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LONDON EDITION

www.brazilianpost.co.uk • Issue n. 78

R O F R A E Y N E D L O G A

K U L I Z A R B

As 2012 draws to a close, The Brazilian Post look back over what has been done to develop the relationship between Brazil and the UK in areas such as economics, education and culture. We are sure that this was an unprecedented year for how both countries would start growing to see each other. Read more on pages 2 and 8 >>

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Front Page 2012 TO CELEBRATE

Brazil and the UK:

closer, more connected

By Guilherme Reis

he year of 2012 saw unprecedented development in relations between Brazil and the UK. Brazil has never been the focus of so much attention in the UK before, equally, we have never seen and learnt so much about British culture in Brazil. All this seems to be just the

beginning of a relationship that even having started in the past, now reaches a level that was unthinkable until today. In the UK and Europe even just a decade ago, what did people know about Brazil? Beach, sun, football, carnival... Of course we can not simply generalise, but for the vast majority Brazil was nothing more than an exotic distant place. Today, this

perception has changed. Brazil is now recognised as a new political and economic actor on the global scene, its economic growth is applauded, as well as our efforts to reduce the social gulf which still have much to do rid our country of completely. Thus, the Uk’s interest in Brazil expanding, whether in the economics, culture, sports or education.

Continued on page 08 >>

CEO Marcelo Mortimer marcelo@brazilianpost.co.uk Editor-in-chief Ana Toledo ana@brazilianpost.co.uk English Editor Kate Rintoul

From rock to samba Two moments of 2012 illustrate what I am saying. The first was the visit of Prince Harry to Brazil in March, to launch of the UK’s Great campaign, which sought to attract investors for the 2012 Olympics in London, and is part of the celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II . The other was the visit of Prime Minister David Cameron in September. Cameron’s goal was to narrow investment between Brazil and the UK, mainly in energy, infrastructure and defence. Several agreements were signed at the time, including in the areas of culture and education. One of them, for example, was an agreement of cinematographic cooperation. I could not forget to mention, of course, the passing of the Olympic torch from London to Rio de Janeiro, who will host the mega sports event in 2016. It was beautiful to see the Olympic Stadium painted green and yellow at the end of the Olympics and Paralympics. Only a few minutes and the UK and the world could have a taste of how the party will be in Brazil. When it comes to the Olympics indeed, we had and still have much to learn from the British, who gave a real show of organisation, with the buildings being delivered ahead of time in some cases and the brillaint input of thousands of volunteers. During the Olympics, a Brazilian commission visited London to see and learn from the British, who will take much of this experience to Brazil. It is possible, moreover, that some mobile facilities, such as the basketball arena, that were used in London will be reused in Rio, .

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Brazil | 03

CHALLENGES 2013

“Brazil, 2

by Ana Toledo

013 was a year that Brazil had good news and, at the same time, confronted big crises. In the middle of the municipal elections period, came the trial of Mensalão, which had

a country where it is necessary to be”

dragged on for nearly a decade, a case that brought divergent views on legal and political issues in Brazil. Optimism ensued as the highly successful London Olympics, that lead the way for 2016 in Brazil occurred and yet the government had to focus also on domestic issues

with questions about the Belo Monte hydroelectric, in Pará. The richest and most populated city of the country, São Paulo was witness to days of explosive violence, with several fires in slums, as well as with the actions of PCC, reinvigorating wider debate about public safety.

The middle class has expanded, driving Brazil’s economy and breaking social barriers., the country has also seen unemployment shrink and bigger investments from big business. Please take a look through some of the good and bad news that The Brazilian Post has brought to you this year.

Politic: elections, Mensalão and perspectives Despite the forces of mass media and the never seen before Supreme Tribunal Court performance, the repercussions of Mensalão did not drastically interfere with the results of 2013 elections. This demonstrates, perhaps, the strength of social programs of the federal government regarding the transformation of daily life in Brazil. In the final period of 2012, the Mensalão case turned to the figure of ex-president Lula but this did not tarnish his reputation and the Lula and Dilma duo continue to be on the

top of preferences for the 2014 main elections. According to a spontaneous survey published by Datafolha in mid December, Dilma appears in first place, when there’s no list pre defined with candidates, with 26% of electors. Yet Lula appears second with 12%. The opposition’s principal names didn’t get more than 3%, with Senator Aécio Neves (PSDB). The other tucanos José Serra and Geraldo Alckmin adds 2% and 1% respectively. Marina Silva, today without any political party, only managed 1%.

2014 and 2016 Brazil has been present in many ways in London this year. During the Olympics there was a major showcase of Brazilina, culture and tourism,, Brazil came to England and charmed. Brazilian teams in all fields of activity came to London to see if the British lived up to their reputation as good organisers. Now the challenge is bigger, because for the Olympic Games in Brazil we still have four years, but we have the 2014 World Cup, before that and to now, only one stadium is ready, the Castelão, in Fortaleza, inaugurated on 16 December. Unsurprisingly

the world and country have some anxiety and anticipation about the tournament, hosed by a country famed for it, but hopefully many Brazilians should really benefit of the legacy of this kind of mega sports event. The Federal Government investments in “development” have been questioned, since it affects daily life of lot’s of Brazilians, further there’s also the complaints of embezzlement. Now it is necessary to know if there will be a balance and if it will be possible to say that the legacy will help Brazil in the future.

logo da copa 2014

Despite the forces of mass media and the never seen before Supreme Tribunal Court performance

Lula and Dilma duo continue to be on the top of preferences for the 2014 main elections

Rio +20 This United Nations Conference about the Sustainable Development took place in Brazil in 2012, the biggest event in the world on environmental issues. This assembly could show the capacity of Brazil’s organizational skills. More than 20 thousand men, commanded by the military forces patrolled streets, ocean and air, with airspace limited and traffic was reduced for the event. However the meeting was criticised by activists, international leaderships and environmental organisations as it didn’t seem

to deliver many ideas or strategies. The Peoples Summit hosted an alternative event to the Conference, bringing together those who were not represented in the official UN event, hosting more than 1.800 events. This highlighted the goriwng social awareness organisation in Brazil, reaffirmed by the manifestations against the building process of the Belo Monte Hydroelectric dam, that was brought to a hold but it is reported to have re-started as public attention faded.

