Brazil

Brazil: Rio鈥檚 governor celebrates more Black deaths

Rio de Janeiro鈥檚 population watched in shock on August 20 as the state鈥檚 governor, Wilson Witzel celebrated the shooting by a sniper of a 20-year-old Black man who held 37 people hostage on a bus. The perpetrator had mental health problems, had never been in trouble with the police and had a plastic gun.

While Witzel鈥檚 tactics have been applauded, the politician鈥檚 merriment as he jumped from the safety of his helicopter to compliment the sniper, revealed the current security regime being enforced in the state.

La Via Campesina: Burning the Amazon is a crime against humanity

La Via Campesina is a global social movement that unites 148 groups representing small farmers, peasants, rural workers and indigenous communities around the world.

It fights for food sovereignty and ecologically sustainable agriculture.

It released the following statement on the Amazon fires on August 24.

Collusion in Brazil鈥檚 judiciary brings the curtain down on the rule of law

Messages between Brazil鈥檚 federal prosecutor, Deltan Dallagnol, who led 翱辫别谤补莽茫辞 Lava Jato (Operation Car Wash) and then-judge, Sergio Moro, have revealed that the evidence used to jail Brazil鈥檚 Workers鈥 Party (PT) former president Luis Inacio 鈥淟ula鈥 da Silva, was tenuous at best and that the charges against him may have been groundless.

'International emergency' as fires devastate Brazil's rainforest

"The Amazon rainforest has been burning for three weeks! We are on the verge of losing it completely if the fire isn't put out. The loss of trees, the loss of biodiversity is what is accelerating climate change."

Brazil鈥檚 stride into authoritarianism

Since Brazil鈥檚 2016 parliamentary coup d鈥檈tat, in which former president Dilma Rousseff was removed on a later-exonerated technicality, Brazil鈥檚 ultra-right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro has made every effort to destroy any remnants of the legacy left by the Brazilian Workers鈥 Party (PT).

Brazil: Millions strike against Bolsonaro鈥檚 pension reforms

Strikers stopped public transport, blocked roads and held street demonstrations in 380 cities across Brazil on June 14.

Brazil: More than 1 million take to the streets

A nationwide education strike on May 15 became the platform for the biggest anti-government protests since President Jair Bolsonaro took power.

Free Lula, democracy in Brazil

Brazilian solidarity activists rallied in Sydney on April 7.

Speakers called for the release of jailed former Brazilian president Lula Da Silva and spoke out against the far-right government of Jair Bolsonaro and its attacks on democracy.

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Who ordered the murder of Marielle Franco?

On March 14, 2018 in the centre of Brazil鈥檚 Rio de Janeiro, two gunmen in a car murdered Municipal Chamber Councilor Marielle Franco and her driver, Anderson Pedro Gomes. Unlike most of the city鈥檚 political leaders, Marielle came from Rio鈥檚 favelas. And many of the favelas鈥 millions of marginalised and mostly black residents saw her as their champion.

Brazilian environmentalists warn of more mining disasters

A tailings dam owned by Brazilian iron ore producer Vale burst in Brumadinho in the state of Minas Gerais on January 25. This is the second of its tailings dams to burst in several years. Hundreds died and the devastation to local residents, water resources and biodiversity was immense.

New Vale mine disaster in Brazil is one more corporate failure

The world鈥檚 biggest producer of iron ore, Vale, has again distanced itself from an ecological and workplace disaster of its own making, writes Pip Hinman.

Coup in progress? Venezuelan Foreign Minister decries US and Brazil-backed effort to oust Maduro

Update: Since this interveiw was published by . President Trump has recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaid贸 as interim president, calling democratically elected President Maduro 鈥渋llegitimate.鈥 In response, Venezuela has cut diplomatic ties with the U.S., giving diplomats 72 hours to leave the country.