Brasil & Guns

I'm sure mos tof you have seen movies like City of God.  And have images of children caring and using guns int he streets of brasil's poorest favelas.  And it is a image that scares away most tourist and people from even venturing out to see these poor parts of the city. There are over 16 million guns in brasil, 80% are in civilian hands and are illegally owned and unregistered. 

 Brasil is organizing a hand in your guns program, where no legal action will be taken and money will be given depending on the type of gun turned in(anywere from 60 to 200 dollars).  Last time they did this in 2003 over half a million guns were turned in and destroyed.

With all these guns on the streets and in the hands of civilans, I wonder how these guns ended up in the hands of the poor or the drug dealers.  Are currupt cops selling these guns and profeiteering off the drug trade. Most likely!  It happens everywhere. I think the brasilian government should clean up there police force and provide equal justice to the poor, as well as the rich.  I feel like a dirty police agency hurts cities the most, because people can't stand up to them. they perfer to jsut handle justice by whatever means they can, and its a sad vicious cycle.

Landless in Brasil

I respect that the indigenous peoples are standing up for their rights , and are fighting for there survival both physical and cultural.  I compare it to the migration of south american immgrants into the united states.  I can't blame these oppressed people for standing up for themselves and doing everything in their will power to have a better life.  Infact I respect that and think that all governments should figure a way to help these people instead of turning them back in the case of american borders or give them land to farm in Brasil.  The problem in brasil is large land owners, they do produce large amouts of the countries agriculture but how many native indigenous people have to die, and how much money does a land owner have to make for it to be enough???

I dont think that these working class people want hand outs. And I believe other Brasilians kind of assume that is what is going on.  That the government has a program to hand out land to the poor for free.  Yet, the goal of these poeple and the government is to develope a plan that will generate employment, boost food production and help strengthen the domestic market.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, asked brasil to halt construction of the Belo Monte dam, slated to be the world’s third largest, until it complied with its legal obligations to consult with indigenous groups. Also celebrities from the United states such as James Cameron, Bill Clinton and Governor Arnold have been meeting with indigenous leaders and going to energy conventions in Brasil. They are pleading with brasils government to consult with the Indigenous peoples to prevent the spread of diseases that could result from the population flow during construction. Because Brasils government has already refused to suspend the work of the huge dam in the amazon called Belo Monte. Despite please from human rights organizations and the indigenous peoples themselves. Brasils economy is growing and needs electricity really bad. So the government is going on , through protest and outrage. The only thing preventing the project right now is a decision that needs to be made by the IBAMA, Brasils environmental protection agency. Although it wont be long before the decision is made because of strong persuading by the government. Brasil's new female president Dilma Rouseff, is pro dam. The president of Ibama, Roberto Messias Franco, resigned last year, because he feared making this decision, because the government was pressuring him to approve the environmental licenses for Belo Monte. Hes successor Bayma Azevedo asked for a leave for "personal reasons" days after Rouseff became president. But, I think its a stalling tactic, that wont last much longer, just by the unwavering commitment to the dam. Bill Clinton called on Brasil to show leadership and added,"I want you to lead the rest of the world into the 21st century.
I think its funny that a president of a country that genocides its Native Indians, for our country to prosper and become what it is today, to have the nerve to tell another country to find a new way to bring your country into the world of superpowers and first world economies. Because it seems that screwing over Indigenous people is the key to success, throughout history.

"OXI" known as the drug of death

A new form of Crack Cocaine, that is mixed with kerosene or gasoline, acetone, battery fluid and other chemicals.  If you didn't know crack cocaine is smoked, by the users, and extremely addictive.  In brasil they say these new form is much cheaper than usual crack and Highly addictive.
The Drug was first spotted and made noticed to the government in 2004.  The stopped smugglers with in on the borders of the amazon and state of 
Acre.  The countries that are evolved with the smuggling are the bordering countries of boliva and peru, where the coco plant is grown on a large agricultural scale.  From that initial bust, Oxi has popped up all over the northeastern part of brasil, leaving behind a trail of death spreading from state to state.  The national fear is that the drug will reach the major cities like Rio de Jenerio, San Paulo and brasilia.  Huge metro and urban cities where crack is already an epidemic.  The fear lies in the price, the normal street value of a rock of crack is about 6 U.S. dollars in brasil, this new Oxi is about 1 dollar 20 cents.  I think the brasilian government is scared that they have a lot of the world coming to see and visit brasil and it would be devastating to the countries tourism if the drug causes an epidemic on the streets, like cocaine did in the 80's in on the east coast.  Except this drug is much heavier!
Users take on a yellowish skin color, lose weight very quickly and develop liver problems. They start to look like emaciated living corpses in just a few weeks time. The drug causes stomach aches, vomiting and constant diarrhea, but perhaps the most alarming fact is that most users die within a year.  That's really bad, its almost like a poison, and will maybe wipe itself out, because I can't think how the government can try to battle a drug that cheap.  Good thing it isn't in excess yet, they can still pass extremely harsh laws to kind of slow down the small time traffickers from wanting to sell it or ; Make stiff penalties to people who traffic it into the country, like lets say the "Death Penalty"...That might be a little harsh for south America, but Asia does have laws that are very stiff.  But it would cause the price to increase and then maybe the users will realize that its effects aren't worth its price!