2014: only one stadium is ready, the Castelão, in Fortaleza, inaugurated on 16 December

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São Paulo’s burning The capital of São Paulo State has alight with fires as criminal arsons spread in. According to Civil Defense, there were 34 cases up to October 2012. The CPI came up with the accusation that the fire were started by the dwellers, and have been criticised by a great number of social movements. After these incidents, São Paulo turns back to the news with the Public Security situation, aggravated with the conflicts between police forc-

es and the members of the First Capital Command (PCC). The confrontations, that started in the periphery, have spread to other cities of the metropolitan region, the countryside and to Santa Catarina, with police officers murdered, bus destructions and curfew orders. After eight years of Tucanos government, the elected mayor Fernando Haddad (PT) who will receive the challenge to find a way out of the situation next year.

The Economy and the New Middle Classes Nowadays, the new middle class covers 54% of country’s population. The group is subdivided in three: lower middle class, with an income per capita around R$ 291 and R$ 441; the medium class, with salaries between R$ 441 and R$ 641; and the high medium classes, with incomes of R$ 641 and R$ 1.019. According to research of the Strategic Topics Secretary (SAE), almost 80% of the new members of middle classes are black people. “The rise of the middle class in Brazil was a result of a growing economy with reduction of inequality. If we had increased taxes, without decreas-

ing inequality, the middle class would have only grown by 5%. Though thanks to policy, two thirds (66%) of the advance of the middle class in the last 10 years is due to the reduction of inequality”, said the secretary of Strategic Topics, Ricardo Paes de Barros in interview to the G1 portal. The reconfiguration of social classes in Brazil is providing Brazilian’s with greater aspirations and spending power. According to Date Popular research, in nine years, the Class C expenses increased by 153%, and spending on fashion in 2012 should exceed $ 10 billion from the A and B Classes.

The Peoples Summit hosted an alternative event to the Conference, bringing together those who were not represented in the official UN event, hosting more than 1.800 events

São Paulo turns back to the news with the Public Security situation

In face of all the internal developmwnts, the President Dilma Rousseff ends the year with a visit to France, with two objectives: political and commercial

External Policy In face of all the internal developmwnts, the President Dilma Rousseff ends the year with a visit to France, with two objectives: political, with a stance against the austerity measures that have been imposed in all of Europe, and also commercial, with the offer made to French entrepreneurs to invest in Brazil. The seminar “Challenges” hosted by the President and the ex-President Lula took place and featured on newspaper front pages with the headline: “Brazil: the country where it is necessary to be”. Dilma called upon France to reinforce the collaboration among both countries and made

strong criticisms to the austerity, in order to “explore the new opportunities that the crises offers”. It looks like she will us the example of Lula government years and the continuity in hers when she talked about the Latin American past crises to defend her point of view that “no one recognised that the measures that increased inequality, unemployment and desperation in Latin Americans could not take us anywhere”. With this positioning, President Dilma exposed her conviction that “Reducing expenses, exclusive monetary policy and the decline of social rights are not a response to the crisis”.

The Class C expenses increased by 153%

Community CULTURE

Brazil takes over UK with it’s ginga

By Roberta Schwambach

he Brazilian community have several reasons to celebrate the end of an year that we’ve been, as never before, in the British spotlight. Throughout 2012 it was possible to see Brazilian cultural highlights across the Queen’s Land, with not only nostalgic Brazilian events. On the contrary, the English public is everyday more excited by the diversity and cultural richness that comes from the Tupiniquim country. The Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games showed what we can expect from Brazil in 2016: a colorful and rhythm packed party that will take the Brazilian culture much further than the “well known” samba. Don’t get it wrong: we don’t forgot about it, that made us globally famous, and we are still participating on the Notting Hill Carnival, one of the largest celebrations of this unique musical genre. But other beats have been highlighted in London scene, the Maracatu – that sparked new interpretations with Chico Science and Nação Zumbi in the 90’ – and that today attracts fans all over the world. In London it could not be different, and we can count some Maracatu groups in the capital, some good nights can be spent to the rhythmic beats of drums, cuícas and alfaias. As well as the Maracatu, other afro-Brazilian beats gained space in the British cultural scene, and the Back2Black Festival, launched by Gilberto Gil, had its first edition out of Brazil, during the Summer Festivals in the UK. Back2Black searches for rescue the connection between African and Brazilian culture, so entwinned tand complementary to each other. This edition, that took place in Billingsgate Market, brought names as Luiz Melodia; Marcelo D2; Emicida; Criolo; Mulatu Astatke; Femi Kuti & The Positive Force; Mart’nália; Flavio Renegado; Jorge Ben Jor and DJ João Brasil, this last one, a resident in London who brings Brazilian beats to dance floors all year long. The growing interest of the English (and other residents of London) to Brazilian culture passes the music frontiers, and goes further. Brazilian visual art has been pretty well represented here, with the Brazilian Film Festival edition, that showed the Brazilian reality (and fiction) on the screens, featuring the Xingu, that showed one of the most important environmental thematics in Brazil today. On the same topic, new and already famous graffiti made by Crânio in Brick Lane and other post codes of London, showed indigenous taking part in the modern world.

