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Despite the government's efforts to lower it, Brazil's crime rate remains high. Many horrific crimes occur in Brazil's largest cities and the homicide rate is very high. Brazil's homicide rate is 20th in the world and approximately four times that of the United States's. There has been little action taken to these problems though, which is shown in the fact the Brazil's homicide rate has not changed over the last decade. Another problem Brazil faces is the high number of kidnappings that are are reported there, especially around the country's borders, which are even more dangerous than the rest of the country. These borders are particularly violent because of the amount of drug trafficking as well as the fact that many terrorist groups are located near them.
In Brazil's larger cities, crime rates are even higher which is mainly due to drug trafficking. Crimes towards tourists are high in these areas and the US government recommends using great caution when traveling to Brazil's largest cities. Many robberies are reported around ATMs and banks and pickpocketing is common. All of these concerns have raised significant questions about hosting the World Cup in a country where drug and gang violence run so rampant.

http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1072.html

https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=12033

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The man that was beheaded on Monday was João Rodrigo Silva Santos, a former soccer player and businessman. His family and friend said that he "lived for soccer" and loved life. He started playing professionally at age 16 and over the years played for a number clubs in Brazil, including Bangu (where he played for 9 years starting in 1996). He also spent a small amount of time playing for a Swedish club team and for Honduras' Olimpia club. He left a year before his death to pursue his own business.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1830745-brazilian-footballers-decapitated-head-reportedly-sent-to-wife-by-drug-lords

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/worldcup/2013/11/01/world-cup-brazil-rio-de-janeiro-crime/3353599/

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Former Brazilian footballer's head left on his doorstep

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Former Brazilian footballer's head left on his doorstep

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This past Tuesday morning, João Rodrigo Silva Santos's head was discovered in a backpack at the foot of his home when his wife opened the door to go to work. This is the second decapitation in Brazil in four months, the first of which came earlier this year when a soccer referee's head was found after a match. Police in Brazil are currently investigating Santos's death but still have not revealed any possible suspects. This event is also alarming because Brazil raised its security budget by $900 million and events like this are still occurring. Analysts say that it won't directly affect ticket sales, but agree that it will greatly impact tourism and it will put a dent in local business.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/30/world/brazil-footballer-murder/

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10/27- 11/2

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Offshore drilling is a process in which petroleum is extracted from reservoirs beneath the seabed using high tech tubes. Plattform rigs are the most widely used and can access oil at depths of over 1,000 feet. These rigs contain quite a few systems that help keep the project running smoothly. Each one has a power system, which includes engines and generators; a mechanical system, mainly consisting of a hoisting system; rotating equipment; a circulation system for removing mud from the oil well; a structure that holds the drill itself; and finally each rig has its own intricate high pressure system containing many types of valves that help control the flow of oil coming to the surface. All of these systems, plus a few other relatively minimal costs (such as sustaining an average of 100 crew members), amount to a enourmus average daily cost which ranges from about $250,000 to $750,000 a day.

http://www.ehow.com/about_6497511_offshore-drilling-work_.html

http://www.ehow.com/about_4597210_offshore-oil-rigs.html

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Brazil's largest company was established in 1953 and its first president was Getulio Vargas. 14 years later, in 1968, Petrobras changed the industry when it discovered an offshore oil field. This discovery proved to be influencial because it showed the world that oil existed offshore. In 1973 the company filed for bankruptcy when the oil crisis hit, and oil prices were raised dramatically. However, the finding of another major offshore oil field helped them out of bankruptcy and continue their growth. Later in 1973 Petrobras created Lubrax, an extremely advanced car engine lubricant that remains one of the top selling lubricants in the world today. In 1978 the company started taking steps to protect the environment. In the mid 1980's Petrobras became a pioneer in its field yet again when it began launching missions to drill at deep depths on the Ocean floor. The next major milestone in the company's history came in 1997 when the Brazilian government passed legislation that no longer made Petrobras a monopoly. Throughout the 2000's the company continued reasearch and develped many new technologies and is currently continuing its push to become more environmentally friendly.

