Weekly Show

VIDEO | Brazil’s poor, mainly black communities, suffer from disease and oppression

Also featured on the show: how fake news shape the current political landscape, and 100 million trees will be planted

Brasil de Fato | São Paulo |
Journalist José Bernardes hosts our weekly English-language show featuring the latest news and fun facts about Brazil - Screen capture/Brasil de Fato

This week, in What’s Happening in Brazil, we take a look at how poor, mainly black communities are not only being ravaged by the pandemic, but still facing the same old issues they have been for decades, like racism, systematic abandonment and widespread police brutality.

In our Culture Talk segment, learn how the Landless Workers Movement (MST) is putting forth the lofty environmental goal of planting 100 million trees over the next ten years, and how it plans on doing it. One of the people spearheading this initiative explains how this, as well as ecological agriculture and family farming are helping the lives of rural residents.

Our story of the week highlights how the destruction of the Amazon rain forest is increasing drastically during the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. A lack of oversight coupled with direct and indirect support from the Jair Bolsonaro administration, is fueling illegal logging and the deliberate burning of the vegetation. The communities who live in these areas now face disaster on two fronts: the outbreak and the destruction of their homeland.

Finally, as is tradition on our show, we showcase a music video from local artists as well as a delicious Brazilian recipe in our Brazilianism segment.

All What's Happening in Brazil episodes are available at Brasil de Fato's YouTube channel, where you'll also find a special English-content playlist.

Partners who wish to include a longer version of the show in their schedule may contact our international team at [email protected] or send a WhatsApp message to +55 11 993 055 156.

For more news about Brazil and our region, visit our website.

Edited by: Ítalo Piva