Country

Brazil

Double Exposure

For centuries, the Quilombola people, descendants of escaped African slaves, have survived against insurmountable odds in the Amazon rainforest. Now industrial pollution and a pandemic are threatening their existence.

Political Power and Chloroquine: A Long History

From the times of ancient Rome to the late 19th century, malaria was a deadly infection that no one knew how to cure, until chloroquine was discovered. Trump, Bolsonaro, and Maduro have defended its use against COVID-19, but scientific studies indicate that it is not effective.

The Triumph Over the River That Defeated Henry Ford (Spanish)

On the banks of the Tapajós River, one of the largest tributaries of the Amazon, a development policy was implemented years ago to turn the region into an important world corridor for Brazilian soybeans. There lies American car mogul Henry Ford’s failed factory city.

Reclaiming Land for Survival

Gamella Indians of Maranhão reclaim their ancestral lands from the hands of landowners and regenerate Amazonian flora and fauna.

Rio's Evangelical Drug Gangs

Rio de Janeiro's drug gangs are converting to evangelical Christianity. And in the favelas where they act as governments, their faith is becoming a kind of state religion.

Favela Ballet

A group of young ballerinas from one of the most violent favelas in Rio de Janeiro use dance to strive for a brighter future.

The Amazon’s Climate Tipping Point

Tropical forests are tipping from carbon sink to source, threatening a crucial hedge against runaway climate change in the violent, corruption-stained Brazilian Amazon.

The Prison Next Door

Brazil’s prison system is in crisis. The wives and mothers of inmates at Alcaçuz—some who live right next door to the maximum-security prison—are its unseen victims.

Zika’s Lasting Impact on Families in Brazil

Though the Zika outbreak in Brazil has seemingly peaked, its aftermath will be felt by the thousands of families caring for and raising children with Zika-related complications and disabilities.

Laboratory Earth

An unintended planet-wide experiment is underway–leading to warming temperatures and an acidifying ocean.

Life Inside: Art in Brazil Prisons

What happens when you send 20 University of Michigan students into Brazilian prisons to facilitate theater workshops? Join the Prison Creative Arts Project as they travel to Rio de Janiero, Brazil.