Today, the oil giant's market cap is $113.7 billion and finished last year with $114.1 billion in profits. This makes Petrobras the 20th largest company in the world and the 7th largest among oil and gas companies.

http://www.forbes.com/companies/petrobras/financial/PBR/

http://www.petrobras.com.br/pt/

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Brazil Stumbles Through a Vital Oil Auction

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Brazil Stumbles Through a Vital Oil Auction

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Raul Gallegos published an article on Bloomberg.com this past thursday which highlighted a recent auction in Brazil that granted a few major companies in Brazil a permit to begin drilling off the coast. The oilfield lies below a thick layer of salt, which is about 6,500 feet under water, and contains an estimated 8.5 billion barrels of crude oil. The largest company that has been granted access to the oil field is Petrobras, the largest oil company in Brazil. The oil's total value is around two trillion Brazilian reais, which is approximately 850 billion US dollars. However, a little over 40% of the oils direct profit will be taken by the government, which Dilma Rousseff has pointed out, claiming that it will help to lower inflation and boost the economy.

Granting this permit to these major companies has proved to be very controversial. Outside the building where the auction was held, over 1,000 police stood guard to protect the meeting from protesters. One of the reasons this deal has received so much negative attention, is that it has highlighted Brazil's restrictive clause with Petrobras. This allocates all major salt fields to Petrobras, which some say is good because it will help the company grow and influence the economy.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-24/brazil-stumbles-through-a-vital-oil-auction.html#

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10/20 - 10/26

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Many teachers and students in Brazil are fed up with their education system because of its insufficiency. Education here is regulated by the federal government through the ministry of education, but it is up to the local governments to use the money on schools and teachers. The way the system is implemented allows for a lot of political corruption among local governments. This means that it will not be an easy task in fixing the system. Putting more money into the system would just fuel more political corruption. Currently the federal government spends 5.08% of their GDP on education which amounts to approximately $14.452 billion a year. In contrast, the United States spends about $1.1 trillion on education annually.

http://www.un.int/brazil/brasil/brazil-education.htm

http://portal.unesco.org/geography/es/files/13662/12960781625TOM_-_Brazil's_Ed_System_EN.pdf/TOM%2B-%2BBrazil's%2BEd%2BSystem_EN.pdf

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Black Bloc is a tactic used by anarchist groups that involves vandalism and unanimity that has been present in recent protests around Brazil. In the past, anarchists have used peaceful protests to their advantage by using the crowd to help create chaos and divert police attention. It is likely that this has been the case in recent protests in Brazil. Black Bloc groups also use the crowd to their advantage by blending in to keep from getting caught. Members of this type of violence almost always wear black clothing covering their body, a black hood, and something black to cover their faces so they are not caught. Facial wear ranges from simple bandannas to gas masks to bicycle helmets. Some of the specific acts that Black Bloc members commit are spray painting graffiti, stenciling, and spreading Anti-capitalist, anarchist propaganda pamphlets. They also may engage in auto brigades, in which cars are used as barriers to stop traffic, and know to suddenly pretend to drop dead, causing attention and government fueled anger. Another widely practiced tactic by those carrying out Black Bloc is de-arresting, in which a group of members will storm a police officer holding an arrested member and overwhelm the officer, causing him or her to release the detainee.

http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/e09042536_Chapter_06.pdf

http://lmscnt.ileas.isp.state.il.us/production/cninv000000000002771/content.pdf

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On Tuesday, October 15, protesters across Brazil took to the streets, including 2,000 in São Paulo and 4,000 in Rio de Janeiro. A USA Today article covered the events, and focused on the protests that occurred in São Paulo. Protesters in this city were demanding free university, better public education and more respect for teachers' rights. Many were also protesting for the removal of the state's governor, Geraldo Alckmin, who has been accused of multiple counts of corruption. Protests in São Paulo turned violent and Molotov cocktails, tear gas, and pepper spray were used by protesters and police. Violence towards police was mainly carried out by members of multiple Black Bloc organizations, who also supposedly vandalized multiple local stores, businesses, and a large department store.

