Brazil Elections

[angelburst29]

Brazilian physicist and astronomer Marcelo Gleiser has been awarded the 2019 Templeton Prize, worth $1.4 million, for his work blending science and spirituality.

Brazilian physicist wins $1.4 million Templeton Prize

Brazilian physicist and astronomer Marcelo Gleiser, the winner of the $1.4 million 2019 Templeton Prize for his work blending science and spirituality, is shown in Hanover, New Hampshire, U.S., February 27, 2019. Eli Burakian/Dartmouth College/Handout via REUTERS

Gleiser, 60, is the first Latin American to win the award which honors “a living person who has made an exceptional contribution to affirming life’s spiritual dimension,” the U.S.-based John Templeton Foundation said in a statement on Tuesday.

A professor at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, Gleiser has written best-selling books and appeared on numerous TV and radio shows, discussing science as a spiritual quest to understand the origins of the universe and life on Earth.

“I will work harder than ever to spread my message of global unity and planetary awareness to a wider audience,” Gleiser said in a statement on the award issued by Dartmouth.

Gleiser studies the interface between what he calls the “physics of the very large” and “the physics of the very small” to reconstruct the beginning of the universe, Dartmouth said.

As well as researching the origins of life on Earth, he also delves into the possibility of life beyond the planet, the U.S. college said.

Gleiser was born in Rio de Janeiro to an influential family in the city’s Jewish community and educated in Brazil and Britain, said the foundation, which promotes dialogue and research on issues ranging from evolution to forgiveness. He joined Dartmouth’s physics and astronomy department in 1991, the college said.

Brazil's Bolsonaro backs Trump wall, derides immigrants ahead of meeting

FILE PHOTO: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro participates in a Brazil-U.S. Business Council forum to discuss relations and future cooperation and engagement in Washington, U.S. March 18, 2019. REUTERS/Erin Scott

Bolsonaro, a far-right congressman who rode to the presidency with a brash, anti-establishment campaign modeled on Trump’s 2016 run, has pledged a new era of pro-American policy in the Southern Hemisphere’s second-largest country.

Ahead of Tuesday’s Oval Office meeting, Bolsonaro waived a visa requirement for U.S. visitors to Brazil and later in a Fox News interview on Monday night threw his weight behind Trump’s immigration agenda, which includes a wall on the Mexican border.

Although he did not get into specifics of his agenda in Washington, Bolsonaro said the presidents would discuss a deepening political and economic crisis in socialist Venezuela.

Bolsonaro said Brazil is the country most interested in seeing an end to the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, which he called a “drug trafficking dictatorship.”

In addition to their shared political agenda, Bolsonaro spoke hopefully of a blossoming friendship with Trump.

“I’m willing to open my heart up to him and do whatever is good, to the benefit of both the Brazilian and the American people,” Bolsonaro told Fox News.

Brazil waives visas for visitors from U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan

The Brazilian government on Monday waived visa requirements for visitors from the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan, a measure to boost tourism that was first temporarily adopted before the Rio Olympics in 2016.

 

[angelburst29]

Armed men shot at members of a convoy transporting uranium to one of Brazil's two working nuclear power plants on a coastal road in Rio de Janeiro state on Tuesday, police and the company managing the plant said.

Brazilian nuclear plant uranium convoy attacked by armed men: police

They said the truck carrying the nuclear fuel and its police escort came under attack when it was passing by the town of Frade, about 30 km (19 miles) from Angra dos Reis, where the reactor is located.

Policemen guarding the convoy returned the attackers’ fire, police said. They said there were no injuries or arrests and the armed men fled.

Eletronuclear, the Centrais Elétricas Brasileiras SA subsidiary that manages the Angra nuclear plants, said in a statement that the uranium being transported was not dangerous and that the shipment was not delayed by the attack.

It said the incident occurred when police escorting the truck fanned out alongside the road as a precautionary measure after hearing nearby gunshots. The armed men then started firing on some of the heavily armed “shock battalion” accompanying the shipment, Eletronuclear said.

The nuclear fuel used in the two reactors in Brazil, Angra 1 and Angra 2, is produced in a government installation in Resende, a city in the interior of Rio de Janeiro state located 130 km (80.78 miles) from Angra dos Reis.