Less colorful, but no less inspriing, were the photos presented by Sebastião Salgado at the Arden exposition, that took place at Somerset House, showing images from the acclaimed Brazilian photographer made in 100 different countries. Somerset House became, literally, the Brazilian House during the Olympic Games, and for two weeks thousands of Brazilians, and gringos, could see our flag, hoisted on the top of the historic building. Fans could also enjoy a little bit more of our culture, with shows of Sargento Pimenta (that fuses carnival with the English style, mixing samba with Beatles) and other groups, like Naurêa, a group from Aracaju, representing Brazil’s new independent scene and one of the cultural groups that is fighting for the democratization of access to culture in Brazil, and out of it. Though it hasn’t always been easy. The cancellation of Brazilian Day London this year was a great loss, that, according to the organizers, was cancelled as the local authorities feared that the huge audience that would be concentrated in too small a space at the festival, with the expectation of more than ten thousand people on the event. Even though it didn’t happen Brazilian Day and it’s cancellation highlighted the size of the wider community of Brazilians and others who are interested in our culture. And what happens here in London also reverberates in Brazil. It was like that with some materials produced here and widespread all over Brazil, like the Jorge e Mateus DVD recorded at the Albert Hall and the clip of Tulipa Ruiz. All this and what about get on the Roda de Choro that happens once a month and brings samba lovers closer to squeeze around musicians? Or maybe dance very closely with the inumerous forró groups that fill the city with rhythm? Or what about sertanejo which saw the most popular names of sertanejo songs in the capital such as performances by Michel Teló, Gustavo Lima and others? Or still, the Caipirinha Appreciation Society, who make sure Brazil is understood beyond the clichés via the radio? So join in, put on your party shoes, and “fall in the samba”. Recognize the beats and faces of Brazil in London, this is good medicine for anyone feeling homesick and there’s always the chance of amusement with the gringos attempting to dance to our rhythms. The Brazilian parties in London become more and more appreciated by all and if Christmas was with Maracatu, the New Year will also be stuffed with Brazilian beats too. Get ready and enjoy.

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LONDON EDITION

www.brazilianpost.co.uk • Issue n. 77

The Brazilian Post celebrates its second birthday in this edition. Find out what we have been doing, our proposals to attempt to bring Brazilian and British cultures closer and to provide the best quality information to our readers, in both languages Portuguese and English. Read more on pages 2, 3, 4 and 7 >>

I think The Brazilian Post is a good way to exchange cultural issues between Brazil and UK, fostering international relations. I’m for a little time in London now, but I already realized that there’s a lot of Brazilians who live here, and I like the idea of a group of young entrepreneurs from different cultures who can pass through their vision, and what happens in everyday life in both countries. Congratulations on your two years birthday!

- Maris Pineda Morente, Malaga | Spain

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PROFILE: Duda Picardo

Satisfaction in bringing a bit of Brazil to London

verything started as a surprise in 2010: the news that he would be producing the concert of one of the biggest Brazilian musical duos when they came to London. “We were invited to organise the Jorge and Mateus show because we were the only Brazilians taking on projects this big in London at the time and even now we are the only ones working to the scale in the capital. We’ve put on 14 shows already and today we can say that the biggest names of Brazilian Music have already passed through here”. These are the words of Duda Picardo, who has lived in London for 11 years and is the owner of the AcheiLondres, the largest Brazilian events producer in the UK and other European Countries. Originally from Minas Gerais, but spending most of his life in São Paulo, Duda tells us that the satisfaction of bringing a little bit of Brazil to the Brazilians who are far from home means more to him than securing big-name acts to play in the UK. “We have a population in different situation, far from home or who can’t always go home. So, when you bring a Brazilian artist to play to this public the satisfaction is huge”, he told The Brazilian Post. This feeling of wanting to o something for the community here is evident when asked about the public that he aims to attract to his events: “Brazilians, of course”, he quickly answers. Duda goes on to explain that the only show with a different demographic was in Portugal, for the two concerts of Michel Teló that he organised. “There were approximately 18 thousand people at the two concerts, with almost 15 thousand Portuguese people. A specific fortuity, that was only possible after Cristiano Ronaldo danced the Teló music”, explains Duda highlighting that “Portuguese people can join in the singing of Michel Teló”. Though Duda has already expanded into non Luso-phone countries with shows in Belgium, Switzerland and around the UK. Despite not having an office in Brazil, Duda prides himself on building great relationships with other producers there, and today is their ‘go-to man’ Brazil’s European showbiz circuit. Sharing many funny stories, like when he met Gusttavo Lima. “I remember it was the first cruise ship that I went on. The guests were all in the same hotel and a bus came to pick us up in São Paulo to go to Santos. I went with Gusttavo Lima. I met him and said, “Boy, I’ll take you to sing in London”. He, in that mineiro’s way said “you’re crazy” It took three years but in the end Gusttavo came and we remembered the story in the dressing room before the show.” Although it’s fun, producing concerts in the British capital, it also requires great responsibility. By comparing the differences of

It’s no use to go to another field of Brazilian music from which we will not achieve what we are looking for ID A Book: Anything by Donald Trump. A Music: Imagine, John Lennon. A drink: Beer A restaurant: Lellis Trattoria, São Paulo. A moment to remember: When my son was born. A place to be: Paris. Where do you imagine you’ll be in 10 years? I prefer not to imagine. A dream that came true: I never had a dream, but having a son was what was missing in my life and its been realised. Happiness: Everyday, always.

