Following up on several other related posts, two recent news items give us reason to wonder about freedom of information in Brazil. First, Brazil’s telecommunications regulator, ANATEL, confiscated the computer equipment of three young people and fined them $3000R (about $2000US) for sharing an internet signal among their three dwellings in an effort to save Read more about The Right to Information in Brazil– Censorship, Fines for Sharing Wi-Fi[…]

Just a quick note to express my utter amazement at traffic here in São Paulo. I’ve been here for a week and a half now, attending a workshop at the University of São Paulo (USP) and I have had enormous difficulties getting to and from the USP. For the eight kilometers I need to traverse, Read more about São Paulo Traffic: Collective Pathology or Poor Policy?[…]

PROMISES 1.  The PAC2 stands for the Program for Growth Acceleration 2, and it’s not a midnight TV infomercial. It’s government’s gimmicky excuse to spend lots of money, $955 billion Reales over the next four years, or close to $600 billion U.S. The Program is for national development—highways, hydro-electricity projects, school and hospital building—the stuff you Read more about Dilma to the Legislature– A Few Promises[…]

The latest of several worrying trends relating to informational freedom in Brazil, earlier this week the Brazilian  Ministry of Education and Culture revoked the Creative Commons license that it has used since 2004. The move is yet one more indication that the Brazilian government continues to resist openness and strive for informational control. Brazil denies Read more about Brazil Government Bucking Trend Toward Informational Openness[…]

Yesterday’s post on philanthropy and economic optimism in Brazil appeared to be timely: Globo announced today that a group of businesses, including MRV, RJZ/Cyrela, Gafisa, PDG, Rodobens & Rossi, will be donating 2000 houses for those left without homes in the wake of recent mudslides. Stay tuned.

Globo reported today that the number of public officials ousted from the public service over the course of President Lula da Silva’s administrations (2002-2010) doubled. In 2003 the number of public officials punished tallied 264 and in 2010 this total had doubled to 521. Globo has produced a list of President Dilma Rousseff campaign pledges. Read more about Public Officials Ousted from Public Service Doubled Over Course of Lula’s Eight Years[…]

Canada’s Globe and Mail today reported on the specter of Brazilian of Brazilian inflation. Prices have surged over the last years; inflation was 10 percent last year and the Real is stronger than ever. So strong, reports the Globe, that Goldman Sachs dubbed it the most overvalued currency in the world. Good time for Brazilians Read more about The Specter of Brazilian Inflation[…]