The Howler

I don’t have to relate here about the events and emotions in Iran. The Pullitzer-Prize-worthy blogging of Andrew Sullivan at The Atlantic and Nico Pitney at HuffPost are appallingly complete and deeply moving. They embody Obama’s words: “We are bearing witness”.

Using Andrew Sullivan’s words: “Did you notice how many times he [Obama] invoked the word "justice" in his message? That's the word that will resonate most deeply with the Iranian resistance. What a relief to have someone with this degree of restraint and prudence and empathy - refusing to be baited by Khamenei or the neocons, and yet taking an eloquent stand, as we all do, in defense of freedom and non-violence.”

In stark contrast to Obama’s eloquent stand and the cautiousness of the European government leaders, Lula, the great world leader, saw fit to defame the standing of Brazil and its people in the world.
As a belligerent child, who sees his beloved toy taken away from him, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared in Geneva, that based on personal experience, the protests currently taking place in Iran are a reaction of losers, and that the controversy surrounding the re-election of Ahmadinejad will not change his intention to travel to Tehran in the near future.

In this hour of desperation, while the Iranian people are demonstrating in the streets for their democratic rights, Lula can only talk about trade between Brazil and Iran.
"I want to go to Iran, I pretend to fix a date and visit Iran because we are interested in building a partnership with Iran, interested in trade with Iran," he said.

At a press conference, to emphasize his understanding of world politics and the definition of democracy, he stated that Iranian’s actual president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has 61 or 62% of the votes. How can you imagine fraud with such an impressive popular support?, he wondered.

"I do not know anyone other than the opposition, who should have disagreed with the Iranian election results. There are no figures available, there is no proof. For now, it's just, you know, something between “flamenguistas and vascaínos," (referring to two rivalling Brazilian football clubs).

Lula, the popular leader of the Brazilian dream, prototype of the common man that reached the highest levels of society, collided head-on with equality, with equal rights and obligations, with the principles of equality and democracy. With his imbecile statements he shook off his carefully built-up image as a reformist and took the cloth of the repressor and anti-libertarian.

The Brazilian president's view on the election in Iran does not make the slightest difference - either in Tehran or anywhere else in the world, but it is revoltingly gross to compare the peaceful demonstrations for justice of the Iranian people to two rivalling Brazilian football clubs.

Seeing his jaunt to Iran going beyond reach, he probably had meant to say to the Iranian people: "Sifu" (fuck you).
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Note 1: Lula used this obscene expression (Sifu meaning fuck you) during a meeting with governors. The TV-News outlet ‘Jornal Nacional’ qualified the words as "extravagant", which was very generous of them.
Note 2: With the peaceful demonstrations getting approached with violence by the Iranian authorities and the hospitalized injured arrested by the Basiji, several foreign embassies in Tehran are helping to protect the victims and are taking in injured. Why is the Brazilian Embassy not on the list?

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Polemic: Lula's White Blue-Eyed Bankers

Last Thursday 26 March during a visit of British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva blamed the rich countries for the crisis.

"The crisis was caused by irrational behaviour of white people with blue eyes, who in the past seemed to know everything, and now show no knowledge at all", said Lula in reference to foreign speculators in the first world countries.
When asked by a journalist whether his statement would not have an ideological bias, Lula said: "As I do not know any black or indigenous banker [...] I can only say that it is impossible that the part of mankind, which is the worst victim, shall pay for this crisis. This is not possible," he added.
”We can not allow the poor to be the first to pay the bill run up by the rich," he emphasized.

During his statement to the press, at the Alvorada Palace (the Brazilian White House), with the visiting British Prime-Minister at his side, the president compared the financial crisis to a fever and also defended the actions of the government as inducer and articulator of policy.

“It is usually said that the government only is a hindrance, and when the crisis happened, those who seemed to be the “gods of the economy”, seek that same “non-knowledgeable” government, to save them.“

And continued to defend regulations for the international financial system, by saying: "It is not possible to have a society where you enter a shopping mall or an airport without being filmed, always being watched, and the financial system is not monitored and has no regulations."

Lula said that the global economic crisis will worsen if the G-20 meeting in London in April does not submit concrete initiatives to recover the global economy.

"If the G-20 is just a meeting to mark another meeting, we will be discredited and the crisis may worsen".

Lula questions the effectiveness of the economic package presented by the President of the United States, Barack Obama, which provides for USD 1 trillion for the purchase of assets considered "toxic”.
"If Obama made the decision in the best interest to the United States. Great. I hope it works," he said "but I can not use the little money we have left, to buy titles that I call “rotten”," he added.

He stated also that he hopes that Obama, in the G-20 meeting in London, presents a plan as the views of the American president are supreme and must be respected.

Note:
AmericaBlog's “Chris in Paris” writes in his post "Lula and Berlusconi need therapy":
"The last time I checked, disgraced but wealthy Merrill Lynch CEO Stanley O'Neal is African-American....." and contests Lula's words. Clearly he doesn't understand the language and the way-of-thinking in developing countries and doesn't know how the people living in these countries see AND experience daily the Americans living in their countries.
Lula's words had nothing to do with racism or discrimination, but everything with the cold truth as the big speculators (including bankers) of the USA created the mess the US and the world are in, in the first place and the European bankers ran into this pit out of greed too. Have you heard of any 'coloured' bank in Latin America which needed bail-out money? Brazilian banks proved to be sound. So, Lula is right, it were the "white, blue-eyed bankers" and it is of no importance that by any coincidence there was somewhere, sometime a 'black banker'.
Lula's words, blunt as they came from his infamous big mouth, are however correct. The poor, developing and emerging countries are suffering most, thanks to the insatiable greed of the white, blue-eyed bankers of the rich countries.
A sore blogpost. Better read the text in the original language first, before starting to shoot. Incredible that in general you attack the main stream media and now use their words as basis for your blog. A blogpost not worthy the slogan: "A Great Nation Deserves The Truth". It is not Lula who needs therapy, the white, blue-eyed bankers (speculators as Lula said) in the US and Europe need it most and urgently as well, as they don’t seem to be inclined to change their attitude. So don’t blame Lula without knowing what you are talking about.

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Carnival 2009 - A Work of Art called Monalisa

This is a free interpretation of Ancelmo’s blog.