doing this work in Brazil and London, Duda points out that sponsorship is one of the obstacles to achieve development to their work in the UK. “In Brazil we have sponsorship as a given, here it is different and difficult, most often people find it expensive, but do not consider that to make a show happen here you need to spend an average of £60 thousand”. Just last year, AcheiLondres invested around £270 thousand in bringing Brazilian successes to Europe. In deciding who will or will not come to Europe’s stages places, Duda account takes into account the experiences and tastes of other countries, but in London he already knows: “the demand is for sertanejo.” “It’s no use to go to another field of Brazilian music from which we will not achieve what we are looking for. We have a very large audience between Goiás and Minas Gerais. So

you know, is the sertanejo” he concludes. Tightly tuned into the latest technology, the producer explains that with the internet, trends and tastes move very fast. “If something appears in Brazil, the audience here see it instantly. Today for example the Camaro Amarelo has is blown up in Brazil, so everyone wants to hear Camaro Amarelo here. This year, we brought two that are huge in Brazil: Michel Teló and Gustavo Lima” When asked about the stars for 2013, Duda likes to maintain an air of mystery saying that is “unknown”, but that the Brazilians in London can start getting ready to see the duo Bruno and Marrone in the capital and other names are already in negotiations. “In 2013 we will have three or four big concerts in London.” So watch this space…

Sadness: I’ve never had sadness in my life, I’ve been always a happy person. I wake up happy, I sleep happy. We cannot mix up sadness with annoyance. Nostalgia: From childhood. The best present that you received: I can only think of my son, there’s no present better then that. What you love in London: In London I love everything. What you hate in London: I don’t hate anything. Not even the cold and the snow. A talent that you would like to have and you don’t I think I would like to be a singer, because I know they can make a great amount of money, but I’m terrible, I don’t have this talent at all

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Continued from page 02 >>

Cameron’s goal was to narrow investment between Brazil and the UK

Brazil, show your face T wo other areas of the relationship between the two countries, more precisely what has been promoted from Brazil to the UK are: education and culture. During David Cameron’s visit to Brazil, several agreements were signed in the area of education. Under the Science Without Borders Program, three were signed, one of them extends the number of Brazilian students who will benefit from scholarships to study in UK universities to 10,000 by 2015. Another was the firming of the partnership agreement between the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and BG Group for the development of research by doctoral students from two universities with scholarships funded by the British group. The University of Brasilia (UNB) and British Petroleum (BP) also signed an agreement aiming to develop studies and research in the area of oil and gas, specifically in Brazil’s Parnaíba River. Today, 1,101 Brazilians are studying in the UK with the help of scholarships, 691 for undergraduates, 166 for part-doctoral, 75 for full doctoral and 169 for full PhD. As many Brazilians who study here have a European passport, it’s hard to know the exact number of Brazilan students in the UK. According to data from the British institution, Higher Education Statistics Agency, there are about 2,000 Brazilian students in UK universities. This allows us to say that the face that Brazil is showing here in the UK is changing. If the thousands of Brazilians who are here to work have already consolidated their position, recognised by the British for their exceptional contribution to the workforce, now is time for students to consolidate their place. This becomes clear when we consider the King’s Brazil Institute, department of King’s College dedicated to studies and those interested in Brazil.

It is worth checking the various seminars open to the public that they offer. Regarding the cultural area, it is clear that the English are knowing more and more about our music, for example. That’s because London, with its cosmopolitan way, aggregates the diverse cultural manifestations of Brazil. The British, who were already accustomed to samba and bossa nova, now get to know the forro, choro and maracatu. Our film making was also highlighted this year, with the fourth edition of the Brazilian Film Festival (read more on page 5). However, there is still more to be done. Earlier this month, the Minister of Culture of Brazil, Marta Suplicy, was in London for a tour of Europe. The Brazilian Post was with her at the Brazilian Embassy, where the minister presented some ideas she had had during the trip. She told us she was with directors of various museums and cultural centres in London, including the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Southbank Centre. According to Marta Suplicy, all showed great interest in Brazilian culture and also interest in organising exhibitions on Brazil. That certainly would be important for the dissemination of our traditions here as the British are also enchanted by our diversity. Marta also said she plans to open, in a room in the embassy building, a centre for exhibitions of Brazilian art. The idea would be to bring the work of Brazilian artists to London as a way of attracting foreigners to Brazil in the World Cup and the Olympics. It was also suggested to open this space up to Brazilian artists, from different areas, who live in London. As we know, there are many Brazilians doing something good here, but there is often lack promotion and a space to bring together different trends. As a year like this, we can only hope the best for 2013.

The visit of Prince Harry to Brazil in March, to launch of the UK’s Great campaign

Latin America SOUTH AMERICA

2012 in ten acts In 2012 The Brazilian Post introduced it’s new Latin America news section. The reason was very simple: as interest in Brazil increases, we felt that it was important to encourage insight and debate into the region as a whole. Many of the same issues that face Brazil can be observed in our brother nations, after all, Brazil is part of a huge territory that suffered the same exploitation over the centuries. A territory that recently, more than ever before has started to walk by itself. In this last issue of 2012, we discuss ten important stories and show how Latin American countries are acting with independence, paving the way to development and which forces they have yet to face.

ECUADOR President Rafael Correa offered asylum to, Julian Assange, the activist and creator of Wikileaks who was arrested in England and faces extradition to face trial in Sweden, where he is accused of sexual abuse. Assange fears, once in Sweden, he will face further extradition to United States where he faces charges relating to the biggest military leak in history. Assange has been holed-up in the Ecuadorian embassy for almost six months now. The UK authorities haven’t guaranteed safe passage to yet, which is delaying the resolution of the case.

BRAZIL Regarding the bilateral relations between Brazil and South American countries, president Dilma Rousseff has been defending more intensive trade in the region, which means relaxing some commercial barriers to provide faster de-

velopment. Although it’s a long road to achieve this, Dilma seems to be very concerned about this issue, mainly in relation to Argentina, together both countries have almost 250 million people and the fifth biggest economy on the world.

The student movement rose up in 2011 and in 2012 cemented its role in important political issues in Chile. The students have been pushing the government with massive protests to achieve free education, which is a good example to all Latin American countries. Some leaders of the movement have been in Brazil to propose a integrated action but no specific goals have yet been set.

