Brazil News

Playstation 3 rocks - or rock

2007-08-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

This happened to a guy in Brazil who ordered a Playstation 3 from a popular online retailer in the country - Submarino -, similar to Amazon. After trying to get his product delivered and failing for few weeks, he gave up when he was finally mailed a Playstation 3 box, with a rock inside. Fortunately he managed to get his money back, but he'll certainly think twice before ordering from them again. Check some of the pictures on his blog.

Alagoas health in chaos

2007-08-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

The state of Alagoas, in Northeastern Brazil, has decreed a State of Emergency in its public health system, after a strike by doctors entered its third month. The local authorities are now authorized to hire nearly 250 people to replace some members of the health staff on strike that resigned en masse. The decision takes place after the population started feeling the effect of the long strike. An 18-month-old child died after receiving no treatment, and the main emergency room in the state has started registering several deaths caused by infection due to overcrowding.

Five-star cell treatment for businessman

2007-08-16T07:23:00.001-07:00

A businessman jailed for kidnapping and witness cohersion has a better treatment in jail than the overwhelming majority of honest citizens living in Brazil. Alfeu Mozaquatro not only has access to cable TV in his own cell, but also may receive up to five visits a week from family and friends, and can order food from restaurants to be delivered to the prison where he's spending his five-year sentence.

His 'benefits' are even registered in an official document signed by the prison's director. In an interview to a Brazilian news outlet, the director admits that the businessman is given privileges, but says he sees no harm in allowing him to watch DVDs and the news. However, he can't explain why the 39 other people incarcerated at the same prison do not have access to the same treatment.

Brazilian authorities are investigating the case, and may soon put an end to the businessman's five-star dream retreat.

Politicians will have fewer chances to change parties

2007-08-15T07:17:00.001-07:00

The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies (Lower House of Congress) approved the law for party fidelity on Tuesday. According to the bill submitted for approval, politicians will be allowed to change parties only within a 30-day period, which will take place 2 years and 11 months after starting the mandate. Those who choose to change parties outside of this allowed period could be prevented from participating in elections for up to four years. The bill, which was approved by 292 votes against 34, still needs to be approved by the Senate to become law. In recent years, it has become common for politicians to change parties frequently in the country, in order to achieve certain political favors.

Company is sued for not allowing employee to use the toilet

2007-08-14T07:29:00.001-07:00

A telemarketer has successfully sued the company where she worked for R$ 6,800 (roughly US$3,500) for not being allowed to go to the toilet during working hours. The only time she was allowed to go to the restroom was during her five-minute break, which happened once a day. Because of this limitation, the woman developed a urinary infection, and not even after a medical professional recommended that she be allowed to go to the restroom more often she was allowed to do so by the company.

The company rejected the accusations, but the judge in charge of the lawsuit argued the signs of the abuse were clear. In her sentence, judge Ivone Queiroz pointed out that "employees are not machines but human beings, and they should be treated as such."

Amazon deforestation rate down, still high

2007-08-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

Brazilian authorities announced that the rate of deforestation in the Amazon dropped nearly 25 percent between 2005 and 2006. However, this number cannot be taken separately from the data for the other years of Brazilian president Lula's administration. According WWF-Brazil - part of the World Wide Fund for Nature network -, nearly 85,000 square kilometers were deforested in the Amazon between 2002 and 2006, the first term of Lula's mandate, a record when compared to previous administrations.

The CEO for WWF-Brazil, Denise Hamu, admits that the decline in the deforestation rate from 2005 to 2006 is positive, but complains that the country still lacks a longer-term project for the Amazon to include protection and development at the same time.

In 2007, the number of forest fires in the Amazon has already increased 39 percent in comparison to the same timeframe last year. To make matters worse, no new conservation unit was created by the Federal Government this year, although several are ready and need only a signature to be officially implemented.

Cigarette companies are also sued in Brazil

2007-08-13T07:00:00.001-07:00

The two largest manufacturers of cigarettes in Brazil - Souza Cruz and Phillip Morris - are being sued by the Sao Paulo State Public Attorney's Consumer Department Office. According to an article on the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper this Monday, the companies are being sued for the damage caused to millions of people by the consumption of tobacco products.

The final value of the indemnization, if any, should be set by a judge, but if similar cases in the US are taken into account, it could end up resulting in more than a billion dollars. According to the article, the lawsuit asks the companies should repay the government - at the Federal and State levels - for the treatment of diseases caused or made worse by the consumption of cigarettes.

Can this man really see the future?

2007-08-10T08:05:00.001-07:00

A Brazilian man who says he predicted the two latest airplane crashes in the country is being questioned by experts, according to the Folha News website (in Portuguese). Jucelino Nobrega Luz has achieved notoriety in certain Web circles in Brazil with his predictions, but lost many would-be believers when he wrongly predicted that Pope Benedict XVI would suffer an attack - he didn't -, or when he said Brazilian president would not be reelected last year - he was. Mr. Luz says the Vatican took protective measures after receiving his letter alerting to the possible attack, and argues that some of his predictions may not become true, this being the reason for Mr. Lula's election win - alongside an alleged fraud in the voting process, according to him.