Brazil only processes uranium to be used as fuel for power plants, under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Trump forges bond with Brazil's Bolsonaro in White House visit

U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazil's new far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro forged a bond over their shared brand of conservative and populist politics on Tuesday, with Trump pledging to give more U.S. support to Brazil's global ambitions.

 

[goyacobol]

I'm a bit late in catching up with this thread but considering what is going on with the assault on South America it think the article had an excellent analysis of the situation:

Other nations that can and arguably should enter the coalition are; Venezuela, Mexico, Argentina, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and post Erdogan Turkey. Why post Erdogan? Because Erdogan’s Turkey can turn BRICS into a bag of TRICS.

The above strategy would considerably level the playing field in my way of thinking. Of course it requires a lot of courage and determination on the part of those countries to wake up and fight for their sovereignty.

 

[caballero reyes]

angelburst29 said:

“I do not feel comfortable showing this, but ... this is what many of the street parties in Brazil’s carnival have turned into,” Bolsonaro tweeted about the video, which local media said was filmed at a Sao Paulo street party, or bloco.



He does not feel comfortable with that, but he is going to agree very, very comfortable when it delivers to the demoniacs corporations / foreign companies the enormous wealth of Brazil such as water, forests, gold, etc.

This is the kind of sorcerers that should scare us, not those who went out in the parades of the samba schools at the carnival and who frightened some.

 

[angelburst29]

angelburst29 said:

“I do not feel comfortable showing this, but ... this is what many of the street parties in Brazil’s carnival have turned into,” Bolsonaro tweeted about the video, which local media said was filmed at a Sao Paulo street party, or bloco.

Correction on "said" - I Posted and quoted an article that included "a tweet by Bolsonaro". The tweet was about a video that showed a barely dressed male party-goer, who writhes atop a bus shelter, playing with his behind, and then bends over before another man urinates on his head.

You then proceed to state:

He does not feel comfortable with that, but he is going to agree very, very comfortable when it delivers to the demoniacs corporations / foreign companies the enormous wealth of Brazil such as water, forests, gold, etc.

Caballero reyes, who do you think sponsors, heavily promotes and contributes financial funds for the yearly Carnival? The demoniacs corporations / foreign companies! The same parasites that have been stealing the enormous wealth of Brazil ... long before Jair Bolsonaro was sworn in as President. As for Bolsonaro's domestic, foreign and economic trade agreements, it's still premature to speculate on what Policies and direction he will take.

This is the kind of sorcerers that should scare us, not those who went out in the parades of the samba schools at the carnival and who frightened some.

You are referring to this Carnival from another thread:
PARTIES

The only difference between that circus extravaganza - and this one - is the theme and costumes. Both are a ritualistic distortion of imaginary fantasy and lower based carnal desires. The glorification is to the lesser vibration of elementals in primitive form. Next step is gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights (modern versions - warfare in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. and the primal beat goes on.)
New tunnel unveiled in bizarre 'demonic' ceremony - WND - WND

Caballero reyes, Please don't use me as a springboard for your promotion and activism for this "Soul-splitting" Carnival!