ARGENTINA

On 7 December a major new media law took affect in Argentina. One of the central articles of the law is called the “disinvestment process”, which reduces from 22 to 10 the maximum number of licenses for radio and TV that can be controlled by the same company. For Clarín, the largest media conglomerate in the country with more than 250 licenses, the democratisation of the sector and greater plurality and diversity in programming undermines their political and economic interests. Another good example to Brazil, where the media is monopolised by few families.

COLOMBIA

President Juan Manuel Santos announced in August the peace negotiation between the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and the Colombian government. It’s been a very difficult negotiation, step by step, but was a great first achievement on the way to solving one of the biggest conflicts in Latin America, involving possession of land, weapons, drugs and kidnappings.

PARAGUAY

VENEZUELA

Impeachment proceedings brought down the former president Fernando Lugo, who was succeeded by his deputy Federico Franco. Although the mechanisms of the political process are provided in the Paraguayan Constitution, the move was seen as a coup by most countries in the region, as time was not given to the former president’s defence. Consequently, Paraguay was suspended from Mercosur until new presidential elections are held in the country, which will take place in April 2013.

Hugo Chavez was re-elected for five more years as president. Despite the media propaganda against Chavez, the Venezuelan population has decided that he is the best option and that he embodies what really matters for the most of the people, especially the poorest ones.

PERU

The former president Alberto Fujimori, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for crimes against humanity, returned to become one of the protagonists of Peruvian politics in 2012. Although Fujimori was convicted in April 2009 and had remained at a police headquarters in Lima, his term in government was ratified during the year, underpinned by debate over his health. The Sendero Luminosos guerrilla, another of the ghosts of the time of Fujimori, also has returned to haunt the lives of Peruvians with attacks by the armed group that operates in the south of the country.

CHILE

URUGUAY

BOLIVIA Bolivia was officially invited to join Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Venezuela in Mercosur, which is becoming a more powerful and representative union in the region. Ecuador may be next one

to be invited, which can definitely provide a new face to the group that started as neo-liberal and attached to United States but now stands for a more independent policy.

President Jose Mujica took progressive steps with the legalization of abortion and marijuana, with both remain taboo subjects in other Latin American countries. Regarding the legalisation of marijuana, it’s worth remembering that Uruguay is not a producer of cannabis so this law is easier to enforce than in Colombia, where war between drug makers and armed forces still rages.

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Technology QUESTION

Looking into Google W

hile it still might be the vehicle of choice for those looking for information, the tables have turned in recent months as people start turning the lens on the Search engine and software giants themselves. In the UK Google has been under fire for tax avoidance and the seeming nonchalance of Chairman Eric Schmidt who insisted that he is “very proud” of the company’s tax structure, saying that measures to lower its payments were just “capitalism”. It’s no surprise this stance has been met by criticism as most average British tax payers feel the squeeze and activists are stepping up their naming and shaming of major multinationals who are not doing the right thing. Back on home turf in the US, the company also has some difficult questions to answer as the Federal Trade Commission there concludes its research into what Google is best known for, its search engine which will herald changes in the way it operates. According to the report, Google will alter how it uses “snippets”. These are bits of text taken from other sites (like Yelp and TripAdvisor) and used in search results.

What do you think of Google’s tax avoidance and competitive actions? Get in touch on Facebook – The Brazilian Post and Tweet us @BrazilianPost_

Which could appease Yelp and others, who took Google to task for allegedly using their text without permission. Google will also make it easier for companies to port their advertising campaigns to rival search engines. This

is all according to unnamed sources in the Politico report. But it’s not over yet. Google’s rivals might not be too happy with the search giant making these slight changes, and could take the case to the Justice Department.

Also, the European Commission is carrying out an investigation of its own, so we could see a completely different outcome here in the UK and through the rest of Europe. So the big G isn’t out of the woods yet. Google is also said to be close to settling with the FTC concerning patent infringement. According to Reuters, the search giant won’t use its patent library (swelled since it bought Motorola) to block any products it believes infringes its intellectual property. Google previously used these patents in court cases the world over, though doing so is coming to be seen as anticompetitive. As well as allegedly using other companies’ text without asking permission, Google was accused of bumping its own services above others’ in search results. This would force others to take out more adverts on the search engine to appear more visible, and hence mean more cash for Google. Eric Schmidt denied the allegations. A critic of Google once told me that the Google mantra of “Do no evil” was a pretty low bar to set for a company and now it seems more than ever that Google is falling far short of even it’s own loose sense of morals.

LAW

Cameron forced into Internet policy U-turn

he lady (Margaret Thatcher) might not have been one for turning but if recent technology news is anything to go by David Cameron certainly is. After an embarrassing divide between the ConDem coalition Cameron has been forced to go back to the drawing board on the government’s draft Communications Data Bill after a committee of MPs and lords strongly criticised the proposed law’s snooping powers. The draft bill asked for ISPs and phone networks to create “potentially limitless” records of digital communications -who contacted whom and when, rather than the contents of those messages -- and enable the police and security services to look through these records whenever they suspected criminal or terrorist activity. “We believe that the draft Bill pays insufficient attention to the duty to respect the right to privacy,” the committee said

in its report, “and goes much further than it need or should for the purpose of providing necessary and justifiable official access to communications data. “Law enforcement agencies must be given the tools they need. Reasonable access to some communications data is undoubtedly one of those tools. But the government also have a duty to respect the right of citizens to go about their lawful activities, including their communications, without avoidable intrusions on their privacy.” The prime minister’s spokesman told the BBC that the bill will be rewritten. “We recognise this is a difficult issue. We will take account of what the committee said.” The committee also had strong words for the government’s presentation of the bill. “We criticise the government’s estimates of the cost of the Bill and the benefits to be derived from it; some of the figures are fanciful and misleading.”

