by Marcos Azambuja
President Dilma Rousseff has just completed her first state visit to Cuba. It would have been better if she hadn't gone there, at least not now. By going to Havana, she has put herself in a bind that even the most skilful diplomacy would be hard pressed to escape.  As head of one of the world's great democracies, Rousseff speaks and acts with the legitimacy of a leader who has come to power by the will of the people and for a constitutionally defined term, her victory determined unequivocally through the ballot box and in free and fair election. On more than one occasion, she has clearly stated her commitment to human rights.

Brazil's social priorities need rescuing

by Roberto DaMatta
In Brazil, emergency is a word with many meanings, most of which reveal the deepest dimensions of local culture. If an Englishman screams "Help!" he is immediately helped. If a U.S. airlines, whether small or large, receives a request for an emergency ticket - this has happened with me - a seat will promptly be granted. In both places, words like help, danger, aid, emergency, and expressions such as "life or death" wield the power to suspend the daily routine and trigger effective responses. No one needs to be reminded that the ensuing attention and assistance must be immediate.

 

Photographer Ricardo Azoury explores the gemstone mines of Minas Gerais where dreams of fortune still fire the imaginations of today's garimpeiros.

It may not be pretty, but it works

By Carlos Pereira

Brazilian democracy has come of age. Elections are free and fair and the courts independent. Brazilian media speaks its mind. In fact for more than two decades democracy has been the only game in town, without a single political actor having broken the rules of engagement. Brazil not only has consolidated its democracy but also managed to achieve macro-economic stability, reduce poverty and inequality, win international credibility, slash unemployment and rise to become the world's sixth-largest economy. And the list of accomplishments doesn't end there.