(... and while Nero fiddled, as Rome burned - it's citizens were consumed by fire in the Colosseum.)

~~~

Brazil's right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro won glowing praise and conditional promises from U.S. President Donald Trump on his visit to the White House this week, yet Brazilian negotiators came away grumbling about their hosts driving a hard bargain.

Bolsonaro gets Trump's praise but few concessions, riling Brazilians

FILE PHOTO: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro listens to U.S. President Donald Trump during a joint news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, U.S., March 19, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo

Diplomats and other officials said Brazil got few immediate concessions in return for granting a unilateral visa waiver for U.S. visitors, a tariff-free quota for wheat imports and easier access for U.S. space launches from Brazil.

Bolsonaro, an outspoken Trump admirer who seemed eager to please at their first meeting, failed to win more room for Brazil’s sugar exports or overturn a U.S. ban on fresh Brazilian beef - both major objectives of the country’s farm sector.

“If this is the way forward, we might as well stay put,” said a Brazilian official directly involved in the negotiations, who requested anonymity to speak freely. “They asked for everything, but didn’t want to cede on anything.”

Reactions among Brazilians focused largely on the symbolism of the visit, with Bolsonaro supporters calling it a vindication for the iconoclastic leader and critics cringing to see him so cozy with Trump.

Yet the frustration of the Brazilian delegation reflects the deeper difficulty of overcoming trade barriers and agribusiness competition between the two countries, even as their presidents find common ground in their brash style and conservative views.

Bolsonaro celebrated his visit as the start of a new era of U.S.-Brazil friendship, playing up his admiration of Trump and their shared disdain for political correctness and “fake news,” as they often call unfavorable press coverage.

The presidents also found common ground in condemning Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and cooperating on public security and military development. Designating Brazil a “major non-NATO ally” will ease U.S. arms sales to the Brazilian armed forces, while a new technology safeguard agreement will help U.S. companies to conduct commercial space launches in Brazil.

However, in more transactional areas such as trade, the Brazilians’ goodwill offerings, such as an annual import quota of 750,000 tonnes of tariff-free wheat, were not met in kind.

“If this reciprocity does not occur, Bolsonaro’s preference for the U.S. will look naive in the future,” said Welber Barral, a former Brazilian foreign trade secretary.

Brazil’s new openness to wheat imports will mainly benefit U.S. exporters and was a slap in the face to neighboring Argentina, another major trade partner, Barral said.

He also warned that Brazil stands to face more setbacks on trade if it gives up the benefits of “developing country” status at the World Trade Organization (WTO) — the U.S. condition for supporting Brazil’s bid to join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a policy forum for wealthier nations.

That conditional endorsement — concrete WTO concessions in return for symbolic OECD membership — left Brazilian Economy Minister Paulo Guedes visibly annoyed after his meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

“That’s no exchange. He’s making that demand,” he told journalists.

Addressing an audience at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Monday, Guedes also gave a hint of the sticking points that stood in the way of broader trade agreements.

“You want to sell pork? Okay, buy my beef. You want to sell ethanol? Buy my sugar. Beef for pork, ethanol for sugar, wheat for auto parts. They’re little things,” he said.

None of the exchanges he suggested were formalized in talks.

Guedes reminded the audience that China, Brazil’s top trading partner, would be ready to pick up the slack if the United States did not engage. “They are moving in, trying to invest,” Guedes warned.

 

[angelburst29]

Brazil's former President Michel Temer was arrested on Thursday in "Operation Radioactivity," a probe of alleged graft in the construction of a nuclear power plant, threatening to delay debate over the government's ambitious fiscal reforms.

Brazil's ex-President Temer jailed, accused of heading 'criminal organization'
'
Brazil's former president Michel Temer (L) is seen at Guarulhos airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil March 21, 2019 REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli

Temer was president from 2016 to 2018, taking office after the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, who he served under as vice president for six years. His lawyer confirmed he was arrested in Sao Paulo, and his legal team has lodged an appeal for Temer to be freed.

Prosecutors alleged that Temer was the leader of a “criminal organization” that took in 1.8 billion reais ($472 million) in bribes or pending future kickbacks as part of numerous schemes, including one related to the Angra nuclear power plant complex on the Rio de Janeiro coast and other state firms. The former president’s Brazil Democratic Movement party long held sway over key appointments in Brazil’s largely state-run energy sector, including nuclear power plants.