The first queen of the carnival’s parade which started today is a spectacular appearance in the photos. You can congratulate her, Monalisa Lucia de Carvalho, 21 years, the “Mulata do Gois 2009”. The representative of the city of Portela was the most voted in the carnivalesque contest of this column and took the competition’s title of the “loveliest on the internet”. For the group of Oswaldo Cruz, however, it is hard to take - as it is the second consecutive year that Portela takes the title. The photos of the winner, by the expert Fabio Rossi, were taken at the train station. What a beauty - what a styling.
continue reading and enjoy more photos of Brazilian carnival queens

Carnival 2009

Today carnival in Brazil started its five days of festivities. The next few posts will be devoted to this all consuming event. Enjoy the view of the Brazilian beauties, abundant in numbers and luxuriant in appearance. After the carnival is over, the serious part of the year 2009 finally starts for the Brazilian and we, in our blog, shall go back to the reality of Brazilian life.
But first: five days carnival, parades, samba and beauties.

In 2008, the Lula’s Government executed only 22.5% of the budget - Health care got only 7% of its allocation

The speech of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva relating the public investments to solve the economic crisis is in flagrant contradiction with the facts. Last year, the government has issued only 22.5% of the budgeted investments. At a total investment budget approved by Congress of BRL 47.6 billion (€ 15.5 billion), only BRL 10.7 billion (€ 3.5 billion) has actually been spent.

The investment budget includes all public works for infrastructure, housing and sanitation facilities for which the federal government is responsible, including the activities of the Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento (PAC = Program for the Acceleration of Growth).

The low level of investment extends even to the social sector. According to the Ministry of Health, only 7% of the investments were implemented. Of a total of BRL 3.9 billion (€ 1.3 billion) in the budget only BRL 276 million (€ 90 million) is spent. The program for hospital and outpatient care of the SUS (National Health Service) for example, for which a financing of BRL 1.7 billion (€ 0.55 billion) was approved, got paid BRL 163 million (€ 53 million = 9.5%). And a credit-line of BRL 324 million (€ 105 million) as a federal share in the construction of sanitation facilities in rural areas, transferred only BRL 3.9 million (€ 1.27 million = 1.3%).

The Ministry of Education realised actually 27.5% of the planned investment. From a budget of BRL 3.7 billion (€ 1.2 billion) BRL 1.03 billion (€ 0.33 billion) was spent.

In important parts of the infrastructure sector, such as the Ministries of Transport, Public Works and Municipalities, which are responsible for roads, housing and sanitation in the country, the executed investments made up only 18.4% and 14.7% respectively.

The Ministry of Urban Development, which is responsible for social housing had a budget of BRL 442 million (€ 143 million) in 2008, only to spend BRL 50.9 million (€ 16.5 million = 11.5%).

The Ministry of Social Development had available for investments BRL 196.5 million (€ 64 million), but used only BRL 101.4 million (€ 33 million), representing 51.6%. This amount represents about 1% of the total expenditure in this sector, which covers also the Program for Family Support (Bolsa Família), which consumes more than BRL 10 billion (€ 3.25 billion) per year.

For investments in tourism, traditional for all countries worldwide an important source of new jobs, the Lula government spent only 3.5% of the 2008 budget. Of the BRL 2.5 billion (€ 0.81 billion) budgeted, BRL 87 million (€ 28 million) was effectively spent.

In contrast to this tendency (or shall we say: intention, which obviously prevails in government circles) not to invest, the Ministry of Defence used 80.5% of the investment budget. Of BRL 4.1 billion (€ 1.33 billion), BRL 3.3 billion (€ 1.07 billion) has been spent.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs even exceeded the original budget allocated for investment. Foreign Affairs actually invested BRL 40.4 million (€ 13.1 million), while the original budget allowed BRL 38.5 million (€ 12.5 million).

Result: The international financial crisis, the beautiful and sometimes lyrical words used by Lula in his speeches to obfuscate the economic crisis, coupled with the apparent intention of the federal government not to invest in this country, have led to a sharp decrease in the number of jobs in the last two months of last year, in the month of December alone, a loss of 600,000 jobs. This estimate comes from the Minister of Labour, Carlos Lupi, who does not exclude a further reduction of jobs in the first quarter of this year.

Figures are based on data of the Sistema Integrado Informações Financeiras (Siafi) - Integrated System of Financial Information.

cartoon: J. Bosco/O Liberal
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Pure nature - The fragrance of the Amazon dancing in the wind

The capillarity of the wooden sticks transmits the fragrance of the perfume from the Amazon region to the ambiance of the room.

15% of the world’s total of all known vegetal species (plants, trees) and 10% of all mammals are concentrated and trying to survive in the Amazon region.
This source of fresh air to the world, home to (besides man and animal) many super-fruits, medicinal plants and other useful species, will be destroyed soon. Between 2006 and 2007 11.224 km2 has been deforested - 20% less than in the period 2005-2006. Compare 2004 when one of the highest indices (27.379 km2)) in history had been registered. Hopeful? No! In the last 5 months of 2007 the devastating activities for prime wood, soy and cattle has been accelerated. Between Aug and Dec 2007 3.235 km2 has been cut down and satellite pictures show it could be twice as much.

It is no wonder that many individuals, research centre and companies are feverishly looking to the Amazon forest as a tremendous source for sustainable exploitation, which might stop the illegal activities that cause the destruction. Responsibility and sustainability are the keywords.

With the recent trends in healthy food, energy and fortification drinks, interest in Amazonian “superfruits” is growing. It’s little wonder that .......continue reading

The Largest Penguin Rescue on Record - A Success for Animal Welfare - But a Terrible Omen

Some 2,500 Magellan penguins from the Argentina's Patagonia region, probably confused by the warm ocean currents stranded - dead and alive - on Brazil's northern coast in October last year. Approximately half of the penguins found on Brazilian beaches were dead, and the others were starving and in very bad shape,

Magellan penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) live in relatively warmer climates than other penguin species, and breed and nest in burrows from October to February, in southern Chile and Argentina, in a temperate and dry climate.
Magellans, one of 17 species of penguins living in the southern hemisphere, including Antarctica, are among the largest, weighing just over four kilograms, with striking colouring: a white chest and a white band around a black back and black head.

