Latest posts by Raphael Tsavkko Garcia
Interview: Brazil's Indigenous Before Eviction
Brazilian activist Nayana Fernandez interviewed some of the former dwellers of the indigenous settlement known as Maracanã Village, in Rio de Janeiro, days before they were violently evicted by the state government.
Brazilian Military Enters Indigenous Lands
On March 22, the Brazilian Government deployed [pt] 60 forces of the police and army to the lands of the Munduruku indigenous people, at the Tapajós river basin. Activists and bloggers believe that the mission is to ensure the realization of studies of impact of the construction of yet another...
Brazil Violently Ousts Indigenous Village Ahead of World Cup
Brazilian police violently evicted a group of indigenous people from a building they had occupied in Rio de Janeiro to make way for a sports museum, the latest in a series of evictions that have drawn criticism from human rights defenders as Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup.
Cries of Censorship as Brazilian Satire Blog Ordered Shut Down
A Brazilian court has ruled that satirical blog Falha São Paulo must remain shut down because its name is too similar to the newspaper it mocks, a move that critics decry as a dangerous legal precedent for freedom of expression.
As Brazil's Media Struggles, Magazine Axes Striking Staff
Eleven journalists were sacked from alternative Brazilian magazine Caros Amigos in March 2013 after going on strike against poor working conditions, becoming the latest casualties of Brazil's struggling media industry.
Brazil: Newspaper and Satire Blog Battle
The main clash is between the version of Folha, which practices censorship under the guise of brand protection, and the version of Falha, which evokes freedom of expression. Brazilian journalist Lino Bocchini informs [pt] that the case of Folha de São Paulo newspaper against the satirical blog Falha de São...
Brazil Without Make-up
Brazilian LGBT activist @Rafucko posted a video on Youtube introducing the website “Brazil without make-up“. The initiative aims at demystifying many Brazilian stereotypes while criticizing the government of the city and state of Rio de Janeiro for the lies told on the preparation of the World Cup 2014.
Indigenous Xavantes of Marãiwatsédé Fight for the Right to Their Land
Having inhabited the Marãiwatsédé territory in the north of Mato Grosso for centuries, natives of the Xavante ethnic group face occupation and threats from farmers who are trying to evictl them from their homeland, which was returned to them 14 years ago. On December 6, 2012, the justice department in Mato Grosso ordered the delivery of subpoenas for the removal of illegal occupants of these ancestral lands. A month and a half later the process has almost been finalized.
Brazil: “Massacre of Pinheirinho”, One Year Later
January 22, 2013 marked one year since the violent eviction of the Pinheirinho settlement in the city of São José dos Campos, Brazil. A demonstration to commemorate the date took place at the entrance to the grounds of Pinheirinho. The land has since remained empty and the people who lived there remain homeless.
Copa Sudamericana Final Ends in Violence
The heated final match of the Copa Sudamericana on the 12th December 2012 at the Morumbi Stadium in São Paulo, between Brazilian team São Paulo FC and Club Atletico Tigre, from Argentina, ended unexpectedly. And violently, too. A fight between the players spilled over to the changing rooms, where the Argentinian team claims to have suffered aggression from the Military Police and São Paulo security staff.
Worldwide Protests for Brazil's Indigenous Guarani-Kaiowá
Threatened with expulsion from their land, with their waters poisoned, and ready to resist to the death, the Guarani-Kaiowá indigenous community of Pyelito Kue / Mbarakay, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, finds on social media and on the streets worldwide support from activists.
Indigenous Organization Denounces Brazil at the UN
The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) denounces [pt] human rights abuses against the indigenous populations in an open-letter [pt] to the United Nations. Among several issues, APIB calls the attention to the Guarani-Kaiowa genocide, the mining projects on indigenous lands and the illegal constructions in the Amazon rainforest...
Brazil: Police Violence and Privatization of Public Space in Porto Alegre
Students and activists protesting against the privatization of public space in the city of Porto Alegre earlier this month were violently repressed by military police, after having destroyed an inflatable armadillo, mascot for the 2014 World Cup, that occupied the square with the sponsorship of Coca-Cola.
Brazil: Anti-Corruption Bill Revoked
The Brazilian anti-corruption bill known as Ficha Limpa (No Criminal Record), had its immediate effect revoked by the Supreme Federal Court with 6 votes against 5, as Marcos Bahé, from the blog Acerto de Contas, informs [pt].
Brazil: Second Round of Occupy Belo Monte Started
Marcelo Salazar, a Brazilian engineer who works for the [river] Xingu Program of the Instituto Socioambiental, posted on Facebook a series of photos from the second round of “occupy” Belo Monte, which started on June 22, 2012, in the construction site of the hydroelectric power plant.
Brazil: Satirical Blog ‘Falha’ Summarizes Censorship Case in Video
Brazilian journalist Lino Bocchini recorded [pt] a 2 minute video that summarizes the case of the satirical blog Falha de São Paulo. Falha was censored and sued by the newspaper Folha de São Paulo in 2010. Global Voices published an update on the story in May, 2012.
Brazil: Facebook Censors Photos of the ‘SlutWalk’
Not long after the SlutWalk which took place in several Brazilian cities, photos in which some women appear bare-breasted in protest against male chauvinism were deleted by Facebook for “violating the declaration of rights and responsibilities.” The social network has found itself at the core of the debate about the distinction between “gratuitous” nudity, pornography and social activism.
Brazil: Expropriation Approved for Slave Labor Properties
In order to combat slave labor, the Brazilian Congress recently approved Bill 438, which guarantees the immediate expropriation of rural or urban areas, without the right to compensation, where one proves the existence of slave labor or similar forms of exploitation of manpower in them.
Brazil: Government Cuts on Public Healthcare System
The Brazilian President, Dilma Rousseff decreased [pt] by 50% the salaries of physicians in the Healthcare System (SUS) through a ‘provisory measure‘, in May, 2012. Conceição Lemes, from the blog Vi o Mundo, reports on the new measure that affects 48,000 doctors and quotes the President of the Regional Council of...
Brazil: More TV Humiliation of Young Man
Brazilian journalist Rodrigo de Almeida denounces [pt] the existence of a longer video of that shown in the GV post (from May 26, 2012) about the TV humiliation of a young man. The video shows the host of the TV show Brasil Urgente, Uziel Bueno, going further in the humiliation...