Latest posts by João Miguel Lima
Brazil: Cultural Debate as ‘Oh if I Catch You’ Song Goes Global
If you keep track of international music trends or if you're a Cristiano Ronaldo supporter, you've probably heard the song 'Ai se eu te pego'. Brazilian singer Michel Teló's major worldwide success has sparked a global phenomenon, and attracted some critics.
Guinea-Bissau: President Passes Away Amidst Political Upheaval
After being hospitalized for almost three months, the President of Guinea-Bissau, Malam Bacai Sanhá, passed away in Paris on Monday, January 9. He was 64 years and died of diabetes, leaving the small Portuguese-speaking African country in a delicate political situation.
Brazil: Military Police Strike and Looting Cause Panic in Fortaleza
On the eve of the New Year's festivities, the population in the state of Ceará, Brazil, was taken by surprise with a strike by the military police and firefighters. Propagating both facts and rumors surrounding the violence, the hashtag #CaosEmFortaleza (ChaosInFortaleza) has brought together general grumbling, formal complaints, ironic musings and misinformation on the social and political atmosphere in the capital city of Fortaleza.
Brazil: Titan Kids and Surfing as Hope
‘Titan Kids’ is a documentary about the kids of Titanzinho, a slum in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil. Birthplace of professional surfers, surfing is perceived as hope in face of “drugs, prostitution, and extreme violence”. Directors Lee-Ann Curren and André Silva (himself a surfer and former resident) released a teaser...
Brazil: Monitoring Human Rights During the World Cup and the Olympics
The People's Gateway for the World Cup and the Olympics [pt] has been launched to monitor forced evictions, government misconducts and violations of human rights due to the major urban changes planned for the mega-events of 2014 and 2016. The website was created by a national coalition of committees advocating...
Brazil: Belo Monte Dam Construction Site is Occupied
Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI) reports [pt] that 600 people have occupied Belo Monte Dam construction site in Altamira, brazilian state of Pará. Journalist Beth Begonha (@BethBegonha) said [pt] that Kayapó people from the village of Gurupira will join the protest shortly. This action was decided yesterday, with news that the...
Brazil: Belo Monte Dam Case Comes to Court
The Brazilian justice system has provided new fuel to the protesting voices against the Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant, after its construction begun in June 2011. A lawsuit filed in 2006 by the state of Pará was brought to court on October 17.
Brazil: Thousands March Against Corruption
20,000 people attended the 2nd March Against Corruption in Brasília, on October 12. Youtube user estnagum registered the event. Chanting slogans and the national anthem, protesters held brooms to “sweep away” corruption and impunity. The first march, on September 7 (independence day), was motivated by the secret voting that absolved...
Brazil: Creating Opportunities for Life After Jail
While serving time in jail, Ronaldo Monteiro kickstarted a project with fellow detainees and turned his life around. Years later, released on parole, Monteiro now coordinates an NGO that offers opportunities of social reintegration for young offenders, detainees and former detainees in Brazil.
Brazil: Citizens Blame Governor for Police Charge on Teachers
Brazilian citizens used the hashtag #CidEspancaProfessores (Cid beats teachers) in solidarity with public school teachers who were beaten by the police on September 29. That day, a proposal of the governor Cid Gomes for changes in the career development of teachers was passed in the Legislative Assembly of Ceará. After...
Brazil: Global Action Against Belo Monte Dam in Images
Protests against Brazil's Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant dam have gone global. In this post, we compile a selection of photos and videos featuring the worldwide demonstrations, from the streets of many Brazilian cities to the rest of the world.
Brazil: Construction Starts on Controversial Belo Monte Dam
Despite the protesting voices of indigenous populations and traditional settlers of Volta Grande do Xingu region, construction on Brazil's Belo Monte hydroelectric plant has begun. Protests against the project will take place in 10 Brazilian cities and 16 countries on August 20.
Brazil: Loggers Threaten Government Officials in the Amazon
Police officers and officials from the Brazilian government's agencies dedicated to the environment (Ibama) and indigenous rights (Funai) were surrounded and threatened by a group of about 60 loggers in the Amazon forest on August 12. Journalist Leonardo Sakamoto reports [pt] that the loggers wanted to prevent the seizure of...
Brazil: Belo Monte March in Images
Renata Takahashi published dozens of photos of a march – #MarchaBeloMonte - that took place on July 17 in São Paulo, and in six other Brazilian cities, against the Belo Monte Dam and the New Forestry Code. The protest ended with a sit-in in one of the main avenues of...
Brazil: Despite Protests, Government Insists on Belo Monte Dam
There are recent developments in the controversy regarding Belo Monte Hydroelectric Plant and its dams, the world's third largest project in terms of energy capacity, which is to be built in heart of the Amazon. On June 1, Belo Monte's license for construction was approved. On the web and on the street, citizens call "Stop Belo Monte".
Brazil: Denouncement on Belo Monte to OAS
The journalist Leonardo Sakamoto analyzes the petition [pt] sent to the Human Rights comission of the Organization of American States (OAS) concerning the Belo Monte dam, in Brazil. The country may be judged for illegalities in the licensing process that “disrespected the right of consultation and access to information and...
Brazil: Transport Price Increase Leads to Protest
Brazilian students have demonstrated [pt] against the increase on the price of public bus tickets and have blocked the streets in the centre of the city of Vitoria. Outraged with police repression on protesters, many college students have joined the movement, which has spread through the city and also on...
Brazil: New Forestry Code Approved in Chamber of Deputies
The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies approved the controversial new Forestry Code with 410 votes against 63 in an open session. As citizens knew each deputy's choice [pt], they used Twitter to regret the support for the ruralist project, as well as to mourn the murder of the forest defender Zé...
Brazil: Future of Forests at Stake
Across the past few weeks, the Brazilian National Congress has been abuzz with the pressure to vote on a new Forestry Code. The project based on proposed changes of the existing Code is backed by a coalition of Deputies of the so-called “Ruralist Front”. Environmentalists have mobilized against the new Code, and scientists demand more time to analyze the project.
Brazil: Great Fishing Against Belo Monte Dam
Traditional populations of the Brazilian Amazon forest ran the “Great Fishing Action” from March 11 to March 14. The campaign, which urged against the Belo Monte Dam while calling for the protection of the Xingu river, gathered around 600 fishermen in the city of Altamira . The Xingu Vivo Committee...
Cape Verde: Country's Development in a Year of Elections
Cape Verdeans headed to the polls to vote for members of Parliament on February 6. Global Voices recaps on how bloggers perceived the event, considering social issues to face, and how citizens envision their country's development.