Motoboys of Brasil

Motoboy is a new profession that has popped up in Brasil over the last couple of decades.  Its a courier service that uses small bikes with under 250cc engines to transport anything arcoss traffic infested cities.  They truely can deliever anything for a price, as long as it fits on teh back of a motorcycle.  The main things they deliever are pizza's, fast food, documents, and payment reciepts.  I have a friend from San Paulo and he lives here now, but he said the motoboy culture is definiately one that is from the streets, he told me stories of bargaining with motoboy's on the street for a ride up to a soccer game for 50 cents.  You just jump on the back and they will have you there the fastest possible way in over populated, crowded cities.  I don't think the Motoboy is liked by the average middle class brasilian. Although they live in the streets all day, by their motorbikes, they have their own distinct culture with-in brasil.  They even have their own way of speaking and jargon that most brasilians like to joke and make fun of.  Here are some words made famous by the motoboys:

• Cachorro louco (crazy dog): feared motoboy that rides daringly through traffic and becomes a danger to himself and other motoboys.
• Comprar chão ou comprar terreno: to fall off the bike.
• Sem terra (without land): someone that never had to ‘comprar chão’.
• Corredor (hallway): the space between the cars through which the motoboys pass.

Moto boys will pass on the right, go up on sidewalks, go against traffic or cut thru gas stations, with very little respect for other drivers.  I believe they do these dangerous manuvers to do the best job they can, in order to provide for families and themselfs. They are envolved in a alot of accidents, I found soem figures online that said about one dies everyday.  If you watch the way they drive, thru the tight spaces, you would believe the death toll would be higher.  The reason I see so many youth's getting into this profession in brasil is because the cost of using the bus for a month is equal to the monthly payment of a motocycle, and they can begin to make money too

this is a comic making fun of the motoboy culture

and here is a clip of them on the job:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCPzIkUx49o&feature=related

Belo Monte dam

There have been legal seesaws over whether to build a dam in the Amazon where a bunch of indigenous tribes are located.    To build this Mega dam, builders will have to excavate two huge channels larger than the Panama Canal, to divert water for the power plants.  This will flood 160 sq-mile stretch of the forest, while drying up a 60-mile stretch of the Xingu River.  Non-governmental groups having come up with figures saying this construction of the dam, will displace over 20,000 people from indigenous communities. 

                The reason behind this Mega dam is to provide the fast growing Brazilian economy with energy.  Large cities like San Paulo are in huge demand for energy, and with the economy doing so well, they fear if the dam isn’t constructed it will hurt the economy.  There other options are dirtier, nuclear power plants, or expensive renewable energies like wind and solar.  The country has struggled to find a balance between the push to develop and the demand to protect the delicate ecosystems and indigenous peoples of the Amazon.

                The indigenous peoples have the least to say over the decision because they have very little to do with the economy,  they aren’t making money for anyone, but rather being taking advantage of as they have been for years all over the world.  I thought Brasil was one of the only countries to protect their indigenous peoples, but as the rich get greedy and more desperate its only a matter of time before the extinct the Indigenous peoples as we have here in the states, for a few extra bucks in the Bank account.  At least Brasil is a place where the tribes still can assemble and deal with the government and protest for their rights.  Because the drying of the Xingu would change life as they know it.  At the last meeting with leaders from 13 tribes made an unusual decision; The created a new tribe of 2,500 and then  stationed it directly on the construction site, with plans to occupy it for years to be.

                This gives hope to me, because these people have nothing really to begin with, expect fish.  And they are protecting their own rights, by taking on hardships for the better of the land, the culture and the future

Homeless Children of Brasil

I found out about this trial in Rio that involved street children being murdered by death squads.  In 1993 they busted a bunch of cops for basicially extreminating homeless children in there sleep.  It really rock me becuase it seems so unjust, because they were only kids, and its obivious that the courts are not protecting the people.  I understand that these kids have no family or money, but that doesn't mean that these crimes should go un punished.  The three men that went on trail all got aqquitted because the court didn't accept any of the witness testimonies, took the other cops words that these guys didn't have anything to do with it, it was some lower level police men.  But I think people knew that was all bullshit, the only people who went down for this are probably tring to protect the real corrupt police. 

Human rights say that offduty police officers often take part in death squads, paid by shopkeepers and others to rid the streets of homeless children, who are considered a menace.  In 1993 three men including two police officers charged with the murders of eight homeless children.  They were part of a group of men that shot at 70 homeless children sleeping on the sidewalk near Candelaria Cathedral.  CNN human rights observers consider this the worse massacres of street children. It definatley wasnt the last massacre done by the police.


The video explains it better , so check it out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_9W8F1JS0Q