He who was born, was born / He who wasn’t born, won’t be born / Get out the way of the bullet train or else you might get torn.—“He Who Was Born, Was Born” by MC G3 Will There Be “Peace, Liberty, And Justice” With Whatever Comes After Brazil? Recorded circa...
We should present our condolences to each other. They do not resuscitate the dead, but they strengthen relationships among the living.—Article 10 of the Charter of Kurukan-Fuga (Constitution of the Mali Empire, circa 13th century AD) A short list of massacres committed by Brazilian police in Rio de Janeiro favelas...
The large-scale operation in Rio de Janeiro carried out on October 28, which has already left at least 121 people dead and once again laid bare the logic of war applied to poverty, should not be understood solely as a local public-security issue. It is part of a global control...
”It’s state terror / I’m gonna speak up / Maybe my time’s up / The world doesn’t accept trophies I’ve won in battle … / That’s why there’s hate in my words / Explain to a child why his hero is behind bars.”— lyrics from “Anti O.R.U.A.M. Law,” by...
In Part I of our series, we reflected on some of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s personal and political background, as well as his success during two terms as president of Brazil. We also highlighted one of his long-time political rivals, former São Paulo governor Geraldo Alckmin. Alckmin's sudden...
With little variation, as it was 60 years ago, Brazil’s military and political elite, as well as its big business sector—namely agribusiness—are not fond of what could remotely be perceived as progressive, left-wing politics. God forbid their country, harboring Portuguese colonial heritage in every nook and cranny, despite failing to...
On January 8th, right-wing Brazilians stormed the federal building and Supreme Court in the capital of Brasília. Inspired by baseless accusations by former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro that the October elections were stolen, the rioters broke windows, smashed art, destroyed paintings, stole computers and more.
(2023)Black-geared men, what’s your mission?Enter the favela and leave bodies on the groundBlack-geared men, what do you do?We do things that shock Satan…..Black-geared men, to bring this to an endWe’re BOPE and we’re trained to killAnd I’ll killI’ll destroyDestructionThat’s our mission—Regimented cadence performed by Rio de Janeiro’s Special Operations...
Inauguration of a Fusion Center of Multinational Intelligence gathering located next to the pristine Iguaçu Falls—a long-held dream of the U.S. Embassy—is a case in point “The U.S. has been a huge partner to Brazil in this project and others as well and we’re taking advantage of the model that...
Evidence collected by The Intercept revealed that Operation Car Wash, an anti-corruption investigation led by Brazilian Federal Prosecutors and the Federal Police from 2014 to 2021, received support from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The operation had a significant impact on Brazilian politics, including the undermining of the...