Brazil’s sweeping “Car Wash” probe has uncovered what U.S. prosecutors called the world’s largest graft scheme, starting with political bribery involving oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA and spreading to other sectors and public works.

Over 150 powerful politicians and businessmen have been convicted in relation to the investigation since 2014, which has reshaped the country’s political and business landscapes.

Prosecutors told a news conference that Temer, who was a federal lawmaker for more than 15 years before becoming vice president, had been a part of schemes diverting public funds since the 1980s.

“The criminal group that was arrested today .... has been in operation for more than 40 years,” said federal prosecutor Fabiana Schneider.

Slideshow (4 Images)
Brazil's ex-President Temer jailed, accused of heading 'criminal...

Brazil markets end volatile session in the red after ex-president's arrest

Brazilian financial markets fell in highly volatile trading on Thursday as investors feared former President Michel Temer's arrest on graft charges could slow proposed pension reform seen as critical to injecting life into a tepid economic recovery.

Miner Vale quashed dam safety audit efforts before Brazil disaster: prosecutor

Executives at Vale SA, the world's largest iron ore miner, quashed efforts by Brazilian authorities to audit one of the company's mining dams months before it collapsed and killed over 300 people, a state prosecutor was quoted as saying by news website G1 on Wednesday.

Vale halts operations at another mine in Minas after test

Brazilian mining company Vale SA said on Wednesday it halted operations at its Alegria iron ore mine in Minas Gerais state after a "stress test" in the structures failed to guarantee stability.

 

[caballero reyes]

1 --- angelburst29 said:
"Caballero reyes, who do you think sponsors, heavily promotes and contributes financial funds for the yearly Carnival? The demoniacs corporations / foreign companies! The same parasites that have been stealing the enormous wealth of Brazil ... long before Jair Bolsonaro was sworn in as President. As for Bolsonaro's domestic, foreign and economic trade agreements, it's still premature to speculate on what policies and direction he will take".


That, anyone with a little study can deduce it, angelburst29.
I know perfectly that the money, the coin has two faces, two sides, the bad and the good, with one of those faces, with the bad / "good" face, referring to this particular issue, with that, they have been made and many shows are still being produced all over the world, charitable works and great religious festivities are sponsored, everything has money as a background, it depends on how and with what intention you use it, it is something that can not be avoided, it is in the bases of all the world's economies, but that does not mean that carnival and other festivities can not be enjoyed, because otherwise, if we think that works or events or activities in general are made with bad or good money, then , it would not be possible for there to be activities of any kind.


2 --- "Correction on" said "- I posted and quoted an article that included" a tweet by Bolsonaro. "The tweet was about a video that showed a barely dressed male party-goer, who writhes atop a bus shelter, playing with his behind, and then bends over before another man urinates on his head ".

Sorry if I put the phrase "angelburst29 said".


3 --- "Caballero reyes, Please do not use me as a springboard for your promotion and activism for this" Soul-splitting "Carnival"!

It has never been my intention to do that and least to promote something in this forum.

 

[goyacobol]

that does not mean that carnival and other festivities can not be enjoyed,

You are free to enjoy yourself as much as you like. Some of us are trying to pay attention to "reality right and left" and for most of us the situation in Brazil is not one huge carnival.

It has never been my intention to do that and least to promote something in this forum.

Then why are the majority of your posts focused on "Parties/Carnivals". I hope at some point we may all rejoice but personally I don't think we are finished observing "reality right and left".

it depends on how and with what intention you use it, it is something that can not be avoided

I agree it certainly does have much to do with the intentions these festivals are being funded. I think that was what angelburst29 was trying to say about "corporations / foreign companies". And I don't think you are seeing any negative intentions in the events happening all around you.

Here you are on a thread talking about serious challenges Brazil is facing. Are you even expressing concern or suggesting a better way for the people of Brazil? If you think all that is needed is another carnival then I don't know what to say.

 

[angelburst29]

That, anyone with a little study can deduce it, angelburst29.
I know perfectly that the money, the coin has two faces, two sides, the bad and the good, with one of those faces, with the bad / "good" face, referring to this particular issue, with that, they have been made and many shows are still being produced all over the world, charitable works and great religious festivities are sponsored, everything has money as a background, it depends on how and with what intention you use it, it is something that can not be avoided, it is in the bases of all the world's economies, but that does not mean that carnival and other festivities can not be enjoyed, because otherwise, if we think that works or events or activities in general are made with bad or good money, then , it would not be possible for there to be activities of any kind.