They travel out to sea during the winter, from March to September, to follow anchovies, their favourite food, in order to fatten up. However this year apparently the anchovies went deeper into the ocean in search for cold water and the penguins couldn't reach their food and consequently stranded because they were starving, according to Valeria Ruoppolo, an emergency veterinarian with the International Federation for Animal Welfare (IFAW), in São Paulo.

This year, about 2,500 disoriented juvenile penguins travelled more than 2,500 kilometres beyond the normal point, coming ashore in Salvador, in the Brazilian state of Bahia, to the amazement of beachgoers. The penguins were rescued by IFAW and the Centre for Marine Animal Recovery, with help from other organisations and Brazilian environmental authorities.

After months of care and feeding, the 372 surviving penguins were banded and loaded onto a C-130 Hercules military plane and transported to Cassino Beach, in Pelotas, in southern Brazil.

After a night’s rest, they were released into the South Atlantic Ocean, along with a few rescued adult penguins, with the hope that the adults would guide the younger ones safely home to Punta Tombo in Patagonia.

The Magellan penguin population is fragile, as their numbers have plummeted by about 20 percent, with about one million breeding pairs today, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society. The penguins are at risk due to the effects of climate change, tourism, oil leaks from tankers and shrimp nets. Particularly the ocean environment of the southern tip of Patagonia is changing, as the salinity of the water is decreasing, due to glaciers melting.

Punta Tombo is a tiny peninsula near the city of Rawson on the coast of the southern Argentine province of Chubut,. Its widest point is less than one kilometre, and it is teaming and crowded with penguins - and tourists - during breeding season. Punta Tombo, is home to the largest colony of Magellan penguins.
In 1982, the Punta Tombo colony was saved from Japanese commercial interests, intending to slaughter the birds and use their pelts to make golf gloves. The area was turned into a penguin preserve and research centre.

This an extract of an article published by IPS-Inter Press Service

Photo's by: tabernash, benune, TrekNature

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Happy New Year

One of the most spectacular events of the year is the “Réveillon” fireworks at the Copacabana beach of Rio de Janeiro, with which Brazil enters the New Year.

This year again Rio de Janeiro gave prove why during this time of the year so many tourists prefer to spend their holiday season here.

During 20 minutes the public stood there agape with wonder by the beauty of the fireworks. A beautiful experience which, to the contrary of previous years, was not frustrated by growing smoke clouds.

Even Saint Peter was in a good mood as the heavy rains stopped by 23.00 hours.

According to the police some 2 million people enjoyed the spectacle.

The big surprise this year were the 'bombas filhotes', which multiply in the air.

Twenty-four tons of fireworks were fired from 8 pontoons.

The company New Fireworks realised the fireworks against a cost of R$ 1,6 million (ca. USD 600.000).

Early on the tourists as well as the cariocas (inhabitants of Rio) went to the Copacabana beach to enjoy a last dive in the ocean and secure a good place from which they could watch the fireworks. The pontoons, from which the fireworks should be launched, anchored during the afternoon in front of the beach.

Click here for a full photo reportage

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Economic crisis? What economic crisis?

While worldwide governments design and implement financial stimulus packages, President Lula mainly limits himself to stimulate the Brazilians to continue spending money and to buy goods to support the Brazilian industry. In Brazil apparently payment of the 13th month is seen as stimulus package to rescue the economy and beat the financial crisis. In the month of December, the Brazilian economy will be "enriched", with approximately BRL 78 billion (25 billion euros) due to the payment of the 13th month.

This amount represents about 2.7% of the gross domestic product (GDP), and includes workers in the formal sector, including domestic servants, pensioners and beneficiaries with a state pension.

According to calculations of Dieese (Department of Statistics and Socio-Economic Studies), the BRL 78 billion will be paid to about 68 million people. Dieese didn’t take into account the self-employed and informal workers, who may also receive a kind of compensation at the end of the year, but whose details are impossible to obtain.

According to Dieese the national average paid will be BRL 1,105 (€ 354). The 13th month for Previdência (something like a general old age pension scheme) is BRR 753 (€ 241). Workers in the formal market receive BRL 1,331 (€ 427), while household staff is entitled to an average of BRL 495 (€ 158).

Beneficiaries in the capital Brasilia go home with the biggest share (taking into account all categories) i.e. BRL 2,378 (€ 762), while beneficiaries in the federal state of Piauí have to be content with BRL 662 (€ 212).

According to a survey, the vast majority of consumers (60%) plans to use the 13th month to settle debts, an increase of 3,45% compared with the previous year. According to the study conducted by Anefac during the month of October 2008, among 573 consumers from all social classes, the number of consumers that plans to use the 13th month for the purchase of gifts decreased from 20% to 15%.

In 2008, only a small number of consumers (2%) will set that money aside for the expected costs in the first month of next year. However, according to research from Anefac, the number of consumers who drew a loan in anticipation of the release of the 13th month grew with 28,57%. This quota represents 9% of the total national entitlement to the 13th month payment.

Although (thanks to the idle words of President Lula) the Brazilians believe that Brazil will be little affected by the international financial crisis, the majority of the population reviews the outlook for 2009 negative in terms of inflation, unemployment and personal income. According to a poll by Ibope commissioned by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), the majority of the Brazilian population believes that the inflation will rise, however they think the international financial crisis has reached the country, they do noy expect to be affected personally by the unrest, which started in the US market.

According to the CNI/Ibope survey the number of respondents that expect an increased unemployment rate in 2009 stepped up from 40% to 63%, while the number who expect a job increase in 2009 fell from 55% to 35%.
The expectation of people about their income also declined, albeit with lesser intensity. 38% think they have an increase next year, compared with 41% who believe that their income will not change and 13% who believe in a deterioration.

But despite all the fine words of Lula Christmas dinner became significantly more expensive.

Less than a week before Christmas, the demand for food for the traditional Christmas dinner increased substantially. With the high dollar, which made a leap from BRL 1,60 in October to BRL 2,30 in December, and the rise of inflation in the last three months, everything is more expensive, especially imported products such as fruits and vegetables. And clothing prices rose to unprecedented heights while the Brazilian traditionally needs to wear new ones for Christmas.