This same man had already claimed he sent a letter to the White House years before the Iraq War saying where Saddam Hussein would be hiding years later, after a US invasion to the country. For that prediction he tried, unsuccessfully, to demand the reward from the US authorities for information leading to the former dictator's arrest. He also said he predicted the Gol Airlines crash last September over the Amazon, and last month's crash in Sao Paulo with a TAM Airlines aircraft. He shows letters that were supposedly sent to the airlines, but the companies have not commented whether they received them before the accidents or not, as Mr. Luz claims. He says he registers all letters with a notary public before sending them, but experts that have seen the letters say the text in some of them appear to have been changed, which could indicate that Mr. Luz registered one letter prior to the accident and showed another after confirmation of what has happened.

The fortune-teller is at it again, saying that another air crash will take place on October 29, killing about 600 people. All we can do is wait to see if he's right, or see what kind of excuse he'll give for the tragedy not taking place.

Car is stolen twice on same day

2007-08-09T17:59:00.001-07:00

Consultant Avelino Cunha hopes to forget this day. His car was stolen twice on the same day in the city of Vitoria, in the State of Espirito Santo (Holy Spirit). According to the news portal G1, When he woke up last Thursday to leave for work he noticed his car was not in the spot he usually left it, in front of his home.

Fortunately, the vehicle, a pickup truck, was found shortly afterwards, abandoned at a nearby gas station. Cunha recovered the car and went to work. At the end of the day, he couldn't find the car at the place he had left it, outside of his workplace. This time, the vehicle could no longer be recovered.

More than 2,000 cars were stolen in the Vitoria Metropolitan area in July alone.

Man survives helicopter crash in Brasilia

2007-08-09T12:00:00.001-07:00

A helicopter from the Federal District Fire Department crashed this afternoon in the sattelite-city of Ceilandia, near the federal capital Brasilia, killing three of its four passengers. According to the fire department, the aircraft fell in an isolated area, near a landfill, while it was trying to remove a body that had been found on the spot. The survivor had just left the aircraft, since he was on the ground helping to make sure the body was lifted into the helicopter. Local media report that preliminary findings indicate that the stretcher and blanket used to cover the body became loose thanks to the heavy winds in the area, hitting the helicopter's back rotor and bringing it down. The aircraft exploded when it touched the floor, killing the three firemen that were still inside.

All new cars to have radar tracking in Brazil

2007-08-08T20:07:00.000-07:00

Due to the large number of stolen cars in the country, the Brazilian Transit Council (Contran) announced that all new cars sold in Brazil will have to come equipped with a tracking device that will allow the vehicles to be localized by sattelite. The manufacturers have two years to comply with the new rule. For buyers, the decision not only means they will be forced to pay for the system to be installed by the car makers. They will also have to pay for a service monthly fee, roughly around US$ 40/month.

The idea may be good to discourage criminals, but not so for consumers already forced to pay nearly 50% more than the real value of cars in duties alone. In addition to creating rules that ultimately force people to pay more, the authorities should try to do their part in guaranteeing a safer environment not only against car thieves, but also murderers, burglars, drug traffickers and kidnappers.

Brazilian authorities arrest Colombian drug lord

2007-08-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

Brazilian authorities arrested a man said to be one of the most wanted drug lords in the world. According to Reuters, Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia, 44, was seized around dawn at a luxury apartment in Aldeia da Serra in Sao Paulo state. Abadia, also known as Chupeta, or Lollipop, could be extradited to face U.S. charges that he smuggled billions of dollars worth of cocaine into the United States. The US has offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest.

Let's see if anything happens from all of this. More likely than not, he may just be replaced by the next in line in this lucrative business.

Brazilians dig 76 tons of buried meat for barbecue

2007-08-07T18:12:00.000-07:00

Dozens of families in Rio de Janeiro spent the weekend savoring barbecues made from meat they dug from an Army land on Friday. The meat was buried after the Brazilian Customs agency determined it had been imported illegally. As Army trucks left the place where the 76 tons of meat had been buried, locals started digging the boxes of meat. According to some of the people who ate the meat, interviewed by the local media, the meat was still frozen when it was dug out of the hole, and had an expiry date of October 2007.

Several families in the region of Albuquerque, in the outskirts of Rio, promoted barbecues during the weekend. The local store manager reported having sold three times as much beer as normal, to help quench the thirst of the barbecuers.

The local authorities explained that burying products that are imported illegally is a normal procedure taken with several different types of goods that are confiscated on a daily basis. The meat was imported from Algeria, but the importer abandoned the cargo. Local media reported that so far nobody has fallen ill from eating the dug meat.

Plane crash kills nearly 200 in Sao Paulo

2007-07-17T19:58:00.001-07:00

An Airbus carrying more than 170 people crashed after skidding off a runway at the Congonhas Airport Tuesday evening. It's believed all passengers and more than 20 people who were on the ground were killed in the accident. TAM airline flight 3054 had left Porto Alegre and was landing in Sao Paulo when it skidded off the runway and hit a cargo hangar situated next to it. According to witnesses, it immediately exploded, engulfing the hangar in flames.

Situated in downtown Sao Paulo, the Congonhas runway has often been criticized for being too short and slippery under rainy conditions. It was recently renovated, but critics say the new tarmac had not yet been totally prepared to get rid of excess water quickly enough. On Monday, a smaller plane had already skidded off a runway, stopping in the ditch dividing the two main runways in the airport. It's the second large airplane accident in Brazil in the last ten months. In September, a Gol Airlines Boeing crashed on a smaller plane above the Amazon. All 154 people aboard the Boeing died, while the smaller plane was able to land safely shortly after the mid-air collision.