Caballero reyes, do you have anything else - you might want to share or emulate?

I have to admit, I often times (have trouble with "code") and deciphering word phrases and fragmented dispositions of thoughts.

At times, It can get a little tricky, especially when it comes down to - narrowing a common denominator - as a starting point or proper reference to a single theme. Usually, once I get "a hint" as to the subject matter and point of reference - I can generally - run with it!

So, would you be kind enough - to give me a little hint - as to what your statement(s) above - is all about?

Take your time, no hurry on a purely academic response. I realize, things of this nature - can only operate at the speed of deep logic and prior experience - to deduce it.

 

[angelburst29]

Brazil's federal prosecutor's office on Tuesday said it was opposed to far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's plan to allow the armed forces to officially commemorate the 55th anniversary of Brazil's military coup this weekend.

March 26, 2019 - Brazil prosecutor opposes president on commemoration of coup

FILE PHOTO - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro participates in a Brazil-U.S. Business Council forum to discuss relations and future cooperation in Washington, U.S. March 18, 2019. REUTERS/Erin Scott

“The coup d’état of 1964 ... was a violent and undemocratic rupture of the constitutional order,” the citizens’ rights defender’s office, which is part of the federal prosecutor’s office, said in a statement. “If repeated in the present times, the conduct of the military and civilian forces that promoted the coup would be characterized as a ... crime against the constitutional order and the democratic state.”

Speaking with reporters on Monday, Bolsonaro’s spokesman said the president planned to allow the military to commemorate on Sunday the beginning of the country’s 1964-1985 dictatorship, which the former army captain has long idolized.

Despite Bolsonaro’s move, no public displays by the military are expected, although events may take place behind closed doors in Brazil’s barracks.

Some Brazilian conservatives and members of Brazil’s military view March 31 as the day they liberated the country from the threat of communist usurpation, but many other Brazilians view it as a dark period that resulted in human rights abuses, disappearances and the murder of political activists.

Sunday will be the first time since 2011 that the military will officially commemorate the date.

Former President Dilma Rousseff, a one-time leftist guerrilla who was imprisoned and tortured during the regime, ordered the military to halt commemorations when she took office.

Brazil not considering military force in Venezuela: defense minister

Brazil is not considering the use of military force in Venezuela and hopes for a peaceful solution to the country's crisis, Defense Minister Fernando Azevedo e Silva said on Tuesday as he met his American counterpart at the Pentagon.

 

[angelburst29]

Former Brazilian President Michel Temer has been formally charged with corruption on allegations of using a middleman to procure a suitcase full of cash from the world's largest meatpacker, JBS SA, federal prosecutors said on Thursday.

Brazil ex-President Temer charged in graft case linked to meatpacker JBS

Temer, who was president from 2016 until the end of 2018, was arrested last week as part of a separate investigation and accused of running a vast criminal enterprise that sought bribes for public works projects. He denies all charges and was freed this week after a petition by his lawyers.

In 2017, Rodrigo da Rocha Loures was caught on video by security cameras running out of a Sao Paulo restaurant carrying a bag with 500,000 reais ($128,166) in cash that prosecutors said was a bribe from the owners of JBS.

Plea-bargain testimony by two executives of JBS holding company J&F Investimentos SA implicated Temer and other politicians in corruption and led prosecutors to accuse Rocha Loures of being a middleman for Temer, which the former president denied. Rocha Loures, who has also denied the charges, is awaiting trial.

On Thursday, Temer was officially charged by federal prosecutors with having received bribes paid by a JBS official and delivered by a J&F executive.

Brazil ex-President Temer hit with new corruption charges: prosecutor
Brazilian former President Michel Temer was hit with more graft charges on Friday, just a day after being charged in a separate corruption case, according to federal prosecutors.

Temer, who left the presidency at the end of 2018, was arrested last week as part of an investigation into kickbacks on a nuclear plant’s construction contract involving the Brazilian subsidiary of Swedish consulting firm AF Poyry (AFb.ST), along with engineering firms Engevix and Argeplan.

Temer has since been released and denies wrongdoing. AF Poyry has said it would not comment on an ongoing investigation. Engevix and Argeplan did not reply to requests for comment.

Federal prosecutors charged Temer and his former energy minister Wellington Moreira Franco of taking part in a bribery scheme related to the Angra nuclear power plant complex on the Rio de Janeiro coast and other state firms. Moreira Franco has also said he is innocent.