An analyzes of Dieese shows that products such as turkey, chester ham and cod, in this time of year very popular products, showed a price increase compared with the same period last year.
One of the most consumed products at a Christmas dinner, the frozen chicken is the only one which remained stable. A kilo costs an average of BRL 3,94 (€ 1,26).

In addition to these increases of traditional products, Christmas dinner this year will also be affected by higher prices of fruit. Some increased with more than 30%, such as the chestnut. The fresh plum increased by 31%. The Argentine apple 36% and imported pear increased by 50%. The largest increase however was for dark seedless raisins, with a peak of 67%.

The Christmas shopping did not provide significant results, although retailers are still optimistic. The expectation in Belém is a higher turnover of 10% over the previous year, although during the first two weeks of December, few shoppers could be found.
Finally on Christmas Eve the total results were not disappointing. Striking was that consumers bought and paid with cash, quite unusual in this time of the year when normally credit card companies celebrate their highest output. But with a current interest rate on your credit card of 175% annually you have to disregard that option.

Merry Christmas

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Cartoon courtesy J. Bosco/O Liberal

A Christmas Story - 5-year Deivid Sent a Letter to Papa Noel with his Dearest Wish: Shoes

The Christmas letter from the small Deivid José Pereira da Silva, of only 5 years old, addressed to Papa Noel, differed strongly from the usual Christmas wish list of his classmates in the kindergarten. While other children asked toys, Deivid put a pair of (tennis) shoes on his wish list. The boy's worn shoes, with its see through holes, justified this unusual request of a child of his age.
Deivid used the same tennis shoes for three years. Already second hand when he got them, too big for his feet, acquired at a bazaar organized by the Parish of St. Anthony of Lisbon, they are the only ones the boy has.

Since last Saturday afternoon, after the daily newspaper O Liberal had Deivid's story on its front page showing a photograph of Deivid with his torn shoes, dozens of inhabitants of Belém went personally to the boy's house in the neighbourhood of Cremação presenting him the Christmas gift he had asked Papa Noel for: tennis shoes. Also throughout Sunday Deivid Jose received presents of shoes, toys and food.

"The first Christmas presents were four pairs of new shoes and toys," says the proud father, Luiz Roberto Correa da Silva, 37 years old, a professional handyman, "On Sunday, many more people came to our house to bring shoes and clothes. He has already received 40 pairs of shoes."

Now, with his dearest wish materialized, his next wish moves a little upwards. "A real motorcycle," says the boy, under the curious eyes of his little sister Deise of 4 years, who's scarcely able to grasp all the toys her brother received.

While the O Liberal reporters were visiting Deivid’s (municipal) kindergarten Caripunas the Director of the school received two calls leaving him in tears. The calls came from the municipal Department of Education (Semec), which in fact is responsible for this kindergarten for impoverished children, condemning the action of the supervisor to tell the story of Deivid to the press. To accentuate their incompetence, they prohibited the school management to speak any further with the press and ordered the press to leave the school.
"We just wanted to help the child. Those who actually have a duty to help the child condemn us now", lamented one of the crying teachers.

Anyway, Deivid steps into the New Year with new shoes at his feet.

Does the future belong to the youth ?

"Literacy and the struggle against hunger are connected, closely interdependent," Nobel literature prize winner Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio said Sunday (07/12) in his Nobel lecture to the Swedish Academy. The 68-year-old Frenchman continued with: "One cannot succeed without the other. Both of them require, indeed urge, us to act."

From a president who himself had no chance to follow a proper education, you expect the portfolio of education in his government highly favoured and enjoying all the (financial) support it deserves. Indeed the future belongs to the youth and that’s certainly true for an emerging economy as Brazil. But not so in Lula’s mind. Apparently Lula believes that if he has been able to become president without education, everyone else must be able to reach the top on his own merits. The results are disastrous and will wreck the future development of this country. Shortness of skilled personnel is already the major complaint of businesses and in several cases, foreign investors pulled out, especially in those regions desperately needing investments. Thus the North!

Although elementary education is ‘enjoyed’ by 97.6% of 7-14 year old children, this figure is no synonym for quality. The majority of the Brazilian school children between 8-14 years can neither read nor write. Data from the IBGE (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística - Institute for Statistics) also show that of all the Brazilians who can not read or write 1.7% are 14 years old, although these 58.1 thousand pupils almost finished elementary school. Nearly half of that group (approx 29 thousand youngsters) is illiterate, even though they are going to school.

IBGE also points to inequality in education based on colour or race. In absolute numbers: of the approximately 14 million illiterates aged over 15 years, nearly 9 million are black or mulatto. Of the white population 6.1% can read nor write, of the black and coloured population 14%.
In relation to gender, women show a better result than men. The female population studies on average a year longer than the male part. The female presence dominates also in the higher education, 57.1% of university students are female, compared with 42.9% male. Notwithstanding this, women still occupy only a small part of the management level.

Education in Brazil has everything to do with income. Cross-linking the data shows that the Brazilians up to 17 years are the hardest hit by poverty. In this age group 46% belong to the poorest part of the population (with a monthly income of half the minimum wage (about € 70) per capita). Most children in this situation are living in the northern and north-eastern regions.

But even a higher income and sending your child to a private school is no guarantee for better education. Matheus Aguiar, 17 years, is an exception in the 4 million participants in the Exame Nacional do Ensino Medio (ENEM = National Exam for Secondary Education).
The ENEM is a voluntary test for students of the 3rd year of secondary school. The popularity of ENEM jumped since with the founding of the Programa Universidade para Todos (ProUni = University for Everyone) in 2004, the federal government distributes university scholarships to poor students. Participation in the exam is a prerequisite for anyone who hopes to start a university education. The result of the exam requires a minimum of 45 points on a scale of 100.

And in this nationwide exam Matheus Aguiar ended as fifth and is the best from the federal state of Pará. Matheus is in the third year of the (private and exclusive) College Nazareth in Belém. With 93.65 points in the general section and 100 in 'editorial’ (writing an essay) he reached an average of 96.82 and the fifth place out of four million examinees. Although Matheus studies at a private school, his results of the ENEM exam are important as private colleges and universities use the results as a parameter in the selection. Matheus wants to study 'mecatronica' at the University of Brasilia,

But unfortunately the good performance of Matheus seems to be an exception. The state which yielded the fifth best secondary school pupil in the country, ranked as a whole at the 10th place from the bottom with an average of only 36.9 points. The pupils from Pará scored 4.8 points lower than the national average. Pará belongs to the sad bottom of the northern region, of which all ended up in the 10 lowest places. A region that did not go beyond an average of 36.07 points. The lowest ranking compared with other regions.