Unwanted pregnancy leads to increase in violence

2007-07-16T12:49:00.000-07:00

A new study shows that an unwanted pregnancy may be a much stronger factor in the increase of violence related incidents than other components usually believed to encourage violent acts, such as economic or inequality factors. According to the new study, undertaken by economist Gabriel Hartung in Brazil, the number of violent incidents is directly related to the number of children living with single mothers. A decrease in this number of children - usually a result of an unwanted pregnancy - could be three times more efficient in reducing violence than a similar decrease in inequality levels and four times as efficient than an equivalent economic growth. According to Mr. Hartung, heard by the Agencia Estado news agency, birth control would be the most efficient way of reducing violence levels in Brazil. The link between unwanted pregnancies and violence is the environment in which the child grows up, usually a home where the mother lives without a partner, struggling to make ends meet.

Brazilian Congress blames American pilots for accident

2007-07-12T10:05:00.001-07:00

The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies (Lower House of Congress) has blamed the American pilots of the Legacy jet Joseph Lepore and Jan Paladino, together with four Brazilian air traffic controllers, for the accident between the jet and a Boeing in September 2006. The accident killed 154 people, all aboard the Boeing.

The report was presented today by Congressman Marco Maia, who prepared it for a special Congress Investigation Comission created to study the problems in air travel in the country. After the accident, Brazilians have been experiencing several delays and problems with air travel in the country, with the air traffic control structure being severely questioned by authorities and the general public.

Plane skids off runway

2006-10-06T07:23:00.000-07:00

One week after the tragic plane accident that killed 155 people over the Brazilian Amazon, another aircraft from the same company - Gol Airlines - skidded off a runway during its landing at the Sao Paulo Congonhas airport. Despite the incident, none of the plane's 120 passengers and six crew were injured. The plane was coming from Cuiaba, and the light rain that fell in the city at the time of the accident (6am local time) may have contributed to the plane failing to land properly. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the accident.

Investigations on plane crash continue

2006-10-03T13:10:00.000-07:00

Brazilian authorities are still trying to determine how a Boeing 737 carrying 155 people collided in mid-air with a smaller business jet plane over the Amazon on Friday, resulting on the death of all aboard the larger plane. The pilots from the Embraer Legacy, which was carrying seven people and managed to land in a military air base, are still being questioned by the police in regards to what happened at the time of the accident. Their passports are currently being held by request of the local authorities, who want to make sure they do not leave the country while the investigations are not concluded.

One of the possibilities being investigated is that the pilots from the Legacy may have turned off the plane's tracking equipment, in order to perform some tests in the handling of the new plane - which had just been acquired prior to the flight, by an American company. Without the tracking devices turned on, the plane could not be identified by the Boeing's own equipment, leading both planes to keep the collision course without taking any measures to avoid the crash until visual contact had been established.

Meanwhile, a New York Times reporter which was aboard the Legacy has returned to the US, and wrote his take on the accident for the newspaper. The article can be read by clicking here (external link to the newspaper's website).

Presidential election goes to run-off

2006-10-02T06:06:00.000-07:00

Brazilian president's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva biggest fears came to reality Sunday night, when he failed to get the majority of votes in the presidential election and had to settle for a run-off with second place Geraldo Alckmin. Lula, who had been heavily favored to win a second term in Sunday's election, managed to get 48.6 percent of the valid votes, against 41.5 percent from Alckmin. To avoid a run-off, a candidate needs one vote more than 50 percent of the valid votes. The president seemed to lose votes in the two weeks prior to Sunday, after it was revealed his party tried to buy illegal documents to use against their political opponents. These documents allegedly showed these opponents involved in several wrongdoings, but the allegations were never proved and the plan backfired.

Early polls suggest that both Lula and Alckmin would have close to 50 percent of the votes in the run-off, scheduled for October 29. Fearing a defeat, president Lula has already called his top aides for a series of meetings on Monday, to decide whether to change the focus of his campaign.

Rescue of bodies from plane crash should take a week

2006-10-02T05:56:00.000-07:00

The Brazilian authorities confirmed that all 155 people aboard the commercial plane that crashed on Friday in the Amazon forest have died in the accident. The rescue operation to retrieve the bodies from the crash scene should take a week, due to the difficult access to the area where the plane fell. On Friday, a Gol Airlines flight from Manaus to Brasilia crashed after reportedly being hit by a smaller plane near the border between the states of Para and Mato Grosso, in northern Brazil. The plane, a Boeing 737-800, was found on Saturday, when the first members of the Brazilian Army arrived on the remote location of the crash.

The smaller plane, an Embraer Legacy, was carrying American businessmen and Brazilian employees of the aircraft maker Embraer. The jet had just been purchased in Sao Paulo and was being flown to the United States. Despite suffering some damage to the wing in the crash, the Legacy was able to safely land in a nearby airbase. The American pilots said they did not see the Boeing, just a shadow, and heard a loud bump. Authorities are still trying to determine why the two planes were allowed to fly so close to each other, leading to the accident.

Lula avoids TV debate

2006-09-29T08:46:00.000-07:00

For the third time during the current presidential campaign, president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva did not show up for a TV debate with his main opponents in the general election scheduled for Sunday. This time, on Thursday, the president missed the debate organised by Globo TV, saying he would not show up due to the 'desperate and virulent attacks' he's been suffering from the other candidates in the race. Without Lula, the three candidates left (Cristovam Buarque, Heloisa Helena and Geraldo Alckmin) chose to criticize the president for his lack of courage in not wanting to discuss and present his ideas openly in a debate broadcast nationally. According to some polls, the president is the favorite for winning a second term, and could get more than 50 percent of the valid votes on Sunday to avoid a second voting round with the second-placed candidate - Geraldo Alckmin, according to the polls.

