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AUTHORITARIANISM CENSORSHIP DEMOCRACY INTERNATIONAL MEDIA LAWFARE MEDIA SOVEREIGNTY

Media Censors Bolsonaro CIA Visit With Justice Minister

On March 18, on his first official visit to the United States far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro visited the Headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency. It was outside the President’s official agenda. None of his predecessors had visited the agency, and indeed very few foreign heads of state ever have. The scandal briefly engulfed coverage […]

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CRIME DEMOCRACY POLITICS RIO DE JANEIRO

Rio Judge orders arrest of Michel Temer

With two former governors in jail, the Rio de Janeiro justice system continues its efforts to dismantle the PMDB party. On March 21, Rio de Janeiro Judge Marcelo Bretas, a friend of neofascist governor Wilson Witzel who is loosely connected to the Curitiba based Lava Jato task force and a possible 2020 Rio de Janeiro mayoral candidate, […]

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AUTHORITARIANISM DEMOCRACY FASCISM LAWFARE SOVEREIGNTY UNITED STATES

“Our Bastard”: Bolsonaro At The White House

On March 19 2019, extreme-right President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro will meet President Donald Trump in Washington DC, on official invitation to the White House. Whilst Trump sidemen John Bolton, Mike Pompeio, Mark Rubio, and rehabilitated war criminal Elliot Abrams, manipulate, confect and pontificate about the situation in Venezuela, they will entertain a man who […]

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AUTHORITARIANISM CRIME POLITICS RIO DE JANEIRO

Bolsonaro, Militias and Marielle Franco: What We Know

As the net around Marielle Franco’s killers tightens, more and more evidence is pointing to an extermination group that has a relationship with the Bolsonaro family. Who ordered the killing of Marielle Franco? Today marks the one year anniversary of the brutal assassination of socialist Rio de Janeiro City Councilwoman Marielle Franco and her driver […]

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ELECTION 2018 IMPERIALISM LAVA JATO LAWFARE UNITED STATES

US DOJ gives Lava Jato $682 million kickback

In a measure that bypasses Brazilian transparency legislation and governmental oversight, the US Department of Justice awards 80% of Petrobras fines to Brazilian partners to set up a privately managed fund to “fight corruption”. Petrobras profits were initially earmarked for Public Education and Health systems. By Brian Mier Over the past 4 years, as most […]

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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 DEFENCE FOREIGN POLICY SOVEREIGNTY

Lula opposes submission to Trump on Venezuela

Cannons and machine guns kill soldiers – embargoes kill women and children. The Americans are specialists. By Brian Mier On Sunday, February 24, Brazilian journalist Fernando Morais received a handwritten letter from his friend Lula. The letter was written from the Curitiba federal police headquarters, where the ex-President has been held in solitary confinement as […]

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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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LAVA JATO LAWFARE POLITICS UNITED STATES

6 holes in the new lawfare conviction against Lula

Charges so flimsy that they could only be upheld in a State of Exception. by Brian Mier On February 6, interim judge Gabriela Hardt, who recently replaced Sergio Moro in the Operation Car Wash investigation, convicted Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on corruption charges related to alleged illegal reforms on a vacation property in Atibaia, […]