Covid-19: Brazil on the brink
26 March 2021 |
6:22 am
With more than 294,000 lives lost, Brazil has the second-highest Covid-19 death toll in the world. For more than 20 days in a row, the country has recorded more than 2,000 daily deaths from the disease. Healthcare workers around the country have been pleading for more support as they battle surging rates of infection. Yet President Jair Bolsonaro continues to downplay the gravity of the situation. Our team on the ground reports from Sao Paulo, one of the regions most affected in recent weeks, as well as Rio de Janeiro, where beaches have just been closed.
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We take a look at how the Brazilian press is reacting to thousands of pro-Bolsonaro protesters ransacking Brasilia government buildings. We also take a look at the parallels the foreign press is making with the January 6th siege in Washington two years ago. Finally, we find out how populist leaders, like Bolsonaro, may not have the same success they had, in the future.
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"We want the source code" was the slogan on far-right protester's banners in Brazil, questioning the reliability of the country's electonic voting machines. After far-right demonstrators stormed the country's highest seats of power in support of former President Jair Bolsonaro, we take a closer look at what the "source code" means, and how Brazil manages its electronic electoral process in this edition of Truth or Fake with Vedika Bahl.
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Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been admitted to hospital in Florida suffering with stomach pains. Brazil has so far said it has no plans to ask for the far-right politician to be extradited from the US.
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Brazil's iconic yellow jersey has long stood for some of football's best moments. But that's also made it a target for political movements which have used its imagery for their own gain.
15 Jan
We look at how the press is covering the aftermath of the Brazil uprising. We also find out how the French press is treating today's upcoming pension plan announcement and how it's reacting to new hunting laws. The papers are also discussing why the chef of Noma, reputed to be the world's best restaurant, has decided to close its doors.
13 Jan
Despite calls for a "mega-protest" to "retake power," turnout was significantly low in major cities. Authorities have upped security after the former president's supporters stormed government buildings on Sunday.
12 Jan
On Sunday January 8 in Brazil, over 1,500 supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro were arrested after they stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace in the capital Brasilia.
13 Jan
What do the backers of Brazil's ransacking of official buildings stand for? Jair Bolsonaro's backers were inspired by the 2021 storming of the US Capitol by Donald Trump supporters. In both cases, it started with unfounded claims of election fraud long before the vote and ended in violence.
16 Jan
The office of the prosecutor general requested that Bolsonaro be included in the probe into the January 8 storming of public offices in Brasilia.
19 Jan
The Brazilian president has ordered a thorough review of staff at the Planalto presidential palace. He believes security forces at the Planalto may have helped Bolsonaro supporters recently raid the building in Brasilia.
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Many African leaders were quick to congratulate Brazil's President Lula da Silva on his reelection. They are counting on da Silva to improve relations which had greatly suffered under former President Jair Bolsonaro.
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Deforestation in Brazil has reached record levels. In 2022, the worst year so far, some 10,573 square kilometres of vegetation were replaced with enormous farms. Many of these farms export soy around the world, for use as livestock feed and oil. The north-eastern Brazilian state of Bahia has suffered extensively from soy production, with profound consequences for local farmers and the environment. Our France 3 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Peter O'Brien.
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