Central Bank lowers growth expectation

2006-09-28T12:30:00.001-07:00

The Brazilian Central Bank lowered its growth expectation for the country's economy in 2006. Due to the slow moment in the economy in the third quarter of the year, the bank lowered its growth prediction from 4 to 3.5 percent in the year. The inflation should be 3.4%, below the 3.8% the Bank had predicted previously.

Central Bank lowers growth expectation

2006-09-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

Bus accident leaves one dead and 30 injured

2006-09-27T06:31:00.000-07:00

An accident with a bus near the city of Uberlandia, in the State of Minas Gerais, killed a baby and left 30 other people injured, according to reports from the Brazilian media. The accident took place in the early hours of Wednesday morning, after the bus driver lost control of the vehicle, which flipped over on a curve. A five-month-old baby died on the scene, and five of the 30 injured were rushed to nearby hospitals in critical condition.

Bank workers stop for 24 hours

2006-09-26T06:08:00.001-07:00

Bank workers from all over Brazil have started a 24-hour strike in order to force banks to accept their demands for better wages. After not being able to get a settlement with the National Federation of Banks, the workers' union decided for the stoppage. Most bank branches will thus be closed this Tuesday, and people needing bank services will have to use ATMs or online banking to pay bills, transfer or withdraw money. Some workers threaten to extend the strike beyond the initial 24-hour period if an agreement is not reached.

Cardoso compares Lula to the devil

2006-09-26T06:01:00.000-07:00

Former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso called president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva the devil during an event in Sao Paulo, according to the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper. According to the paper, Mr. Cardoso was making a reference to the comment Lula made on Sunday, comparing himself to Jesus Christ being betrayed by Judas, in the case where members of his party are accused of trying to buy documents allegedly showing his political opponents participating in corruption schemes. "Christ didn't go kiss Judas nor referred to his betrayers as former friends. This isn't Christ, it's the devil," said Mr. Cardoso.

Electoral authorities are still trying to determine whether the scandal involving the purchase of the documents is enough to prevent Lula from running for a second term in office. The presidential election is scheduled for Sunday.

Government cuts R$ 1.6 billion from budget

2006-09-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

The Brazilian Federal government decided to cut R$ 1.6 billion (approximately US$ 715 million) from its budget, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Planning. The government also lowered its expectations for the growth of the country's economy, from 4.5% to 4%.

Model wants to sue YouTube

2006-09-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

Brazilian model Daniela Cicarelli, who became famous worldwide after her short marriage to soccer star Ronaldo, informed through her lawyers that she will sue websites that posted a video of herself and her boyfriend caressing each other on a Spanish beach. The video, which includes strong scenes of the couple, was originally shot by a Spanish photographer who then posted it on YouTube, where it quickly reached more than 50,000 views. The website quickly removed the video, but it was reposted several times in the following days in the same site, as well as other pages in Brazilian websites. This week, coincidentially or not, the model had two major contracts cancelled, with mobile operator Tim and auto-maker General Motors. The companies say the video incident was not related to the cancellation of the contracts.

Lula's campaign coordinator resigns

2006-09-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

The campaign coordinator for the re-election of Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Ricardo Berzoini, has resigned to his post following allegation he might have been involved in a scheme trying to damage the president's opponents. The Brazilian Election Court has informed it will investigate allegations that the president's Workers Party was involved in an operation to collect documents that could harm the image of opposition candidates in the upcoming October 1 election. Berzoini said he was not involved in the alleged scheme, and asked the court officials to pursue the investigation to its fullest. The new campaign coordinator for Lula will be Marco Aurelio Garcia, who was the chief campaign adviser.

Two men were arrested last week with R$ 800,000 in cash, money that would be used to buy documents linking opposition candidates to corruption scandals, according to the police. The men arrested were linked to the Workers' Party, and officials will try to determine if the president was in any way directly involved with the operation.

Police arrests man with US$ 460,000 in LSD

2006-09-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

The Brazilian Federal Police arrested a man in Rio de Janeiro with 20,850 micropoints of LSD, worth an estimated R$ 1 million (or about US$ 460,000). The 23-year-old man was arrested after the drugs were found in his lugagge by the police, at the Tom Jobim International Airport, in Rio. He was arriving from Europe, and police suspect the drug was bought in the Netherlands. It's one of the largest drug aprehensions in the country in the last 10 years, according to reports from the Brazilian media.

GM employees start 24h strike

2006-09-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

More than 5,000 employees from GM's production unit in Sao Jose dos Campos, in Sao Paulo State, have started a 24-hour strike this morning to complain about the company's wage adjustment policy. The employee's union informed that workers are seeking a 7 percent raise - instead of the initial 13.8 percent asked -, but the company is willing to grant only a 5.47 percent increase - instead of an initial offer of 4.19 percent - plus an additional R$ 400 per employee (roughly US$ 185). The company informed it's still open to negotiations, and doesn't agree the strike was needed at this point.