USA Today highlighted why teachers and students are so mad at their broken education system. In multiple interviews, students described how teachers have no motivation to try because their salaries are so small. Principals don’t care about their schools and if they did they couldn’t do anything because they have no funding. Teachers described how students are not allowed to fail under the automatic approval system which means they don’t have to try. Many people in Brazil are angry and want education reform.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/10/15/brazil-protests/2987211/

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Jana enables free apps to be truly free for those in emerging markets. Google, Twitter, WeChat, and others have embraced Jana and its mission - to make the Internet free.

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10/13 - 10/19

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Brazil, like the United States, is a democratic republic, meaning citizens elect politicians to make important decisions for them. Brazil's federal government is structured very similar to the United States's. It is composed of three branches, a legislative, a judicial, and the executive branch. The legislative branch is made up of a congress which is comprised by a federal senate and a chamber of deputies which are both similar to the house and senate in the US. The executive branch consists of a president (currently Dilma Rousseff) and a vice president (currently Michel Temer). The three branches all work under a system of checks and balances.

The way the country is divided is also similar to the way the US is divided up. Brazil is composed of 26 states and the Federal District, which is located within Goiás. The political structure of the Brazilian states can be paralleled to the United States's structure. For example, Brazil's Federal District is comparable to Washington DC. Each state is represented in congress by three members in the country's federal senate, and a number members, determined by on proportional representation, in the chamber of deputies. The states are further divided up into municipalities, which are similar to counties.Municipalities have their own legislative body and passes their own bills and tax laws. There are currently 5,564 municipalities in Brazil.

http://www.photius.com/countries/brazil/government/brazil_government_structure_of_governm~236.html

http://countrystudies.us/brazil/85.htm

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Although its growth has slowed and many are unhappy with it, Brazil's economy is one of the biggest in the world. Its GDP was sixth in the world and was valued at approximately $2.253 trillion in 2012, and will continue to grow. Many analysts expect it to surpass France's in the coming decade and become one of the top five GDPs in the world. Its economy has gone through drastic change through this past century but today revolves around a moderately free marketplace that is inward-oriented. Brazil's economy took shape and began to grow a little over a hundred years ago. Around this time the economy relied heavily on exports mainly consisting of sugar, gold, and coffee. The economy was also influenced early on by the large number of immigrants it received from the start of the 20th century to the mid-to-early 1900's.

Today the country's GDP is influenced largely by industry including the production of steel, cement, petroleum, propane, many types of petrochemicals and other natural resources. All of these industries have not only boosted the economy but have helped the government achieve surpluses for the past few years. These surpluses were also achieved with the help of the mining and agricultural. Another business sector that has contributed to Brazilian economic growth is the science and technology sector which has attracted many foreign investors.

http://www.bcb.gov.br/?english

http://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/brazil-2011-06.pdf

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The Amazon Rainforest is the most biodiverse place in the world. Scientists believe that the forest contains 10% of all the world's species and 80% of the world's insects. In recent studies around the Amazon, 700 tree species were found in 25 acres in Borneo, 43 ant species were found on a single tree in the Tambopata Reserve, Peru, and 18,000 beetle species were discovered in just 2.5 acres of forest in Panama. An estimated 500 mammal species, 175 lizards, and 300 reptile species all live in the Amazon. The serenity of this rainforest is also incredible. There have been fewer explorations to the Amazon's canopy than to the bottom of the Ocean. It is incredible to think that this amount of biodiversity stretches on for so many miles. In total the Amazon is approximately 2.2 million square miles and covers parts of Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and the French territory of Guiana.