Last week, prosecutors said the graft at Angra was one aspect of a “criminal organization” that Temer had run during his four decades in public life, which received or arranged upward of 1.8 billion reais ($462.53 million) in bribes.

Temer, 78, served for two years as Sao Paulo state’s prosecutor general starting in 1983. In 1985 he was elected to Congress, where he served until becoming former president Dilma Rousseff’s vice president in 2011. He took over as president after Rousseff was impeached in 2016.

Temer’s Brazil Democratic Movement party long held sway over key appointments in Brazil’s largely state-run energy sector, including nuclear power plants.

Temer is the second former president to be arrested in Brazil’s unprecedented anti-corruption push since 2014. Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is in jail serving over 12 years for a corruption conviction.

Brazil military takes up coup commemoration at Bolsonaro's behest

Brazil's armed forces on Sunday paid tribute to a 1964 coup leading to a two-decade dictatorship, after far-right President Jair Bolsonaro - who argues that military intervention saved the country from communism - reversed an 8-year-ban on celebrations.

Brazil's Bolsonaro begins Israel visit with embassy decision pending

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro began a visit to Israel on Sunday with a decision pending on fulfilling a promise to move his country's embassy to Jerusalem, a policy change opposed by military officers in his cabinet.

 

[angelburst29]

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, accompanied by Israel's prime minister, visited Jerusalem's Western Wall on Monday as the Palestinians considered recalling their ambassador in Brasilia over a new trade mission to Israel in the holy city.

Bolsonaro visits Western Wall, Palestinians angry at Jerusalem mission

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, accompanied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pose for a photo as they visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City. April 1, 2019 Menahem Kahana/Pool via REUTERS

Brazil on Sunday opened a new trade mission to Israel in the city, edging back from earlier signals it would follow the United States with a full embassy move.

Bolsonaro, on a four-day trip to Israel, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approached the wall together and leaned side-by-side against its massive stones. Bolsonaro placed a prayer note in between the stones, as is customary.

Bolsonaro’s original proposal to move Brazil’s embassy to Jerusalem angered the Muslim world, and senior Brazilian officials backed away from it for fear of damaging ties with Arab countries and jeopardizing billions of dollars in Brazilian halal meat exports.

Presidential spokesman Otavio Rego Barros said on Sunday the trade mission would not be a diplomatic representation, but the move angered the Palestinians.

Alzeban said the Palestinians were also upset because Bolsonaro did not consider a visit to the Palestinian territories and did not coordinate his trip with Palestinian authorities.

Netanyahu has said he hopes Brazil’s Jerusalem trade office is a step toward moving the embassy to the city.

“There is no recognition of Jerusalem as the capital,” Brazilian presidential spokesman Barros said. “Our president continues to evaluate this possibility (of moving the embassy), but that is not what we decided at this time.”

Brazil's president calls Nazis leftists after Israel Holocaust museum visit

Brazil's right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro said "there is no doubt" that Nazism was a leftist movement, just after visiting Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and museum.

Brazil crime crackdown excites defense firms at arms expo as economy doubts linger

Global defense and security firms gathered at Latin America's biggest security expo in Rio de Janeiro this week hope Brazil's crackdown on crime will bolster sales to the new right-wing government even as they fret about the weak economy and tough political climate.

Brazilian government takes bullish stance on pension reform

Senior Brazilian officials charged with steering pension reform through Congress presented a united front on Tuesday, insisting on an end to the political finger-pointing in recent weeks that threw the government's signature reform bill into doubt.

Brazil vice president says pension reform to be approved in coming months
Brazil's Vice President Hamilton Mourao said on Tuesday that he expects Congress to approve pension reform in coming months and that next up will be tax reform.

Brazil ex-President Temer indicted on charges involving nuclear plant bribes

Former Brazilian President Michel Temer was indicted on Tuesday on corruption charges brought by prosecutors who said he took part in a bribery scheme related to the Angra 3 nuclear power plant complex on the coast near Rio de Janeiro.

 

[goyacobol]

Netanyahu has said he hopes Brazil’s Jerusalem trade office is a step toward moving the embassy to the city.

It seems like Israel is using the "Religion" card to assure Christians continue to buy into the "Choosen people" mantra that the Zionists proclaim as their fake heritage. Trump is playing right along with moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. It will be interesting to see if Christians ever become aware enough to see Zionism for what it truly is. Even a small percentage of those who get it would be better than practically none. I have seen some on Twitter who know the score but what a gap there is between truth and reality.

 

