Brazil

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Brazil Supreme Court strikes down military intervention thesis in symbolic vote for democracy

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s Supreme Court unanimously voted Monday that the armed forces have no constitutional power to intervene in disputes between government branches, a largely symbolic decision aimed at bolstering democracy after years of increasing threat of military intervention.

https://apnews.com/article/brazil-supreme-court-armed-forces-coup-bolsonaro-f37091942f14d979a91653afd7aeae0d?

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Too much water, and not enough: Brazil’s flooded south struggles to access basic goods

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil (AP) — The mayor of a major city in southern Brazil on Tuesday pleaded with residents to comply with his water rationing decree, given that some four-fifths of the population is without running water, a week after major flooding that has left at least 90 people dead and more than 130 others missing.

https://apnews.com/article/floods-brazil-rio-grande-do-sul-dda51e5aae0e63a09b9ef64189f553b4?

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Brazilian police indict ex-President Bolsonaro in undeclared diamonds case, sources say

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s Federal Police have indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro for money laundering and criminal association in connection with undeclared diamonds the far-right leader received from Saudi Arabia during his time in office, according to a source with knowledge of the accusations.

https://apnews.com/article/bolsonaro-indictment-brazil-money-laundering-e740dfd750f96f02c44b282aa667fea2?

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Plane crashes in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state, killing all 61 aboard, airline says

VINHEDO, Brazil (AP) — A passenger plane crashed into a gated residential community in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state Friday, killing all 61 people aboard and leaving a smoldering wreck, officials and the airline said.

https://apnews.com/article/brazil-plane-crash-sao-paulo-394427322513643f4eaf517e4ac4c85e?

Their job was saving lives. They lost their own in Brazil’s horrifying plane crash

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Arianne Risso worked every day to help her patients battle cancer. That made it all the more heart wrenching when her life — along with that of seven other doctors — ended abruptly after a plane tumbled from the sky in Brazil.

https://apnews.com/article/brazil-plane-crash-accident-victims-doctors-18a4b96070740eaa8955ecf20ea829ed?

 

Brazil plane crash

 

All 62 bodies have been recovered from the site of the deadly plane crash outside São Paulo on Friday, according to the state government. Flight tracking data shows that the passenger plane dropped 17,000 feet in just one minute, but it is not yet clear why. The flight had left Cascavel, in the Brazilian state of Parana, and was en route to Guarulhos, in São Paulo state. Dramatic footage circulating on social media showed the plane's fall and its destroyed fuselage in flames on the ground. Preparations are expected to begin today for a wake to be held in Cascavel, according to reporters in the region. 

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Brazil top court threatens to suspend X operations in latest twist of ongoing feud

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A Brazilian Supreme Court justice on Wednesday threatened to shut down the local operations of X, formerly Twitter, unless its billionaire owner Elon Musk names a legal representative in Brazil within 24 hours.

https://apnews.com/article/brazil-top-court-elon-musk-de-moraes-028f7a9f65e3bf355518bbe9d1fbe564?

How one Brazilian judge could suspend Elon Musk’s X

SAO PAULO (AP) — It’s a showdown between the world’s richest man and a Brazilian Supreme Court justice.

https://apnews.com/article/brazil-x-elon-musk-shutdown-moraes-supreme-court-twitter-70fdaeef282e1ac7d649b99cf8241b42?

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?? Brazil blocks X

Via X Brazil started blocking Elon Musk's social media platform X early today, making it largely inaccessible on both the web and through its mobile app after the company refused to comply with a judge's order, AP reports from São Paulo. Why it matters: The suspension marks an escalation in the monthslong feud between Musk and Brazil Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation. Brazil's telecom regulator, Anatel, told internet service providers to suspend users' access to X. As of Saturday at midnight local time, major operators began doing so. Get the latest.

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A Sao Paulo mayoral candidate is treated in hospital after a rival attacks him with a chair

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A candidate in Sao Paulo ’s mayoral race was treated and released Monday from a hospital after one of his five rivals in a televised debate slammed him with a metal chair following references to allegations of sexual misconduct.

https://apnews.com/article/brazil-marcal-chair-datena-attack-debate-c5781f54d5583067b2a57494b9339081?

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Man kills himself with blasts outside Brazil’s Supreme Court after failing to get inside

SAO PAULO (AP) — A man who failed in an attempt to break into Brazil’s Supreme Court killed himself in explosions outside the building Wednesday that forced justices and staff to evacuate, authorities said.

https://apnews.com/article/brazil-supreme-court-explosion-police-350cf148ecf964818eba203f7e131f88?