The Amazon rainforest would not be in existence today however, if not for the Amazon river. The Amazon river is more 4,000 miles long and starts in the Peruvian Alps and empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Belem, Brazil. The Amazon river nourishes the rainforest along with the seasonal nine feet of water that is received. This large amount of water will cause the river to swell to the point where the river is 200-300 miles across. The Amazon River is the largest river system in the world.

http://worldwildlife.org/places/amazon

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/amazon.htm

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Brazil's economic downturn will provide Dilma Rousseff with a tough reelection campaign. Brazil's economy is slowing down and many Brazilians are unhappy with their government. In 2010 Brazil's economy grew 7.5%; last year the growth slowed to 0.9% due to a decrease in private investment. This year the economy is expected to raise back up to 2.5% but many feel this is not enough. Citizens are also criticizing the high inflation level, which, in August, was 6.09% according to the Brazilian central bank. A higher cost of living also hasn't helped Rousseff. Because of a lack in infrastructure, taxes are rising as well as the cost of electricity and other basic services. This increase has resulted in raised taxes on imports, much to the distaste of companies sending goods to Brazil to sell. Yet another concern among Brazilians is the education system. The country has so few skilled professionals because of it that there have been talks of bringing in doctors from other countries. Many Brazilians feel as though it's time for a new leader.

However, under Rousseff the country has grown considerably and although the cost of living is on the rise, the average income is also increasing. The country has also seen a considerable drop in the infant mortality rate and, within the last ten years, the poverty rate as well. The inequality between the poorest citizens and the richest citizens has seen a drop although it remains high. Rousseff has pledged, if elected again, to build more roads, power lines, railways, ports and other infrastructure which would result in lowered inflation and a lower cost of living. If she follows through on this promise, many jobs will be created and the economy's growth might reach back up to the high levels where Brazilian's have seen it before.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/09/opinion/brazils-next-steps.html?_r=0

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9/22 - 9/28

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9/29 - 10/5

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Dilma Rousseff is the 36th president of Brazil and is currently in her first term. She was elected on October 31, 2010, and began her presidency on January 1, 2011. Before then, Rousseff was the chief of staff for Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The chief of staff job is to lead the president's cabinet and that person is the second highest ranking member of the executive branch behind the president. Rousseff also fulfilled many government positions concerning economics from the late 1970's until she was elected to succeed José Dirceu as chief of staff after it was revealed he was involved in a corruption scandal. In 2003, she was appointed to serve as the minister of mines and energy under the presidency of Luiz Silva. During this time she is credited with increasing the accessibility of electricity in Brazil, and therefore lowering the cost, as well as creating tens of thousands of jobs in Brazil by requiring Brazil's main oil producer, Petrobras, to build their rigs in Brazil.

Rousseff was born in 1942, in Belo Horizonte, Brazil into a Roman Catholic, and very left wing household. Her father was an avid communist, and as she grew up Rousseff followed in her father's footsteps. In the late 60's she was arrested for involvement in marxist resistance movements and guerrilla activities. Upon being released from prison, Rousseff got a degree in economics. Today she is part of Brazil's workers' party.

http://www.worlddiplomacy.org/Countries/Brazil/LeaderBra/Silva1.html

http://www.brazil.org.uk/government/president.html

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Brazilian police stop Indians from storming Congress

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Brazilian police stop Indians from storming Congress

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This past week Reuters published an article about recent protests carried out by Native Brazilians on Tuesday, the 25th anniversary of Brazil’s constitution. These Native Brazilians were protesting an amendment that would allow even more land to be taken from them. The indigenous people blocked highways and government offices, and, according to Reuters, about 1,000 indigenous people took part in the protests. One group of protesters even tried to break into congress before being stopped by police. This is not the first time Natives have protested about land expansion in the city, this past April members of 70 tribes broke into the house of congress during a session regarding whether or not to expand land in the Amazon Rainforest.

In the aftermath of the protests the president of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, said she opposed an amendment that would take even more land away from Natives. However, many of these Native people think that she is just trying to create a good image for herself and doesn’t actually care about them.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/02/us-brazil-indians-protest-idUSBRE9911DQ20131002

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FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association and was founded on May 21, 1904 to unite national football clubs around the world. It is the governing body of international soccer and joins together 209 national associations. It is run by a president, currently Sepp Blatter, and a congress, which meets annually, and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Since 1904 the congress has met a total of 66 times and started meeting annually in 1998.