Justice confirms redistribution of Varig routes

2006-09-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

The Brazilian airline Varig was not able to avoid the decision taken by the Brazilian Air Controller to redistribute the company's international routes, amidst the financial troubles currently being faced by the traditional company. The Brazilian Supreme Court rejected an appeal to overturn a previous decision by the Justice system to start distributing international routes to competitors. The Brazilian Air Regulator (Anac) had decided last week to grant the redistribution of routes to Europe and the Americas to other companies, a decision that will likely be ratified later this week.

Lula campaign aidee escapes helicopter accident

2006-09-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

A helicopter carrying a campaign aidee for president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva crashed today in Fortaleza, in the Brazilian State of Ceara. The aidee and three other people escaped the accident alive. The pilot is in more serious condition, but his injuries are not life threatening, according to the Brazilian media. Witnesses explained the accident wasn't more serious because the pilot managed to hit a tree as the helicopter was falling, slowing it down before it hit the ground. Authorities are still investigating to determine what caused the accident.

Varig fights to keep routes

2006-09-19T06:03:00.000-07:00

The Brazilian airline Varig continues trying to avoid losing its most profitable international routes to other airlines in the country. According to the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper, the company has already filed an appeal at the Brazilian Supreme Court to overturn a previous decision by the Justice system to start distributing international routes to competitors, due to the ongoing financial problems at the traditional company. The Brazilian Air Regulator (Anac) had decided last week to grant the redistribution of routes to Europe and the Americas to other companies, but now it must still wait for the Supreme Court's decision, which can come later this week.

Brazil cancels meeting with Bolivia amidst energy crisis

2006-09-15T07:28:00.000-07:00

The Brazilian government called off a meeting it would have had with Bolivia to discuss energy issues after the Bolivian government announced it would take control of the revenues generated by Bolivian refineries owned by Brazilian oil giant Petrobras. Despite not taking any other formal action, the Brazilian government suggested it would demand a change in policy buy Bolivia, which announced earlier in the year the nationalization of foreign assets in the energy sector in the country.

After the initial Brazilian reaction, the Bolivian government announced it would suspend temporarily the decision to take control of Petrobras' revenues, in order to improve the negotiations between the two countries.

President acknowledges Brazil still not able to host World Cup

2006-09-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said today that Brazil doesn't yet have what it takes to host the World Cup of soccer in 2014. According to Lula, the Brazilian organizing committee would need to receive full support from the Federal and State Governments to receive the necessary investments to build new stadia and improve the country's infrastructure.

"We currently don't have any stadium which meets FIFA's criteria to hold a World Cup game, and we'll need at least 12 for a competition of this magnitude," said the president, during an official ceremony in which he launched a sports lottery created to try to help solve team debts with the Federal Government. By hosting the event, the country could improve its international image and ultimately attract investments from abroad, argued Lula.

A final decision about the host country will be made in 2008. According to a rotating model developed by the world's soccer governing body, FIFA, the 2014 competition will be in the Americas. FIFA's president Joseph Blatter was recently quoted as saying he'd support a World Cup in Brazil, but only if the country invested billions in infra-structure.

Problem in airplane forces president to return to airport

2006-09-14T07:21:00.000-07:00

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva suffered a minor scare this Wednesday, when the official presidential plane he was traveling in suffered a problem in its navigation equipment. According to the Brazilian media, the tool that calculates the plane's altitude in relation to the ground stopped functioning properly 20 minutes into a flight from Brasilia to Rio de Janeiro, which normally lasts 1 hour and a half. Without the system, officials determined it would be difficult to land the plane in case of poor weather conditions, and instead opted to return to Brasilia. The president was offered the option of boarding another plane, but instead decided to remain in Brasilia and not show up at an event he had been expected to attend in Rio.

Congress cuts 'special positions' to curb irregularities

2006-09-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

The Chamber of Deputies - Lower House of the Brazilian Congress - decided to extinguish 1,163 Special Nature Positions (CNEs, its acronym in Portuguese) to try to curb irregularities which were revealed earlier this year by the Brazilian media. According to the Correio Braziliense newspaper, many of the positions were occupied by relatives of the politicians and sometimes certain employees earned up to R$ 8,000 a month (close to US$ 3,700) without even showing up for work. The decision will save the House approximately R$ 47 million a year (US$ 21.6 million). People employed in these positions generally are named to the posts by their political allies, and don't have to undergo a public examination, which is normally the case of other public employees in the country.

Police tries to close hacker gang

2006-09-12T11:49:00.000-07:00

The Brazilian Federal Police launched a huge operation in four states and the Federal District trying to capture criminals accused of participating in crimes using the Internet. According to the police, the hackers used the Web to lure bank customers into providing their financial information and passwords, through phishing schemes.

The Replicant Operation, as it was called, involved 300 agents in the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Tocantins, Rio de Janeiro and Goias, as well as the Federal District, in places where the gang is believed to be based. A total of 120 search and arrest warrants were issued for the operation. The gang used emails and false sites resembling those of official Brazilian financial institutions to cheat the victims. Three police agents are believed to be part of the gang.

Brazilian industry shows increased production

2006-09-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

The Brazilian industry sector showed an increase in production in 9 of the 14 regions surveyed, informed the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The largest increase in industrial production from June to July was seen in Amazonas, with 3.3 percent, followed by Ceara (2.2 percent). From the researched areas, only the states of Santa Catarina, Pernambuco, Espirito Santo, Parana and Bahia showed less output in July than in the previous month. The State with the largest industrial base in the country, Sao Paulo, showed a 1.5 percent increase.