But the results of the pupils from other federal states are not much better. At the top, the secondary school students of the Federal District (capital Brasilia) with a poor 45.39 points. Let’s not forget that the minimum requirement is 45, and that all examinees (public and private education) voluntarily participate in the exam, so that they can obtain a place with a university. The nationwide average of the exam was 40.59, which is 4.41 point below the minimum requirement.
What is supposed to be the level of the schoolchildren (the largest group), which do not go for the ENEM exam, but just quit school and try to find a job.

Secondary school students pushing a "Lula-puppet" in protest against the education policies

Of course, the financial situation of students reflects in the performance. The results show that between a public school student and a private school one there is a gap. For Pará the difference is more than 16 points. The average score of students from a public school was 33.37 points (more than 12 points below the minimum requirement), while the students from a private school scored 49.95 (only 5 points above the minimum requirement).

Should a private school guarantee a better education, in Pará (as with so many things) it is a bit different. The examinees of private schools from Pará, compared with the rest of the country, show up on the twentieth place, only seven states are worse. While public schools score the 11th place from below.

The figures from the Ministry of Education unfortunately do not show how many secondary public school students have met the minimum threshold of 45. At an average of 33.37 points, few students will be able to make the (subsidized) step towards a university, I'm afraid.

Photos: Matheus Aguiar and "Lula-protest': O Liberal
Source: O Liberal, Agência Brasil
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Graduate as Santa Claus

All the latest posts had a serious undertone. That’s not quite what "Brazil in Hot Pants" is all about, as it promised to involve a wink to the sometimes lofty Brazilian society with a hint of its beauties.
Hence this post about Papai Noël, as Santa Claus is called here. What have these “dirty old men” to do with Brazilian beauties? Well, Brazil should not be Brazil if Papai Noël did not have assistants, called Noeletes. Is Papai Noël required to be old and fat with a barreled belly, from the Noeletes is expected, that they are 18 years and ........ of course.
Scroll down and see for yourself.

As in several places in Brazil, Tijuca (Rio de Janeiro) is organizing a course that leads to qualified Santa Clauses. In four weeks time, the student is taught how to behave as Santa Claus.

"Ho ho ho, happy Christmas!" is the battle cry, which leaves, during this time of the year, almost certainly a beatific smile on the innocent faces of all children. But the words should sound well and a proper imitation of the famous smile of Santa Claus requires preparation. The course instructs candidates how to become 'the good old man’, to be able to work during the Christmas season in shopping malls and other areas.

The actor Silvio Ribeiro, 59 years, is responsible for one of the courses. In addition to the training for Papai Noël (Santa Claus), Mamãe Noël (Christmas mother) and of course Noeletes (assistants), he also recruits for the casting agency Claus Artistic Productions, which has 60 vacancies this year.

But it is not that simple to become a Santa Claus. There is a number of requirements. "First, he must like children. If the candidate has no patience with children, then he has no chance. He should not be chubby, but quite fat with a protruded belly, as well as lively and communicative (looks like he must be an old dirty male pseudo-pedophile). According to Ribeiro, children talk with Santa Claus as if they were old acquaintances.

During the course, the candidate Santa Claus receives tips how to tackle and circumvent idiotic questions from curious toddlers. The most difficult part of being a good Santa Claus is the hours and hours sitting in a chair, showing a slight smile, taking punches and pushes, a finger in the eye, in the mouth, pulling the beard, etc, etc, etc ... without showing any stress. Because Brazilian children are, as everywhere in the world, bloody nuisances.
Who succeeds and gets his diploma can win a temporary job. Employers offer a salary and expenses. For Papai Noël BRR 900 (USD 400), Mamâe Noël gets BRR 700 (USD 310, difference should exist) and a Noelete goes home with BRR 600 (USD 266), but for both Papai Noël and a Noelete this can rise to about BRR 3,000 (a good USD 1,330). For Mamãe Noel (logically) there is less interest.
The requirements for a Mamãe Noël are identical to Papai, so she should be chubby and lively. For a Noelete it is a bit different, she has to be at least 18 years, attractive and friendly. Many students transform into a Noelete during this month.

It is no surprise that the children are interested in Papai Noel and the fathers thereof prefer to ogle the Noeletes.

My favorite Noelete remains Sabina Sato.
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Why are the Russians present in Latin American waters?

In one of my previous diaries I wrote about the Bolivian crisis and Bolivia and Venezuela booting out the respective US ambassadors. This post is about what happened in the previous months, leading to the hateful relationship with the USA en the subsequent presence of the Russian fleet in the Latin American waters.

Having the US administration of Busch and Cheney in mind, the Latin American countries see in them the embodiment of the famous words of Frederick Douglas (1818 - 1895):
“There is not a nation of the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of these United States at this very hour.”

US decision to reactivate the 4th Fleet is a matter of concern
The decision of the United States Navy ‘out of the blue’ to re-establish the 4th Fleet in order to have a higher profile in Latin American and the Caribbean waters raised concern in the hemisphere. The 4th Fleet emerged in 1943 during World War II, with the aim of protecting navigation and fighting Nazi submarines. It was deactivated in 1950, after being considered unnecessary by the US military sector.

The Venezuelan and Bolivian governments condemned the US announcement that warships will set sail on Latin American and Caribbean waters as of July 1 and termed it an insult to regional sovereignty. In their opinion, the reactivation of the 4th Fleet may provoke chaos, disorder and violence, and divide nations.

And they were not the only ones, who saw the dangers. Among others President of the NGO France-Libertés Danielle Mitterrand warned against US coup plans. In a letter published by local media, the former first lady, widow of late French President Francois Mitterrand, demanded the current US government to adopt a clear position regarding the Latin American countries.

But spokespersons for the US Navy insisted on saying that the move "is administrative in nature" and does not imply a bigger military presence. While Washington claims that this new navy component will not have "a military purpose, but one of cooperation."

