bolsonaro and his sons. Captain Jair may continue living in the Presidential Palace and even play video games in his office in the Capital building. All he has to do is obey his commanding officers, the generals. by Mauro Lopes It was a […]

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DEMOCRACY HOUSING HOUSING MOVEMENTS SOCIAL INCLUSION SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

Bolsonaro and the death of social housing

The Bolsonaro government freezes funding for self-managed social housing construction, destroys the Ministry of Cities and tries to declare the housing movements as terrorists by Brian Mier* Approximately 7 million Brazilian families live in substandard housing, in shacks or simple brick houses that are often built in areas at risk of flooding or landslides that […]

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DEMOCRACY LAVA JATO MEDIA UNDERSTANDING BRASIL

Ricardo Boechat, Journalist. 1952-2019.

On the morning of 11th January, a 44 year old Bell B06 JetRanger helicopter carrying TV Bandeirantes News Anchor, Ricardo Boechat crashed in São Paulo, near Anhanguera, as it brought the veteran journalist back from a speech in the neighbouring city of Campinas. Boechat’s death became the latest in a succession of national tragedies to hit […]

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DEMOCRACY SOCIAL INCLUSION SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

The fight begins against Brazil’s draconian pension reforms

The Unions and Social movements successfully blocked Michel Temer’s neoliberal pension reforms but new proposals by the Bolsonaro administration are even worse by Brian Mier In a period marked by destruction of most of Brazil’s labor rights and the first ever lowering of the minimum wage, one of the only glimmers of hope was the […]