Carandiru massacre commander is killed

2006-09-11T06:09:00.000-07:00

Former Military Police commander Ubiratan Guimaraes, accused of being the main commander behind the Carandiru massacre in 1992, was killed over the weekend in Sao Paulo. He was shot just outside his apartment in Sao Paulo, and police are still investigating to find out the reasons for the crime.

In 1992, 111 prisoners died during the Carandiru massacre, after police entered the penitentiary to control a rebellion. After leaving the police, Guimaraes was elected to the Sao Paulo State congress. He had been receiving death threats ever since the massacre, and was considered one of the main targets of the PCC, the criminal faction that controls most of the State prisons and was behind a series of attacks against the police in Sao Paulo earlier this year. in 2001, Guimaraes was sentenced to 632 years in prison for his role in the police killings, but was able to wait for a second hearing without having to serve any time. In February of this year, the first trial was nullified, and Guimaraes was considered innocent.

Close to 300,000 could lose pensions

2006-09-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

Close to 300,000 people could lose their State pensions in October if they do not update their information with the Brazilian government. The Federal government is undergoing an update process in order to try to eliminate irregular pensioners from its list. People with falsified documents and/or the family of people who received the benefit but who may have already died are the main targets. A total of 2.9 million people with their registration number ending in 1 or 2 had to update their data until today. 280,000 have failed to do so, according to government officials. The current census began in April, with 14.7 million people being called to update their information.

Dog Day Afternoon in Sao Paulo

2006-09-07T06:59:00.000-07:00

Nearly 40 people were held hostage for 10 hours inside a bank in the city of Taubate, in Sao Paulo State, this Wednesday. The action, reminiscent of the 1970s movie 'Dog Day Afternoon', was not even a bank robbery. Rather, security guard Jose Ramos, who had started working at the bank branch on Monday, wanted to talk to his former girlfriend, who he had not seen in 7 years. After forcing employees and clients to remain inside the branch, he ordered police to find his former girlfriend and get her to call him there. He only released the hostages after she called him, nearly ten hours after he started his action. Nobody was hurt, despite Ramos firing 10 shots during the time he remained at the bank. The shots hit walls and the ceiling. Ramos was later arrested by police. His mother told police he is under psychiatric treatment and has to take prescription medicine for his illness regularly.

Private health receives failing grade

2006-09-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that public health in Brazil is in critical condition. But private health does not seem to be to far away. The Brazilian health agency responsible for private health plans revealed that three quarters of the plans in the country have received a poor rating in its latest yearly review. According to the agency, only 26% of the private health plans received a rate of over 50 percent, with 55% simply refusing to give out information when requested by the regulatory body. According to the agency, the review is done to help consumers choose a plan taking into account other components than just price and marketing efforts.

More than 30 arrested for environmental crime

2006-09-05T11:08:00.000-07:00

The Brazilian police is trying to break up a group of 58 people accused of promoting deforestation in two States - Rondonia and Mato Grosso. 34 people were arrested this morning, while police continues to look for the other 24. Seven of the accused work for the Federal government's Environment Institute (Ibama), according to the Environmental Miniter, Marina Silva, and will be fired as well as sent to prison. Another federal worker from the same institute was responsible for tipping the police about his involved colleagues, who were accused of allowing deforestation practices after receiving bribes from the other members of the criminal group.

Strike ends after Volkswagen suspends layoffs

2006-09-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

Volkswagen has decided to temporarily suspend the 1,800 firings it had announced last week, leading the workers' union to call back the strike it had launched last week in response to the initial announcement of the layoffs. According to the German car manufacturer, a new round of negotiations will likely take place with the union to determine how the company can go ahead with its restructuring plans for the plant at Sao Bernardo, in the State of Sao Paulo. Trying to remain competitive, the company had contemplated firing up to 3,000 of the 12,000 workers at the plant, or risk closing the entire unit. The plan is part of the company's global strategy, which has included layoffs and restructuring in different parts of the world.

Police arrests 28 people and avoids bank robbery

2006-09-01T08:27:00.000-07:00

The Brazilian Federal Police avoided a major bank robbery in the city of Porto Alegre this Friday, arresting 28 people suspect of being involved in the heist. According to the federal agents, the group is linked to the PCC faction that have been causing chaos in Sao Paulo prison's and towns this year. They are also believed to be linked with the group that stole 167 million reais (close to US$ 80 million) from a bank in Fortaleza last year.

The group was making a tunnel from a neighbouring building into the bank's safe, as was the case in the Fortaleza robbery. The criminals would attack two banks in the same street simultaneously, from the same tunnel. The arrests came after a two-month investigation. The tunnel was already 80 metres long.

GDP increases by 0.5%

2006-08-31T10:08:00.000-07:00

The Brazilian Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by just 0.5% in the second quarter of 2006, largely frustrating the economic, which expected better numbers. Many experts had predicted the GDP could have increased up to 1% in comparison to the first quarter. With the result, the cumulated increase in the GDP for the 12 months ending in June was 1.7%, making the government's projection of a 4% increase for the year more unlikely. According to the data released by the Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics (IBGE), lower numbers in industry production and investments contributed for a lower than expected result.

Central Bank lowers interest rates by 0.5%

2006-08-31T06:13:00.000-07:00

The Brazilian Central Bank surprised many analysts on Wednesday and lowered the basic interest rate in the country by 0.5%, from 14.75% to 14.25% a year. Experts had predicted the bank would lower the rate by only 0.25%. The Central Bank limited to explain it decided to take the cut after analyzing the economic situation and inflation perspectives for the country.