Rather than backing Cameron, Deputy PM Nick Clegg agreed with the committee’s findings, in yet another rift in the leaders’ political allegiance. “We cannot proceed with this bill and we have to go back to the drawing board, the committee did not, however, suggest that nothing needs to be done. They were very clear that there is a problem that must be addressed to give law enforcement agencies the powers they need to fight crime. I agree. But that must be done in a proportionate way that gets the balance between security and liberty right.” ISPs have complained that the draft bill would impose onerous costs on them to set up and store all this extra data. “It is astonishing that the Home Office have had so little discussion with the Internet companies who need to deliver this legislation,” said shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper. “The government have been slipshod with this bill from the word go.”

Economy PERSPECTIVE

Expect Slow Economic Growth in 2013? By Christiano Holanda

cholanda@brazilianpost.co.uk

nother year of high unemployment and anemic economic growth rates has come and gone, leaving many people to say “good riddance” to 2012. But will the situation improve much in 2013? Probably not, my own take is that the damage related to the financial crisis has put the world at risk for a period of extended economic “malaise” similar to that of the 1990s. Overall gross domestic product growth for 2012 is likely to be ... around 2%. This is, historically, an anemic rate of growth. In the 1990s, the world economy faced the dual problems of high unemployment and high inflation. The origins of this problem began in the late 1980s, and the economy was adversely impacted through the early 1990s. Our present situation is somewhat different from the 1990s in that the dual threat this time is a combination of high unemployment and high internal federal debt levels, but the implications are somewhat similar. The dilemma is that any significant deficit spending by a government will exacerbate the debt-level problem. At the same time, any effort

to balance budget that involves significant tax hikes will negatively impact economic growth. The plain and simple truth is that, we’re finding ourselves in an economic quandary that defies quick fixes. The problems are solvable, but they will take time and will likely involve lowered country spending and some tax increases. All of the above lead me to conclude that 2013 will likely be another year of very

Briefings… Construction Boost for U.K. The U.K.’s construction industry unexpectedly improved in October, providing a tentative sign that the sector is start-

ing to recover and leading economists to speculate that the economy may not shrink in the fourth quarter.

S&P Cuts U.K. Outlook S&P became the third of the credit agencies to threaten the U.K. with the loss of its triple-A rating, a move that came hours after Chancellor of the Ex-

chequer George Osborne said keeping borrowing costs low is more important than retaining a top rating.

Ross Turning Sights Abroad U.S. billionaire investor Wilbur Ross said he is looking at making “significant” acquisitions in financial services

firms in the U.K. and in other parts of Europe in coming years.

After Search, BG Finds New CEO BG Group’s search for a successor to its influential chief executive finished after almost a year with the appoint-

ment of Chris Finlayson, who replaces Sir Frank Chapman at a testing time for the energy company.

slow GDP growth. In fact, there is a clear risk that the economy could remain soft for a prolonged period of time. As slow as American GDP growth has been over the past four years, growth in the Eurozone has been worse. The European Commission recently announced that the Eurozone will experience GDP contraction in 2012, and it forecasts no growth for 2013. China and India are likely to continue to grow their economies over the next few

years, but they will be unable to sustain the extremely high rates that have characterized the past five years. The fragile European economy, combined with a slowing of Chinese and Indian economic growth rates, pose significant threats to the American economy. We live in an increasingly globalized economy, and any adverse events in the United States, Europe and/or Asia will necessarily impact all world economies. I consider Europe to be the dangerous threat to global economic recovery over the next 12 months. Finally, housing is coming back. For five years the real estate market has cast the longest of shadows. Now the sun is overhead. In many areas, the inventory of homes on the market is down 20% or more from just a year ago. Worldwide, there are million houses for sale. At the peak, in the summer of 2007, that figure was more than twice as high. Sales of existing single-family homes, meanwhile, jumped 11% in the 12 months through September. Demand should remain elevated as the Fed keeps buying bonds so mortgage rates stay low. Why is the view from “terra firma” so much better than from up high? Three words: employment, debt, and housing. My sole word, keep investing!

12 |

Dec 18th - Dec 31th 2012

Sport WINNERS AND LOSERS

What happened in 2012 By Tico Silverio

2012 is almost finished, a year that all sport lovers will remember. The London Olympic Games were certainly the highlight of the year, but football, tennis, Formula 1 and many other sports also had a great year. So here I have prepared a special retrospective to remind you of the best sporting moments of 2012.

Lance Amstrong was the shame of the year Vettel: the youngest triple champion of F-1

Surprises While to opponents and even to the Corinthians’ fans, winning the Libertadores seemed an impossible task, but in 2012 it became an unquestionable triumph. Victory over Boca Juniors in the final led the club to an undefeated final. Corinthians also became the best of the Americas for the first time, joining Santos as the only Brazilian to win the competition undefeated. At the Paralympics, all lights were pointed at the South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius, a world record holder in the event, but this didn’t faze the Brazilian Alan Fonteles, who overturned all predictions and won the 200 meter race with a time of 21s45. After 23 years of a troubled tenure, Ricardo Teixeira, finally exited from Brazilian football. Accused of corruption and without support, the former president of the Brazilian Football Confederation decided to abandon the gold mine. Ricardo Teixeira currently lives in Florida, but despite the distance, still gives his input into the decisions of the CBF, which is already one of the consultants of the current president, Jose Maria Marin. We can’t talk about about 2012 without mentioning Mo Farah. The spectacular victory of the Somali-born Brit in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters and of course is his highly unusual celebration routine which became a source of joy and pride for sports-loving Brits. Andy Murray finally won a Grand Slam title, the U.S. Open. The Scot played beautiful tennis in 2012 and, apart from the U.S. Open, he also won the Olympic gold medal, defeating non other than Roger Federer. The tennis player ends the year in third place in the ATP rankings. n