As from July 1, the 4th Fleet will be based in Mayport, Fla., while it will be responsible for more than 30 countries, covering 15.6 million square miles, focusing on the waters adjacent to Central and South America, the Caribbean Sea, its islands, the Gulf of Mexico and an area of the Atlantic Ocean.

Rumours claim that the 4th Fleet has appointed the new George H. W. Bush aircraft carrier and several submarines. The chief of the Southern Command, Adm. James Stavridis, reasserted that the unit "will have never an offensive possibility. It is a promise." (But we all know the value of a Busch/Cheney or for that matter a McCain/Palin promise)

According to the Southern Command, the 4th Fleet renewed operations accomplish five specific missions: responsiveness in the event of natural disasters, humanitarian operations, medical aid, antinarcotics efforts, and cooperation in environmental and technology matters.

However, Venezuelan authorities have doubts about the underlying intention of the move. They think that the United States government seeks to "scare" Latin American countries, as they move to the left, particularly Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Cuba, and more cautiously Brazil and Chile.

In Latin American view, the revival of the navy component is a threat, because the administration of President Bush uses humanitarian tasks to get valuable information in the theatre of operations, such as recognition, communications testing, and salinity testing.

Such assumptions have been dismissed by Adm. James Stavridis, who feels that "hardcore populism" does not endanger his country. "I think that in this region there are different ideas in terms of politics and economy. For the United States, they are democracy, free market, freedom, and human rights. There are other ideas in the region that compete with those, but they are not threats," he said in a recent interview with the Argentinean daily La Nación.

But the treats are there, fresh in everybody’s memory.
The by the USA in conjunction with Spain orchestrated coup d’état in 2002 against the democratic elected president Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and the recent (diplomatic) intervention in the election of Fernando Lugo as president of Paraguay and the “physical” intervention in the crisis in Bolivia, are sufficient reasons for the Latin American countries to look for some ‘heavy’ friend. You can’t blame them that they turn to Russia (and China) at a moment they obviously can’t trust their neighbour any more. Latin America might be seen in the USA as its back-yard, but as the US doesn’t take care of it properly and with honour, the owners of that ‘back-yard’ have to call upon a faraway ‘barrel-chested friend’.

And here we sit with the consequences of the reactivating of the 4th Fleet.

A new Cold War in Latin American waters?
Two Russian strategic bombers, Tupolev TU-160, landed a week ago 60 kilometres outside the Venezuelan capital Caracas, at the Libertador Air Base, to "carry out training flights" in the region, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence.
A few days before the arrival of the bombers Russia announced that it will dispatch a naval squadron to the Caribbean Sea and a spokesman for its navy, Igor Digalo, said that the vessels "will make a series of exercises, including joint manoeuvres, search and rescue operations, as well as telecommunication tests ", with its Venezuelan ally. The vessels would be the nuclear-powered cruiser "Piotr Veliki" (Peter the Great) and the anti-submarine frigate Admiral Chabanenko and probably anti-submarine aircraft."
"We want to calibrate our defence capacity with our strategic allies, and Russia is such an ally," Chavez said when the TU-160 arrived. Venezuelan Rear Admiral Salbatore Cammarata Bastidas said Venezuelan aircraft and submarines would be involved in manoeuvres with the Russians. "This is of great importance because it is the first time it is being done [in the Americas]," he said in a statement quoted by the AFP news agency and local media

Confirming the plans, Russian foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said it was not aimed against any third country.
(A same statement as the Americans have made. Who can we trust Bush/Cheney, McCain/Palin or Medvedev/Putin? Let's hope there is an Obama/Biden alternative, so the choice is hopefully more obvious).

Although Argentine and Brazil expressed their concern, Brazil downplayed the announcement, but denoted later that:
The Brazilian Navy will practise a fictitious war to protect the "Blue Amazon"
After discovering huge reserves of fossil oil before the Brazilian east coast, which might make Brazil the number one oil-country in the world, out manoeuvring Saudi Arabia, the Brazilian government, without doubt the reactivating of the US 4th Fleet in mind, launched vast military operations in the so-called "Blue Amazon", the 4.5 million square kilometres of Brazilian sea.

The combined navy and army manoeuvres simulate a war for control of the oil fields, pipelines and refineries on the coast of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo.
With more than 10 thousand operational armed forces and 17 vessels, 40 aircraft and just over 300 military vehicles, the officers expect that the exercises guarantee the security of the riches of the Brazilian sea.
"The 'Blue Amazon’ is as important as the ‘Green Amazon’. No more important, but as important," said Admiral Edlander Santos, commander of the manoeuvres.

During the manoeuvres, the "green country" - composed of Rio de Janeiro, north of Sao Paulo and parts of Minas Gerais and Goiás - will attack the "yellow country" - Bahia and Espirito Santo - to get control over the mega-rich oil fields of Petrover, a fictitious state-owned company of the "green country". The location of the manoeuvres is not random.

According to Admiral Edlander Santos, the manoeuvres also bring answers to any questions involving the defence of the area.
"Will we have the vessels and means to protect the 4.5 million square kilometres?" He asked. "Well let's find out."

The initiative to the presence of Russia in the Latin American waters is as a matter of fact the consequence of a US ‘invitation’.
For Thomas Gomart, analyst with the French Institute of International Relations, the sending of Russian military units "is a double investment for Moscow: increasingly questioning the hegemony of the United States and support for nationalization in the areas of energy”.

What were Busch and Cheney thinking when they ordered ‘out of the blue’ the reactivation of the 4th Fleet, without giving any information to its neighbours, not even its most solid ally, Brazil? What did they expect? Any reasonable thinking person could prophesise the reaction!

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Latin America moves a bit more to the left

After 61 years of centre-right hegemony of the Partido Colorado, of which the most infamous exponent was the dictator Alfredo Stroessner (1954-1989) and the last Óscar Nicanor Duarte Frutos who during his 5 year mandate executed a reasonable social-economic policy, we see (as I some time ago wrote in my post “The red rascals of Latin America”), now a clear move to the left after the conquest of the presidential elections in Paraguay last Sunday by Fernando Lugo, an ex-bishop and advocate of the liberation theology.
With more than 80% of the 2,8 million votes counted, of which 40,17% in his favour and leading his closest opponent, Bianca Ovelar, an ex-minister of education, with almost 10% Lugo claimed the victory.

