Dilma's fight to control her own government

by Carlos Pereira
Some years ago, the political scientist Samuel Kernell set out to probe the mysteries of presidential popularity. The result was Going Public: New Strategies of Presidential Leadership, published in 1997 and which quickly became a classic. In it, Kernell examines leaders who leverage their popularity by appealing directly to the public as a way to legitimize harsh or unpopular measures or legislation, as opposed to executives who rely on more conventional, institutional bargaining mechanisms.

Brazil shrinks the wealth gap

by Marcelo Côrtes Neri
Long known and criticized for its world beating gap between rich and poor, Brazil has seen income inequality decline to record levels in recent years. This is the mirror opposite of the picture in almost every other country in the world where income inequality spiked before the global economic crisis, receded briefly during the downtown, and now is on the rise again. This is the case in China and India, where simultaneous economic booms lifted the poor but helped the rich even more, widening social inequality. It was also the story of Brazil during the 1960s.

Palê Zuppani

A picture - goes the old saw - is worth a thousand words. Yes, but try to say that in a picture, the artist and humorist Millôr Fernandes once quipped. Brazilian photographer Palê Zuppani may not have quite solved that riddle, but he has spent a career trying, writing tales with lenses and light.

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.