Anderson Silva had once again an incredible year

Disappointments The seven-time winner of the Tour de France, cycling’s most famous race, Lance Armstrong certainly will not have good memories of 2012. Armstrong was banned from the sport, and has lost his sponsorship and been stripped of his medals when doping allegations were proved ture. According to his former teammates, Armstrong encouraged his colleagues to do the same and tried to push banned substances to them. In Brazil Palmeiras were relegated back to Serie B. 2012 was supposed to be a happy year for the team’s supporters as the team won the Copa do Brazil, securing participation in next year’s Libertadores. But the confused board, poor planning, excessive pressure of the fans and especially a weak football took the former national champions (8 titles) to Serie B for the second time in 10 years. Defeat to Mexico in the final once again meant that the dream of winning the Olympic gold medal for football did not come true for Brazil. Not even the absence of Argentina was enough for Brazil to finally conquer the only title it lacks in football. Neymar, Oscar, Lucas and Co. failed to overcome anxiety and pressure. In the end, at the legendary Wembley Stadium, we saw the Mexicans get to party. An Olympic silver medal is a matter of pride for any athlete, but for Brazil’s men’s volleyball team this was not so good. After winning the first two sets, with two match points in their favour, Brazil saw Russia take gold in one of the most stunning upsets in sports history. A lesson for the Bernadinho’s team, leave your celebrations to the end of the competition. n

Confirmations Some are no longer just athletes but become legends in 2012. At London 2012 Chris Hoy became the most successful British athlete in Olympic history, with six golds and a silver. Amercian swimmer, Michael Phelps became the greatest Olympian of all time. Phelps, who has climbed the Olympic podium 21 times, overcame Soviet gymnast Larissa Latinya in number of medals in 2012 and became the biggest winner in history. Usain Bolt is one of the most charismatic characters in the sports world, besides being the fastest man on earth. The Jamaican had great success at London 2012, winning the 100, 200 and 4 x 100 meter races. And everyone is happy that he has said he will compete in Rio 2016. The 2012 season of Formula 1 was highly contested, and the title was decided in the last race. But despite the efforts of Alonso, the title ended again with German Sebastian Vettel. Sixth place in the Brazilian GP secured the German his third title, becoming the youngest triple champion in history. Anderson Silva, the UFC middleweight champion, had a memorable 2012. After knocking out the loud mouth Chael Sonnen, even fighting out of his category, Anderson also knocked out light heavyweight Stephan Bonnar, further confirming his supremacy. n

Sport | 13

RETROSPECTIVE

Wiggins wins BBC Sport Personality; review of an amazing year in sport

By Jamie Jubon

yclist Bradley Wiggins was crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2012 after a stylish awards ceremony which was held at the Excel Arena in London. It had been the most eagerly-anticipated awards in the show’s 58-year history as the cluster of Olympic and Paralympic medallists descended onto south-east London wondering which one of their peers would claim the sought-after trophy. Football legend David Beckham announced the top three, with Andy Murray in third place, Jessica Ennis a close second and Wiggins the eventual winner. The cyclist was a deserved winner, but in an unprecedented year of success for sport in this country, there would have been so many deserved winners. 2012 will no doubt be remembered as a defining year in British sport. As we near the end of a year in which London staged a remarkable Olympic Games, a quick look back at the list of notable achievements by British athletes demonstrates what an incredibly successful 12 months it was. Of course, the Olympic Games itself produced so many stand-out moments. From Mo Farah’s unique hand-on-head victory celebration after his two Gold medals to Bradley Wiggins’ heroic fist-pump after his victory in the cycling, there were so many iconic images of victorious British athletes for us to savour from London 2012. However, it wasn’t just the greatest show on earth that showcased the best in British sport this year. In July Wiggins incredibly won the Tour De France, becoming the first British rider of all time to win the historic event. Prior to that, Premier League club Chelsea had become the first ever team from London to be crowned Champions of Europe, by winning the UEFA Champions League. Despite the fact they’re squad was made up of predominantly foreign players, it was still a major achievement for British sport as they knocked out defending champions Barcelona and defeated German giants Bayern on their own patch in Munich. They also finished the Premier League season in 6th position, demonstrating the relative strength of the English domestic championship. The Champions of Europe could only finish in 6th place in England’s top flight. It should also be noted that whilst there were very few Englishman involved in the success, the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole did play a huge part and fully deserved their medal after years of excruciating near-misses. At the US Open, Andy Murray at last delivered what the whole of Great Britain have been crying out for. A first male Grand Slam champion for 76 years. 76 years of anguish, turmoil and ridi-

Bradley Wiggins, the best of 2012 cule from other nations finally came to an end at Flushing Meadows as the thoroughbred Scot eventually overcame another ridiculously strong competitor in Novak Djokovic, after nearly five hours of intense competition. Murray had been knocking on the door of a Grand Slam for some time. It was back in 2008 when he reached his first final, eventually going down in straight sets to the great Roger Federer on the very same court. Three more times he had reached the championship match. Three more times he had succumbed, including at this year’s Wimbledon to Federer. Murray’s legendary coach Ivan Lendl had himself lost his first four Grand Slam Finals, however no man had ever lost their first five. This was a different Murray though. Spurred on by his Olympic Gold Medal in London, when he produced some astounding tennis to defeat both Federer and Djokovic in straight sets, he showed tremendous guts and willpower to overpower his Serbian opponent in the final set, having previously seen his two-set lead evaporate. The image of Murray not quite knowing how to react as his opponent sent his final shot long is as vivid now as it was back in September, and in some ways sums up what made this year of sport so wonderful.