FIFA was founded in Paris by the National football clubs of Spain, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium and Denmark. Four years later, at the 1908 Olympics in London, FIFA staged its first official tournament. This tournament was much more successful than earlier tournaments even though many professional players boycotted the tournament in protest of the new organization.

Sources:

http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/federation/01/24/fifastatuten2009_e.pdf

http://www.fifa.com/

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Manaus is a town of about 2 million people, which is the 12th most populous in Brazil, which is located just south of the equator. The city is considered the capital city of the Amazon and has an average annual temperature of 80°F. Manaus is known for its two rivers, the Rio Negro and the Solimões (what the Amazon river is called in this region), which come together for 18 kilometers without mixing. The city first became inhabited in the late 1660's and was officially founded in 1689 built by the portuguese to defend against the spanish.

Manaus's economy once evolved around rubber. At one point it was the nidus of all rubber trade in the world, during which a defining feature of the city was created, its concert hall, Teatro Amazonas. After a while the rubber industry in Manaus fell and the economy sputtered, but now Manaus's economy is climbing toward its former glory and currently revolves around electronics, oil refining, and wood. It is also important to note that Manaus uses the Brazilian real. The currency was introduced in July 1, 1994 as part of a plan to stop inflation in the country. One real equals about 44 cents in US currency. The plural of real is reais.

Loacation:

https://www.google.com/maps/preview#!q=manaus&data=!1m4!1m3!1d6976287!2d-57.9595221!3d-2.6545677!2m1!1e3!4m15!2m14!1m13!1s0x926c0567d6e5a85b%3A0xf0db730c4985e2dc!3m8!1m3!1d615851!2d-59.6155635!3d-2.4258875!3m2!1i1600!2i775!4f35!4m2!3d-3.1064093!4d-60.0264297&fid=7

Sources:

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/destination/cities/city=2037/profile.html

http://www.manaus.info/manaus-facts.html

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Building a World Cup Stadium in the Amazon

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Building a World Cup Stadium in the Amazon

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This past week an article about the World Cup stadium being built in Manaus, Brazil was published in the New York Times. The article discussed the setbacks in building the stadium, as well as pros and cons. The project of building the World Cup stadium in Manaus faces many problems. First off, between November and March Manaus faces a large amount of rainfall which usually totals close to 45 inches. The stadium's construction has also faced a large amount of criticism because it is surrounded by the Amazon rain forest which means only the only way construction cranes and large pieces of iron can be delivered is by way of the Amazon river. The process also faces a time crunch. Fifa has told the city that if the stadium is not completed by November this year, the 2014 World Cup will not be held there. This means that the project's cost will go from an original estimate of 500 million, reais, or $227 million, to over 600 million reais. Yet another concern this article brought up is the chairs in the stadium. The paint on the chairs must be able to withstand the harsh heat of the sun and not melt away, leaving the seats bare and white.

Many have voiced criticism about the construction of the stadium, claiming it is too big and not enough people will come. Other arguments sceptics have brought up is that the money for the project is being taken from the citizens, many of whom are not happy with the stadium already. Even more, many say that there is not enough of a fan base in Manaus and the soccer teams there are no good. A recent game in the city between two professional teams brought just over 1,000 fans.
However, local officials claim that hosting the World Cup will bring in more tourism and boost the economy. Other supporters say that there will be enough fans and it will bring a considerable amount of attention to the city and help Manaus's already growing economy. The organizers of the World Cup also say that the stadium has many uses once the event is over claiming the stadium could be used to hold concerts and exhibitions. It has also been proposed that the stadium be converted into a prison post World Cup. Finally the organizers point out that the stadium is ecologically friendly and that the stadium, for example, uses rainwater for toilets.

Source:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/25/sports/soccer/in-building-world-cup-stadium-in-amazon-rain-is-just-one-challenge.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0&gwh=120E7BA811A97C7CAEA2D2115EC1A9C2