Rio de Janeiro

Queer Museum Brings Uncomfortable Truth About LGBT+ Expression in Brazil

By Alexis Takoushian
September 3, 2018

Brazil, like other Latin American countries, is multifaceted when it comes to LGBT+ rights. As a country bursting with art and culture it provides unique opportunities to showcase queer identity through art and celebrate the pride of the community. São Paulo hosts the largest gay pride parade in the world, and the Ipanema neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro is known for being a popular gay destination.

Marielle Franco Assassination

By Rachel Bierly
March 28, 2018

On March 14th, 2018, one of Brazil’s strongest voices in the fight for equal rights was assassinated in her car along with her driver on the way home from an event to empower young black women in Rio de Janeiro. Marielle Franco had just been elected the city councilor of Rio de Janeiro 18 months prior to her death. At 38 years old, Franco was the only black female representative on the 51-member council, and one of seven women (The New York Times, 2018).

Peacekeeping or Pacification in the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro

By Sophia Winston
October 11, 2016

Having only been in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for one week, I cannot tell you very much about life here except for what I’ve observed in my short amount of time. If there’s one thing that is clear, it’s that the people of Rio want you to know that favelas aren’t dangerous. Favelas, which can only best be described as shantytowns built on the hills and mountains of the city, are also known as “comunidades,” or communities, among the more politically correct.

Problems of Pollution Facing the 2016 Rio Olympics

By Sophia Winston
October 11, 2016

As part of Rio de Janeiro’s 2016 Olympic bid, the olympic committee made a couple of large promises, one of them the clean up of Guanabara Bay in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro. The Guanabara Bay will be one of the main features of the opening ceremony and will hold competitions for all sailing and rowing events. City officials promised to reduce waste and pollution in the bay by 80% but little progress has been made.1 If you ask any resident of Rio de Janeiro if the bay is fit for competition, or even display, they would confidently say no.

Presidential Scandal Triggers Nation Wide Protests in Brazil

By Sophia Winston
October 10, 2016

In Brazil, March 15th marks the end of the dictatorial era of Brazil, but this past March 15th marked a different and equally as important date in history; this year millions of protesters took to the streets throughout Brazil to protest the current president, Dilma Rousseff. Dilma, and her Worker’s Party colleagues, have been in the midst of a national scandal since the end of 2014.

Unfulfilled Olympic Legacies in Rio

By Asa Equels
October 5, 2016

The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympic Games are making history in a number of ways. They will be the first Olympic Games hosted on the South American continent. Second, they have shown the worst preparation for the games in Olympic history. This chaos has played a large factor in neglecting the Legacy Projects that were promised as part of the 2016 Olympic Games.

Water Pollution at the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics

By Asa Equels
April 27, 2016

In less than a year, Brazil will be hosting their second major sporting event within a span of two years; the first being the FIFA World Cup in 2014, the second the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. While the former certainly did not come and go without its own political and social issues, the latter is stirring controversy of its own.

Corruption Brings Millions to the Street in Brazil

In the month of March, millions of Brazilians took to the street to protest the current president, Dilma Rousseff, and her political party, the Workers Party (PT). Last year, when the Lava-Jato scandal broke out, many politicians in her current cabinet were investigated and charged with money laundering. While Dilma was never formally indicted on any charges of involvement in the massive money laundering scheme, she was, nevertheless, put on trial for impeachment.

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