The today 56 year old Lugo became a Roman Catholic priest in 1977 and was during 5 years a missionary in Ecuador, where he came in contact with the liberation theology. As bishop in Paraguay he supported the impoverished small farmers in their struggle against the large landowners.
According to the New York Times it is however a debatable question whether Lugo can be president. The constitution of Paraguay prohibits ecclesiastical officers to fulfil politic functions. After Fernando Lugo voluntarily resigned and proclaimed his political ambitions Christmas 2006, Rome officially refused to accept his resignation. The NYT reports that the Vatican never has honoured the resignation, but other sources consider this proposition a non-issue, as Lugo himself has abandoned the priesthood, but still it might lead to some constitutional lawsuit.

Having been candidate for the “Aliança Patriótica para a Mudança” (Patriotic Alliance for Change), Lugo has the support of social movements, centre and left wing political parties and the Partido Liberal Radical Autêntico (PLRA), the right wing radical liberal party.
This alliance is a bit strange, as the Partido Liberal, the second largest party in the country, is typical right wing conservative and always has been in the opposition, at the other hand the other parties are left wing socialistic and are heavenly supported by small farmer movements. This might arise some problems when Lugo starts to shape his government.
But the ex-bishop must have an extensive experience beating up against the wind regarding his proclaimed liberation theology and at the same time being a priest of the ultra right orthodox and very conservative Roman Catholic Church, which always choose the wealthy side of society in particular in countries as Paraguay. The Church still paints the liberation theology as a Marxist movement

When he announced his candidacy for the presidency his rivals put him in one line with the leftist leaders that emerged in Latin America over the last few years. They did not compare him with moderate social-democrats as Michelle Bachelet of Chile and Lula of Brazil, but with Hugo Chavez or Rafael Correa, the leftist president of Ecuador and now Lugo is definitively the last one in the line of acting leftist oriented presidents in Latin America, where Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay leaded the way.

The new president faces an almost impossible task to solve the large variety of problems within a mandate of 5 years (the constitution does not allow re-election). First of all, there is the corruption. Since the dictatorial reign of General Alfredo Stroessner, Paraguay has been transformed into one of the most corrupt countries of Latin America. As a consequence more than 33% of the populace lives below the poverty level. He has to honour his promises to the poor small farmers to regulate a more honest division of the available land, which certainly will face heavy opposition of the large landowners. And on top of all that, he will not have any money available to execute his plans, as the budget is tied up and all important and less important public offices are controlled by Partido Colorado supporters.
Putting it as priority number one during his election period Lugo has to find a solution for the dispute with his neighbour Brazil, regarding the power plant of Itaipu. Lugo wants to renegotiate the price Brazil is paying for the energy supplied by this bi-national power plant. The hydro-electrical power plant in Itaipu is located at the border of the two countries and belongs to neither of them. Both countries could claim 50% of the generated energy, but Brazil consumes 90% as Paraguay does not need more than 10%. Lugo argues that Brazil is paying too low a price for the energy, which belongs to the Paraguayan part, but is purchased by Brazil. If there will be no new agreement and the energy supply will be interrupted a large part of the industrial park of São Paulo (responsible for 35% of Brazilian’s GNP) will come to a stand still.

That the issue is of high priority might be concluded from the fact that shortly after the ballot boxes closed and the first polls indicated a victory for Lugo, the daily ABC Color, the most important paper in the country, came with an article stating that the first priority of the new government should be the renegotiation of the Itaipu-contract.

Albeit Lula is ideologically close to Lugo, the two have steered clear one from the other for a long time, but the coming days should intensify the contact, in spite of Lula’s public statement that it is unthinkable to renegotiate Itaipu. A second Paraguayan-Brazilian war is of course out of the question and what is Brazilian natural leadership of Latin America worth, if it is not willing to help an impoverished neighbour.

photo's: Reuters
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Cellulite – Brazilian Coffee is the answer

With the winter season in the northern hemisphere changing to springtime, women might have a look at their sisters in the southern hemisphere where the summer comes slowly to an end. With the sunshine in front of us the female occupant of this globe starts to dream about light summer clothing and beach parties to be enjoyed in bikinis. Typically for this period of the year and insurmountably women start to visualize their beautifully shaped legs and bums without the hated cellulites. I read somewhere: “Open just about any women's magazine and you'll find ads for anti-cellulite creams that promise to reduce the spongy, dimply, cottage cheese-looking skin that causes distress to so many women.”

Massage-therapeutics in Brazil developed new technologies in the battle against cellulites. They use coffee to eliminate the accumulated fat. I take it for granted that I haven’t to explain the word cellulites, but nevertheless for the male readers who have to suppress their disgust seeing female beauty endangered by cellulites, here is the definition: Cellulite is a disruption of the subcutaneous tissue, characterized by vertical spaces, in which fat is stored used for energy. Cellulite occurs when the connective tissue between the fat-spaces en the skin becomes thinner.

The Brazilian anti-cellulites massage is executed with great force in the areas where the fat molecules are concentrated, after the massage the areas will be rubbed with a product based on Brazilian coffee. Beneath the fact that the fat concentrations are broken down the coffee extract is able to penetrate deeply in the skin which stimulates the disliked and undesired dimples to go away. The caffeine activates the micro circulation of the skin, performing as a fortifier and bodily hydration.
“The massage performed with coffee gives a very efficacy result, as not only the accumulated fat will be eliminated, but it will hydrate the skin as well.” says Mariana Alves Corrêa, owner of the Otris Spa Urbano in Rio de Janeiro. For R$ 140 (USD 80 or € 55)) will she rub coffee on your body for 60 minutes. Evidently, the image which goes with this post, is the result of Mariana Alves coffee-massage.

The “red rascals” of Latin America

As Europe is moving to the right and the USA have had an atrocious conservative government over the last 7 years, Latin America after years of conservative and military regimes is moving in the opposite, between left wing democracies and leftist totalitarian regimes.