Embraer sells 100 planes to China in US$ 2.7 bi deal

2006-08-30T07:35:00.000-07:00

Brazilian airplane makers Embraer announced today the sale of 100 planes to Chinese group HNA, in a deal worth an estimated US$ 2.7 billion. According to the company, 50 ERJ-145 planes -which seat 50 passengers - will begin to be delivered in September of 2007, with other 50 Embraer 190 - which seat 100 people - starting being delivered three months later. The smaller planes will be produced in the plant the company co-owns in China, while the others will be made in Brazil.
For more information, check the Embraer website.

Strike halts Volkswagen production unit

2006-08-30T07:27:00.000-07:00

After Volkswagen's decision to fire employees from its Sao Bernardo unit, the workers' union called a strike that has halted production at the venue, according to reports on the Brazilian media. Amidst negotiations to decide the future of 12,000 workers employed at the Sao Bernardo plant, the company decided to start sending letters to 1,200 people informing them they'd be fired after November. The union considered the move to be a stab on the back due to the ongoing negotiations, and called for the strike. The company wants to cut jobs to stay competitive against a devalued US dollar against the local currency, the real.

Kidnapped men is freed to pay for own ransom

2006-08-30T06:37:00.000-07:00

Urban violence is nothing new to Brazil, particularly in large cities like Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Armed robbery, murders and kidnappings happen at a very high rate, and the local population has managed to adapt to this situation one way or another. This week, however, a kidnapping took a different turn when a kidnapped businessman was freed before any ransom was paid, so he could arrange for the payment himself. According to the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper, the 63-year-old man was freed just hours after being kidnapped, with the compromise he should pay the ransom or be killed. He continued receiving threatening calls even after giving the money to the criminals, at which point he decided to contact the police. One man has been arrested, while three remain at large.

Lula promises lower interest rates

2006-08-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva promised on Tuesday to lower interest rates if reelected. Favoured to win a second term in office, Lula also said he would increase government spending to boost economic growth. His program also includes a higher distribution of income in the country, which has an extremely high discrepancy between the income levels of rich and poor.

Mr. Da Silva's main opponent, former Sao Paulo governor Geraldo Alckmin, claimed on National TV that he'd try to lower income taxes if elected, as well as fight corruption, "which prevents Brazil from growing."

Volkswagen may still close major plant in Brazil

2006-08-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

German automaker Volkswagen started sending letters to more than 1,000 workers this week informing they will be laid off after November 21, according to the workers' union. The decision came after the government announced it would delay giving out a loan of R$ 500 million (around US$ 230 million) to the company until it reached an agreement with the workers union regarding its plan to fire 3,600 of the 12,400 workers at its Sao Bernardo plant, in Sao Paulo. If the union does not accept Volkswagen's demands, the company threatens to close the plant altogether and fire some 6,000 people. The moves are said to be vital in order to remain competitive in the market, according to the company.

Traffic violation capital of the country

2006-08-28T06:59:00.000-07:00

How about having at least one traffic violation ticket issued per year for each car in circulation? No it's not a new creative form of generating returns for the traffic authorities, but rather something that happened in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. According to a report by newspaper Correio Braziliense, the traffic authorities issued more traffic tickets in 2005 than the number of registered vehicles in the city. For a total of 855,399 vehicles that were running in the Federal District - which includes Brasilia and other so-called 'sattelite cities' around the capital -, 866,435 tickets were issued. The newspaper claims the huge volume of tickets is higher than other similiar cities in the country, and explains the main reason for that is tighter enforcement of traffic rules in the capital of Brazil.

Archbishop Dom Luciano dies in Sao Paulo

2006-08-27T23:18:00.000-07:00

Brazilian archbishop Dom Luciano Pedro Mendes de Almeida died on Sunday from complications derived from liver cancer. A former president of the Brazilian National Conference of Bishops (CNBB) from 1987 to 1994, he had been in hospital for more than a month, to treat his recurring liver cancer that first appeared in 2004. A strong fighter for human rights, Dom Luciano played a key part for the Brazilian church in the redemocratization of the country in the 1980s.

Google may close relationship site in Brazil

2006-08-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

Being threatened by the Brazilian Justice system to give out information about users of its Orkut relationship site that may be involved in illegal activities in the country, Google may choose to close or limit access to the site by Brazilian users. The information was given out today by the leading Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo, which admits talking to employees of the company in Mountain View, CA. These employees requested to remain anonymous, according to the newspaper.

A site similar to MySpace.com, Orkut has flourished in Brazil, having close to 16 of its 20 million users based in the country. The decision of closing access to the site still depends on the result of negotiations between the company and the Brazilian Justice system, which has requested that Google should give out information about users that may be involved in illegal activities in the country.

Taxes break new record

2006-08-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

The total taxes collected by the different levels of government in Brazil reached amazing 37.37 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) last year, according to a release made today by the Brazilian Federal Revenue Agency. It's a new record for the country, which had registered a percentage of 35.88 percent of GDP in taxes in 2004. Simply amazing, given the lack of infrastructure and services received by the population in exchange for this taxation.

Unemployment rates slightly up

2006-08-24T07:46:00.000-07:00

The monthly Brazilian Statistics and Geography Institute (IBGE) poll on unemployment revealed a slight increase from June to July. According to the institute, 10.7% of people seeking work in Brazil's 6 major cities were unemployed in July, against 10.4% in June. It's the highest unemployment rate since April of 2005, when it reached 10.8%. The study also showed a 0.7% decrease in income levels, in comparison to June.