[angelburst29]

Part of a bridge over the Moju River in Brazil's Para state collapsed early on Saturday, potentially affecting shipment of grains such as soybeans and corn through northern ports, local authorities and an agribusiness consultant said.

Brazil bridge collapse could affect grain shipments in north

A bridge over the Moju River is seen after collapsing and potentially affecting shipments of grains, such as soybeans and corn through northern ports at Alca Viaria complex in the Highway PA-483 in Acara, Para state, Brazil April 6, 2019. Fernando Araujo/Agencia Brasil/Handout via REUTERS

The bridge fell after it was hit by a boat, Governor Helder Barbalho said on Twitter, where he also posted videos of a large section of the bridge in the water. He said this was not the first time such an accident had occurred.

According to the official Agência Brasil news agency, two vehicles were crossing the bridge at the time of the collision.

“At the moment, our priority is searching for victims and giving complete support to their families,” Barbalho was quoted as saying in a statement from Para’s state news agency.

According to rescue workers, no crew or documents from the boat that collided against the bridge were found on the scene. The number of casualties was unclear.

Kory Melby, an agribusiness consultant based in the city of Goiania, said the bridge was on the main route connecting Brazil’s farm country to its northern ports. “It will probably take years for that bridge to be rebuilt,” he said by telephone.

The consultant noted the bridge was located some 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Belém, capital of Pará state, where three major grain loaders operate, including Archer Daniels Midland Co, Bunge Ltd and Hidrovias do Brasil SA.

Melby said barge traffic would not be affected on the Tocantins and Amazon rivers, which use river ports including Vila do Conde and Barcarena. Some 10 to 20 percent of the soy grown in Brazil’s center west is delivered by road at those ports, he said.

Brazil rejects U.N. appeal not to revise history by denying 1964 military coup

The government of Brazil's right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has rejected an appeal by a United Nations expert not to revise Brazilian history by denying a military coup occurred in 1964.

Brazil's Bolsonaro warms to old-style politics to push pension bill

Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro appealed to leaders of five big centrist parties on Thursday to back his pension reform plan, resorting to the traditional political methods he had condemned during the election campaign.

Brazil's Bolsonaro sees pension bill approval after meeting party leaders
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Thursday after meeting with party leaders that he expects Congress to pass his pension reform bill aimed at reducing Brazil's budget deficit.

 

[angelburst29]

Before Brazilian prosecutors could conduct an inspection last year of the prison considered the country's worst, its warden had to clear their visit with the jail's de facto authorities: in-house prison gangs.

April 10, 2019 - Bolsonaro targets deadly gangs run from Brazil's prisons

As Brazil’s incarcerated population has surged eight-fold in three decades to around 750,000 inmates, the world’s third-highest tally, its prison gangs have come to wield vast power that reaches far beyond the jailhouse walls.

New President Jair Bolsonaro’s vow to crack down on spiraling crime has put him on a collision course with the jail gangs. In a strategy detailed to Reuters for the first time, top security officials said they plan to isolate gang bosses, ramp up surveillance, build more lockups and deploy federal forces to beleaguered state prison systems.

Originally formed to protect inmates and advocate for better conditions, Brazil’s prison gangs are now involved in bank heists, drug trafficking and gun-running, with jailed kingpins presiding over their empires via smuggled cellphones.

Their spread has kindled a violent crime wave, turning Brazil into the world’s murder capital. With a record 64,000 people killed in 2017,
the prison gangs, or “facções,” have become the country’s most pressing security concern, and a daunting foe for Bolsonaro, a far-right former army captain.

“The solution to public security in Brazil depends on lots of things, and one of those is the prison system,” said Fabiano Bordignon, Bolsonaro’s appointment as head of the National Penitentiary Department.

Bordignon, in an interview, said Brazil’s roughly 1,500 jails need about 350,000 more spaces to house prisoners. He plans to use a 1.5 billion reais ($396 million) federal prison fund to help state governments build between 10,000 and 20,000 spaces this year.

By the end of Bolsonaro’s term in 2022, Bordignon hopes to lower the deficit by up to 140,000 spaces. But with each new space costing an average of 50,000 reais, he knows he needs more money: “We’re not going to be able to solve everything in four years,” he said.

Brazil's Bolsonaro plans new trip to U.S., China and Middle Eastern countries

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday he is planning new trips to the United States, China and Middle Eastern countries in the coming months.

Bolsonaro, appearing at a conference with the country’s mayors in Brasilia, also said Brazil is at a crossroads regarding the pension reform approval, saying its passage is urgent.