After the disorderly, but still not accomplished farewell of the socialist and communist regimes in Europe at the end of the 20^th century, we see a rebirth of leftists with an identical philosophy but a more professional agenda concentrating upon the salvation of the society and an honest distribution of wealth. The phenomenon of populism: “the saviours of the nation” have risen, but they don’t show the typical features of the left wing regimes, crumbled in Europe and China, but instead are giving hope to the Latin American.
In the US an even moderate socialist is often referred to as a communist. In Europe with its century long labour movements even the most leftist socialist is not seen as a rascal. In general, with a few exceptions, even the extreme socialist in Latin American is equal to a moderate democrat in the US and a left wing centrist in Europe.

Let’s, before we evaluate the “red rascals” of Latin America and the policies they stand for, have a close look at them. Here they come: Chile, Brazil, Venezuela, Paraguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay and Argentina.

Chile - Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria (29 Sept, 1951) is a central-left politician and the first female president of Chile. With 53,5% of the popular vote she defeated her contender the central-right billionaire Sebastián Piñera. She is a surgeon and, being the daughter of an, by Pinochet murdered air force general, who in the Allende-administration was responsible for food distribution, studied military strategy. She is a polyglot, speaking Spanish, English, French, German and Portuguese. A moderate socialist. Her administration consists of 10 males and 10 females.

Brazil - Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (27 Oct 1945) has been elected in 2002 with 61% of the popular vote in the second round. Regarding his roots his policy should have been leftist even touching communistic behaviour. Elected as the most left winged Brazilian president since João Goulart, his policy, however, is soft social-democratic. Lula received little or no education. He left school as a four-grader and started his professional life as shoeshine boy and street vendor. When he was 14 years old he entered his first official job in the copper industry. Finally Lula went back to school and graduated college. For years he was one of the most militant labour union leaders.

Venezuela - Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (28 July 954) is president since 1999. Known for his socialistic policy, his opposition to neo-liberalism and his hostility to president George W. Bush of the USA. The changes he implemented in his country are called the Bolívarian Revolution. He was educated at the military academy and graduated in applied military sciences. He finished his studies at the Simón Bolívar University. In 1998 with 56% of the popular vote he was elected president. Never before had so many people cast their vote. Chávez is very popular and how he yet lost his last referendum is another and different story. He is number five on a list of the most sexy men of Venezuela.

Paraguay - Óscar Nicanor Duarte Frutos (11 Oct 1956) is president since 2003, the first non-catholic president. Son of a police officer and a seamstress, he is since his 14^th member of the same political party as his father, the Asociación Nacional Republicana (Partido Colorado), the most important and powerful in the country. Duarte Frutos is a lawyer, philosopher, journalist and professor in sociology. He studied at the Universidad Nacional de Asunción and at Universidad Católica de Asunción. Minister of Education from 1993 to 2003. Although he is member of a conservative political party, he adheres a left wing policy, in stark contrast to his predecessors.

Bolivia - Juan Evo Morales Ayma (26 Oct. 1959) is a Bolivian peasant leader, politician and since 2006 president of Bolivia, one of the poorest countries of Latin America. Morales is the leader of the progressive Bolivian “cocalero”-movement, a loose federation of coca planters scraping a living off a small plot of land in the province Chapare in south-east Bolivia. He is also a leader of the political party Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS). He is the first native president in the Bolivian history.
Morales was lamaherd, musician and worked as coca planter, became labour activist and was with 70% of the votes elected in congress in 1997. Evo Morales is famous for the simple clothes he is always wearing.

Ecuador - Rafael Correa (6 April 1963) is a politician of left signature. Jan. 15, 2007 he was sworn in as the new president after defeating his contender, the banana billionaire Álvaro Noboa.
Correa studied economy at the University of Guayaquil (Ecuador), the Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium) and the University of Illinois (USA). In April 2005 he became minister of finance and economy in the government of Alfredo Palacio but left office after 4 months realising he could not implement his economic plans. Correa’s economic reforms centre on the combat on poverty and the promotion of more national economic independence.

Uruguay - Tabaré Ramón Vázquez Rosas (17 Jan 1940) is a Uruguayan politician and president since 2005. He is the first socialistic president of Uruguay and is member of the Frente Amplio (Wide Left Front), the most important leftist coalition of the country. He won the elections with 50,45% of the popular votes in the first round.
Born in the neighbourhood of the capital Montevideo Vásquez studied medicines at the Universidad de la República. He specialised in oncology.

Argentina - Cristina Elisabet Fernández Wilhelm de Kirchner (19 Febr.1953). She won the presidential elections with 45,29% of the popular votes and with a 22% margin on her rival, securing the nomination without the need for a second round. Cristina Fernández studied law at the National University of La Plata. She is, as is her husband the former Argentinean president, member of the peronistic political party Partido Justicialista (the largest within the peronistic movement). She started as member of the Young Peronistas, whose left radicalism was suppressed vigorously by the military junta. Before elected to president she was a senator for the province of Buenos Aires. Cristina promoted strongly the woman rights and the persecution of persons who misbehaved during the military junta from 1976 till 1983.

All presidents oppose fiercely any interference of the USA in domestic affairs, which all countries in one way or another, have faced in the past, as the USA always have been regarding Latin America as their backyard. They regard the US proposals for a free trade zone with scepticism and criticise the meddlesomeness of the Worldbank and the IMF. The most moderate is Verónica Bachelet of Chile and the fiercest is Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.

Please note, the high percentages with which they won the elections and almost always in the first round. Note also the qualifications of the opponents.

In spite of all these democratically elected left wing presidents the conservative movement and power have not been eliminated. Let’s listen to Manoel Horacio Franscisco da Silva - President of Banco Fator – in his opinion populist governments tend to perpetrate seven social sins: policy without principles, wealth without work, well-being without conscience, education without character, business without ethics, science without humanity and religion without sacrifice.
As you see the conservatives have a lot to learn.

What ever the case, never forget that the progress started by these left wing governments is in no way synonym for red rascals, communists, socialists, terrorists, or what ever name the conservative right wing likes to call them. Never forget that a Latin American leftist government never even approaches the basics of the original and faded governments of Eastern Europe. They are not more to the left (sometimes even more moderate) than the conventional central-left political parties in Europe, Labour in the UK and the Democrats or Independents in the US. They are certainly not red rascals and certainly not a danger to the western economic powers.

It is obvious that the Latin American people are following the progress in the American elections with great interest. The future of the inter-American relations will be defined by how the changes in Cuba will be handled by the new US president.