Hackers attack Workers' Party website

2006-08-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

Hackers attacked the website of president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva's party, the Workers' Party (PT), available at www.pt.org.br. According to the party's press office, the site was attacked this afternoon, and taken down later as a preventive measure. The party is still trying to evaluate the extent of the damage done to its website and servers.

According to Brazilian media outlets, the hackers changed the main page of the site, posting a message that read: "No more of this s...!", in reference to the upcoming October elections that could give another four-year term to Mr. Da Silva. His government has been tainted by a series of scandals that culminated in several of his closer allies having to step down from office. The president, however, has claimed he wasn't involved and did not know about the wrongdoings of his former associates.

Study shows how climate change is affecting Brazil

2006-08-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

A study released today by Greenpeace Brazil shows how the country has already started being affected by climate change. The document lists a series of incidents that can already be seen in the country, like only a tiny slit of water at the famous Iguacu Falls - down to one tenth of its normal volume last June -, drought in the Amazon and others. It also shows how global climate change can lead to serious climate events like tropical cyclones and an increase in sea level covering some coastal areas, or the permanent transformation of the Amazon into a desert in less than 50 years. The latter would be caused by increasing droughts thanks to global warming, but also due to the increasing deforestation of the region.

The complete report, titled “Climate Change, Life Change – How Global Warming already affects Brazil”, includes studies by universities and environmental agencies from Brazil and abroad. According to Greenpeace, not only the envioronment, but also the economy can suffer with all the changes. Agricultural production, for instance, can see a 75 percent drop in its production in the next century.

Brazilian Justice wants data from Google

2006-08-23T07:32:00.000-07:00

Brazilian prosecutors are suing Google Brasil for not giving them information about users that may have exchanged pornographic images of minors. According to the officials, users from the relationship site Orkut have undertaken illegal action in discussing and exchanging the images. A copy of the investigation papers was delivered to the American Embassy in Brasilia, and another shall be forwarded to Google headquarters in the US. If Google does not obey, the prosecutors want the company to pay a daily R$ 200,000 fine (approximately US$ 100,000).

Brazilian justice officials have been constantly asking for help from the company to solve different sort of crimes that may be planned or helped by the nature of the relationship site, similar to other services like MySpace. Since some of these requests have already been granted by the Justice system and the company has yet to give out the information, the prosecutors ask for an additional fine of R$ 130 million (close to US$ 65 million) to be paid by Google.

The Brazilian subsidiary says it will help in any way it can, but argues that the information is stored in the US, and has no access to it. If the orders are not obeyed or the fees paid, prosecutors threaten to demand the subsidiary to be closed.

Plane lands in highway in Sao Paulo State

2006-08-23T07:03:00.000-07:00

The experience and luck of a pilot averted a minor tragedy in Sao Paulo State this Tuesday. A small plane carrying the pilot and two passengers had to make an emergency landing in a highway near the city of Sao Roque, after the plane's engine lost power in mid-air. Without any other option for landing the plane safely, the pilot chose a section in the highway he deemed to be 'less busy,' and successfully completed the landing. Nobody was hurt, and the plane only suffered a minor dent when one of its wings hit a traffic sign on the side of the highway. The plane had undergone all its regularly scheduled maintenance checks, and no reason for the power outage had been found yet as of Tuesday night.

President gains ground in election race

2006-08-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

A new poll by Datafolha has shown that president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva has increased the number of potential votes in his bid for a second term. According to the research taken by Globo TV and the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper, Mr. Da Silva's government has a 52 percent approval rate, the highest since Datafolha began taking these polls, in 1987. The current president jumped 2 points in the election race and now has 49% of the intended votes, against 25% by former Sao Paulo governor Geraldo Alckmin, and 11% by Heloisa Helena.

Lower House wants to impeach 10% of its members

2006-08-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

The Ethics Comission of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies (lower house of Congress) officially opened impeachment proceedings against 67 of its members on Tuesday. They are accused of embezzling public health funds in a scandal that became known as the 'Sanguessuga' Mafia, or 'bloodsuckers' case.

Partners from a company that sold ambulances to municipalities told police they bribed mayors and congressmen to win public supplier selections and sell their products at a higher price.
The proceedings should start early in September, but run the risk of not achieving their goals before the end of the current legislative session. Elections for the Lower House take place in October, alongside the presidential elections in Brazil. Only two of the congressmen being investigated have resigned voluntarily so far.

The number of Lower House members being investigate is more than 10 percent of the total number of members in that house. Recently, another unrelated scandal caused the resignation of important members of government, accused of bribing opposing congressmen to obtain their support during certain voting sessions in Congress. Even then, the president is still favoured to win a second term in the upcoming elections.

Botox world

2006-08-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

Newsmagazine Veja current issue highlights in this week's cover article how president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva has surrendered to the beauty advantages of a Botox treatment. Unfortunately, this seems to be a growing trend among Brazilian politicians, all wondering how they can look better in front of the cameras to appeal to their potential voters.

It's not a coincidence that this comes just as the compulsory election campaign advertisement hits TV and radio waves, ahead of the October elections. If only Mr. Da Silva would commit as much attention to other problems facing the country as he is to his appearance, then maybe he'd stand a better chance of a higher approval rating.