Brazil explosions

A man killed himself while detonating explosives after trying to enter Brazil's Supreme Court, authorities said Wednesday, in an attack on the political heart of the country that prompted the evacuation of court staff and legislators in the capital Brasilia. The Three Powers Plaza, home to all three branches of Brazil's government, was blocked off Wednesday evening after two explosions were detonated. Police have launched a sweep of the area and are investigating the incident as a suicide attack as there are no other suspects potentially involved. No civilians were injured, officials said. The incident comes just days before Brazil prepares to host global leaders for the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.

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Brazilian police arrest 5 officers in alleged 2022 coup plot to kill President Lula, others

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil ’s federal police arrested Tuesday five officers accused of plotting a coup that included plans to overthrow the government following the 2022 elections and kill then-President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, authorities said.

https://apnews.com/article/brazil-president-lula-coup-plot-85a793fcef04c7dbd96746b947129042?

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Brazilian police indict former President Bolsonaro and aides over alleged 2022 coup attempt

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s federal police said Thursday they indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 other people for allegedly attempting a coup to keep him in office after his defeat in the 2022 elections.

https://apnews.com/article/brazil-jair-bolsonaro-indictment-0d62fe0a7399483aee48cf3c845560ea?

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Brazil’s Bolsonaro planned and participated in a 2022 coup plot, an unsealed police report alleges

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro was fully aware of and actively participated in a coup plot to remain in office after his defeat in the 2022 election, according to a Federal Police report unsealed Tuesday.

https://apnews.com/article/brazil-bolsonaro-coup-investigation-8281b3df34426a0b589ad869c2abd696?

 

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Brazil’s former President Bolsonaro charged over alleged coup that included a plan to poison President Lula Brazil’s prosecutor-general on Tuesday formally charged former President Jair Bolsonaro with attempting a coup to stay in office after his 2022 election defeat, in a plot that included a plan to poison his successor and current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Read more.

What to know: Bolsonaro’s defense team said it met the accusations with “dismay and indignation.” The far-right leader denies wrongdoing. “I have no concerns about the accusations, zero,” Bolsonaro told journalists earlier on Tuesday.   In November, Brazil’s Federal Police filed a 884-page report with Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet detailing the scheme. They allege a systematic effort to sow distrust in the electoral system, drafting a decree to provide legal cover for the plot, pressuring top military brass to go along with the plan, and inciting a riot in the capital.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Brazil to join OPEC+, group of major oil-exporting nations   With Trump returning to the White House, Brazil displays a judicial path not taken by the US

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Former Brazilian President Bolsonaro to stand trial on coup charges, court rules

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro should stand trial on charges related to an alleged plot to overturn the 2022 election results, the country’s Supreme Court has determined.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/26/americas/brazil-bolsonaro-stand-trial-coup-charges/index.html?

Brazil ex-President Bolsonaro will stand trial over an alleged coup plan. Here’s what happens next

SAO PAULO (AP) — A panel of Brazil Supreme Court justices unanimously ruled that former President Jair Bolsonaro and seven of his associates will stand trial on five counts, including attempting to stage a coup after the far-right leader lost the 2022 election.

https://apnews.com/article/brazil-jair-bolsonaro-supreme-court-trial-80e98eba0b7868580f78916850200c8d?

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Brazil judge hits back at ‘cowardly and treasonous’ plot behind US sanctions

The supreme court judge presiding over the trial of Brazil’s ex-president, Jair Bolsonaro, has said a “cowardly and treacherous” plot is afoot to pave the way for another attack on the South American country’s democracy.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/01/brazil-judge-put-under-sanctions-for-overseeing-bolsanaro-case-blames-treacherous-plot?

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Brazil’s Supreme Court orders house arrest for former President Jair Bolsonaro

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s Supreme Court on Monday ordered the house arrest for the country’s former President Jair Bolsonaro, on trial for allegedly masterminding a coup plot to remain in office despite his defeat in the 2022 election — a case that has gripped the South American country as it faces a trade war with the Trump administration.

https://apnews.com/article/brazil-bolsonaro-house-arrest-coup-plot-trial-26e2be9eee08b7e6b9f006f0c5b706e9?

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Brazilian Supreme Court panel sentences Bolsonaro to more than 27 years in prison for coup attempt

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — A panel of Brazilian Supreme Court justices sentenced former president Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years and three months in prison Thursday after convicting him of attempting a coup to remain in office despite his 2022 electoral defeat.

https://apnews.com/article/brazil-bolsonaro-supreme-court-trial-coup-attempt-f95765c36dbbdc3355ad3af0b70eacf6?

