Rio de Janeiro

people wear white in a circle

Afro Brazilian religious groups are under attack

​​​​​​​As evangelicals grow in number and political influence in Brazil, members of other religious traditions are feeling uneasy. Some have even been attacked. Evangelical activists have targeted many Afro Brazilian religious centers and destroyed icons, and have even attacked clergy members.

Afro Brazilian religious groups are under attack
dancers in flouncy dresses

Samba schools at Carnival take a stand against the racism and violence that Black Brazilians face

Samba schools at Carnival take a stand against the racism and violence that Black Brazilians face
A friend of 24 year-old Congolese immigrant Moïse Mugenyi Kabagambe, holds up a sign during a protest to demand justice for his violent death, at Barra da Tijuca beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022.

'African. Worker. Killed': Thousands demand justice for killing of Congolese refugee in Brazil 

'African. Worker. Killed': Thousands demand justice for killing of Congolese refugee in Brazil 
Commuters wear protective face masks as they walk through a subway station, in São Paulo, Brazil, Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Brazil joined the widening circle of countries to report cases of the omicron variant. 

Brazil heads into latest COVID surge amid public health information blackout

Brazil heads into latest COVID surge amid public health information blackout
Olympic athletes, from left, archer Marcus Vinicius D'Almeida, Paralympic rower Michel Pessanha, swimmer Marcela Cunha and swimmer Larissa Oliveira pose for a photo with the mascot of the vaccination campaign, named "Zé Gotinha," or "Droplet Joe," after t

Brazil’s COVID vaccination campaign picks up thanks to a 1980s public health mascot

Brazil’s COVID vaccination campaign picks up thanks to a 1980s public health mascot
The Atlantic rainforest in Brazil is a beacon for global forest restoration.

The Atlantic rainforest in Brazil is a bright spot for restoration

As the largest restoration effort in the last 20 years, the Atlantic Forest project provides a blueprint for the rest of the world.

The Atlantic rainforest in Brazil is a bright spot for restoration
Residents walk near a doorway scared with bullet holes after a police raid against alleged drug traffickers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 6, 2021. 

'This is a war scene’: Rio residents grieve, protest against deadly police raid

At least 25 people were killed on Thursday in a police raid on a poor community in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Now, residents and local officials are demanding answers — and accountability.

'This is a war scene’: Rio residents grieve, protest against deadly police raid
Several police officers are shown wearing dark colored fatigues and climbing out of a black armored vehicle carrying weapons.

Bloody police raid in Brazil leaves at least 25 dead

Top of The World: Police in a Rio de Janeiro slum engaged in an hourslong gunbattle Thursday targeting drug traffickers and leading to the death of at least 25 people. And, for the third time in May, health officials in India reported more than 400,000 coronavirus infections in a 24-hour period. Also, a discarded section of a Chinese rocket is set to fall back to Earth as early as Saturday in an uncontrolled reentry.

Bloody police raid in Brazil leaves at least 25 dead
A woman receives a plate of food donated by the Leao Xlll Foundation amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 7, 2021.

Hunger, unemployment, health care inequity: The pandemic's devastating impact on Brazil's Black communities

Three-quarters of Brazil’s poor are Black or multiracial. And they have felt the brunt of the pandemic more than any other population in the country.

Hunger, unemployment, health care inequity: The pandemic's devastating impact on Brazil's Black communities
A cemetery is shown via an ariel view with several rows of empty new graves and exposed dirt.

Discussion: A deepening coronavirus crisis in Brazil

Brazil — Latin America’s largest country — is experiencing a deepening crisis with the coronavirus pandemic. As part of The World's regular series of conversations about the pandemic, reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with Marcia Castro, chair of the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Discussion: A deepening coronavirus crisis in Brazil
An illustration of two people of different races.

Thousands of Brazilians who won elections as Black candidates in 2020 previously ran for office as white

A race-changing scandal raises suspicion about the motivations of 4,580 newly elected city council members and mayors who only recently began to identify as Black.

Thousands of Brazilians who won elections as Black candidates in 2020 previously ran for office as white
People stand next to offerings during a ceremony in honor of Yemanja, the goddess of the sea, which is part of New Year's celebrations to plea for relief from the coronavirus pandemic and asks for a better new year at Praia Vermelha beach in Rio de Janeir

Brazilians flock to the coast during the height of tourist season while coronavirus cases surge

Last week, there were more than a thousand deaths three days in a row in Brazil. The death rate is expected to hit 200,000 this week, second only to the United States.

Brazilians flock to the coast during the height of tourist season while coronavirus cases surge
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro leaves after he voted during the municipal elections in Rio de Janeiro, Nov. 15, 2020.

Bolsonaro loses big in Brazil’s local elections 

Brazilians voted in local elections in more than 5,500 municipalities across the country on Sunday. It was another big loss for President Jair Bolsonaro, coming on the heels of the electoral defeat of his top ally, US President Donald Trump.

Bolsonaro loses big in Brazil’s local elections 
Indigenous leader Paulinho Paiakan takes part in an Occupy Funai protest that will shut down Funai offices throughout Brazil in Brasilia, July 13, 2016.

Paulinho Paiakan is remembered as a hero to Indigenous Brazilians

As Brazil tops 1 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus, the country’s Indigenous peoples mourn the death of a historic leader.

Paulinho Paiakan is remembered as a hero to Indigenous Brazilians
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro leaves Alvorada Palace, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Brasilia, Brazil, April 14, 2020.

Bolsonaro’s denial of coronavirus puts the country at risk

The coronavirus pandemic was relatively slow to reach Latin America, but Brazil, the region’s largest country, has been hit hardest so far: As of Tuesday, it had 23,430 confirmed cases, and 1,328 deaths. Still, the president has continued to downplay the virus’s impact.  

Bolsonaro’s denial of coronavirus puts the country at risk