Here was a man who had worked so tirelessly hard to reach this point, his whole life had been geared towards reaching this target. Seeing the look of relief and at the same time, disbelief, on Murray’s face gave sports fans such as myself a poignant sense of satisfaction, that if you work hard and focus on your goals, nothing is impossible. The Olympians proved that in the Summer, and Andy Murray proved it that night. It was particularly satisfying for me as I had closely monitored his career, and seen him grow from a precocious, talented boy into a Grand Slam Champion. Here’s hoping that this will just be the beginning for the man from Dunblane, a tiny town in Scotland. There’s no reason for me to think that this will not be the case. The success story carried on into October, with Britain’s talented array of golfers playing a major part in Europe’s Ryder Cup victory over USA. The European’s defence of their title seemed doomed as the Americans built up a significant lead going into the penultimate day of competition. However, as America faltered, Europe rallied and the huge deficit quickly evaporated. Europe’s golfers came up with some of their best shots at crucial points, and the performances of Englishman Luke Donald, Justin Rose, Lee Westwood and

particularly Ian Poulter, contributed significantly to Europe’s fight back. Poulter reached a level of golf nobody quite realised he was capable of during the Ryder Cup, and in any other calendar year would have been a major contender for the highly coveted BBC British Sports Personality of the Year Award. The Olympic Games was wonderful, it showcased everything that is great in Britain, not just on a sporting side, but a social side too. The British public embraced the Games, welcomed visitors with open arms and supported their athletes in the most passionate, and heart-felt way imaginable. It was a tremendous success, and if every other sporting event had been cancelled in 2012, it would still have probably been the most successful year in British sporting history. However, the success stories outside the Olympic Games, the likes of Murray and the Ryder Cyp, coupled with the performances of the Olympians, ensured that it as close as humany possible to being a perfect 12 months for Great British sport. As 2012 draws to a close, it is almost incomprehensible that all of this was crammed into such a short period of time. I get the feeling we may never see a year like this again in our lifetimes.

Sport | 14 |

Dec 18th - Dec 31th 2012

1-0 AGAINST CHELSEA

Corinthians, the champion of champions By Guilherme Reis

The Corinthians fans can now shout: “We are the world champions”, or even better: “twice world champions”. This achievement has been a long time coming. After the unprecedented success of the team in July, it was five months before the world championship. Months in which, Corinthians were able to prepare for their duel against Chelsea in Japan and months that probably helped them leave little chance for the troubled London team in the decisive 90 minutes on the pitch.

The match At 7.30 pm on Sunday 16 December, at Japan’s Yokohama stadium the ball rolled into the year’s most anticipated duel. Corinthians and Chelsea were finally to measure their forces on the pitch. The match got tense, with lots of marking in midfield and few spaces, which caused the ball to leave the side several times in the opening minutes. Early on, however, the team from London had a great chance to open the scoring. After a corner kick, the back four of Corinthians barely pulled the ball that left clear for Cahill. The Chelsea defender kicked hard, but Cassio made impressive defence - the first of many. The goalkeeper Cassio, incidentally, deserves a separate paragraphin this write up. Voted the best player of the match and the World Cup, the Corinthian number 12 made at least four very important defences on Sunday, essential to them taking the title. Returning to the match, after this initial shock, Corinthians found themselves. With good passing, strong marking and a very organised game plan (total merits to the coach Tite), the team took greater possession of the ball and created chances to score. Emerson had the best chances in the first half, and for Chelsea it was David Luiz, who had the best match, seeming to be defending for Chelsea all on his own. Chelsea who were without Oscar, who was on the bench had a hard time attacking and sending the ball out of their defence. The best chances came from the sporadic long passes of Lampard to Moses, who created the best scoring chance of the English team in the first stage, but was stopped at miraculous hands of Cassio. In the second half, the pattern of play remained basically the same. Corinthians were well organised with strong marking and seeking the goal at all times. Chelsea did put up a good fight but while the Brazilians seemed to be playing the game of their life, the English team seemed to be sitting back on their laurels, confident that Fernando Torres would shake the nets after some light touch from Mata or Hazard. There were enough opportunities to score for Chelsea, but as I’ve said: Cassio was always there to close the door. In the 67 minute Corinthians pressed Chelsea and, after another wrong pass from defence, the ball fell to Alessandro on the right side. He dropped the ball to Chicao, who made a long pass to Paulinho. The Corinthians number 8 tabled with

Bunch of crazies At the referee’s whistle, the Corinthians celebration began. With a very impressive almost 25 thousand Corinthian fans, the celebration took over the Yokohama stadium. In Sao Paulo, the party raged from the

Jorge Henrique and invaded the area, leaving the ball rolling to the feet of Danilo, who dribbled past the Chelsea defenders and booted the ball with his right foot. The ball hit Peter Cech but he failed to clear it and then fell to Paolo Guerrero, headed in the goal of the title. From there, Chelsea went all for the attack. Rafa Benitez finally put Oscar on the field, but the Brazilian could do little in the face of the strong marking and organisation of Corinthians. Two names, besides Cassio, are noteworthy: Guerrero and Danilo. The first made a flawless performance. Cassio held the ball very well on attack side and served his teammates well with refined passing. Danilo exhibited confidence and experience, organising Corinthians from the defence and marking well. Chelsea still had time to score, with an attempt by Fernando Torres, but it was correctly flagged offside. Though the game ended on an even more sour note for Chelsea as before the final whistle could sound, Cahill was sent off after assault Emerson, a one match ban will follow meaning he is not available for their next game in the UK.

night and into the early morning. As I wrote this article at 6am, in the city I could still hear fireworks, some horns and believe me, even the famous shouts “Vaaai Corinthians!” (“Go Corinthians).

Redemption The success and title of best club in the world was confirmed for Corinthians on December 16 2012, but this journey started a long time ago. More precisely when the team met their biggest humiliation, relegation to the second division in 2007. Since then, the club has changed radically, re-

building and strengthening. The club has changed its workings on and off the pitch, with approved elections for president every two years, investment in the structure for athletes and belief in the work of coach Tite, who is the man to thank for assembling this team of champions.