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Brazilians protest against a bill that could lead to a pardon for Bolsonaro and allies

SAO PAULO (AP) — Thousands of Brazilians protested in all 26 states and the federal district Sunday against a possible pardon for former President Jair Bolsonaro and his allies, who were convicted of attempting a coup.

https://apnews.com/article/brazil-protest-demonstration-bolsonaro-amnesty-d4ce20e61caaafc31990367c9c96c56c?

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Huge Brazilian raid on Rio gang leaves at least 64 people dead and 81 under arrest

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — About 2,500 Brazilian police and soldiers launched a massive raid on a drug-trafficking gang in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, arresting 81 suspects and sparking shootouts that left at least 60 suspects and four police officers dead, officials said.

https://apnews.com/article/brazil-police-operation-favelas-25d6122a15c261b9b1275a7b2f361393?

Protests erupt after police raid in Brazil leaves 119 dead and draws accusations of excessive force

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A massive police raid on a drug gang embedded in low-income neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro that left at least 119 people dead drew protests for excessive force Wednesday and calls for the Rio’s governor to resign.

https://apnews.com/article/brazil-favela-deaths-f2e7366d98790c5c90e7996ec8b3282f?

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Bolsonaro’s conviction brings vindication for some Brazilians who lost loved ones to COVID-19

SAO PAULO (AP) — Simone Guimarães, a retired 52-year-old teacher in Rio de Janeiro, lost at least five relatives to COVID-19: her husband, sister, two brothers-in-law and the godfather of her grandchild. She also lost friends and neighbors.

https://apnews.com/article/brazil-jair-bolsonaro-trial-prison-covid-eb425ff365ed28833038820ebed998e1?

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Legal setbacks against a dam in the Amazon raise questions about Brazil’s reliance on hydropower

The Belo Monte hydropower plant in the Brazilian Amazon, one of the world’s largest, was designed to channel water from the Xingu River in a way that would avoid the need for large reservoirs, which could flood surrounding areas. After years of legal battles, authorities approved the project on one condition: it would not threaten ecosystems and communities of Indigenous people. A decade after operations began, Brazilian courts have found that Belo Monte failed to meet that requirement and that its environmental and social impacts were far greater than forecast. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

Climate change worsened rains and floods which killed dozens in southern Africa, study shows Alaska Native villages have few options and little US help as climate change devours their land

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Brazil’s Supreme Court convicts 5 in Rio councilwoman Franco’s killing

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A five-judge panel of Brazil’s Supreme Court on Wednesday unanimously voted to convict those accused of plotting the 2018 killing of Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco and her driver Anderson Gomes, a case that exposed deep-rooted ties between politics and organized crime.

https://apnews.com/article/brazil-marielle-franco-rio-killing-councilwoman-ce49dc3c4775861e83d4d3d967f9f913?

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Brazilian inmates find relief and reduce sentences through reading

When 33-year-old Brazilian woman Emily de Souza heard about a program allowing her to shave off four days from her prison sentence by reading a book, she seized the opportunity to reconnect with a cherished habit. Like tens of thousands of detainees across the country — including former President Jair Bolsonaro — she signed up for a sentence reduction program that encourages inmates to immerse themselves in literary works in exchange for reducing their sentences by up to 48 days per year. Brazil, which has one of the highest per-capita incarceration rates in Latin America, stands out for having one of the most formalized and nationwide systems for sentence remission via reading in the world. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

WATCH: Tens of thousands of Brazil’s detainees are part of a reading program

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Brazil’s Amazon deforestation rates drop, but El Nino could threaten recovery Despite gains in reducing deforestation, many other threats, ranging from climate change to potential legislation on the horizon, are putting the forest at risk. Read more.

Why this matters: Threats to the forest could be exacerbated in 2026 with a strong El Nino, a cyclic warming of the equatorial Pacific, which causes higher temperatures and drier weather in the rainforest, conditions that worsen wildfires. While the Amazon is still a carbon sink — that is, it absorbs a vast amount of planet-warming carbon dioxide — it could reach a tipping point beyond which it cannot recover. At that stage, the forest could emit more CO2 than it absorbs. Scientists say repeated stress could trigger a regional or biome-wide collapse.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ WATCH: Understanding the importance of the rainforest and the danger it faces   What to know about the predictions for a potentially record-breaking El Nino