Adventures of a Gringa

Guest Post: Where is Juan?

Today's guest post comes from Micaela, an acquaintance of mine from the New York - Rio connection who recently started a blog about Rio de Janeiro. After reading my recent post about crime statistics in Rio, she commented that people reported as disappeared don't factor into murder statistics, which are likely much higher. She went on to write the following post, which she kindly offered as a guest post here.

Where is Juan?

Twelve days ago, 11 year-old Juan Moraes, a resident of the low-income Rio suburb of Nova Iguaçu, disappeared during a confrontation with the military police (PM). As of yet, the government-led investigation has failed to locate the young boy, who is now feared dead. Although it will be nearly impossible to prove without a body, many claim the boy was assassinated in cold blood by the PMs.

On June 20th, PMs invaded the comunidade of Danon, in Nova Iguaçu. Juan was last seen during during a confrontation between police and residents, in which his 14 year-old brother Weslley was wounded by PM gunshots. Another young man, 19 year-old Wanderson, was also gravely injured by bullets as he was walking home from the candy store where he had worked for over a year. Both Weslley and Wanderson were hospitalized for their wounds, and discharged several days later.

After recovering, Weslley testified that immediately before he went unconscious, he saw Juan's body on the ground in a nearby beco (narrow alley). He confirmed that the boy had taken a bullet.

Later, Juan's mother Rosineia identified a bloody sandal recovered by criminal investigators as Juan's, and declared that she believes her son is no longer alive. "That's my sandal, which I let Juan use," cried Rosineia. "I didn't have money to buy him a pair, so he was using mine."

Further evidence corroborating the probable assassination of Juan by the invading PMs emerged on the 28th, when 5 PM vehicles present during the operation in Nova Iguaçu underwent a luminol examination. At least one of the vehicles presented "streaks of blood", and is being tested to confirm that the blood is human. However, director of the Carlos Eboli Institute of Criminology, Sergio Henriques, says it will take at least a week to carry out the tests.

Meanwhile, following a series of threats, Juan's family has entered into the witness protection program at the suggestion of Federal Deputy Marcelo Freixo (PSOL).

Just this morning, the press announced that Juan's family - temporarily in a secret location under government watch - will permanently leave Nova Iguaçu, the neighborhood in which they have always lived. The family cited threats already received and "fear of retaliation" as their primary motive for fleeing their hometown.

Unfortunately, the progression of the Juan case - like so many other "disappearance" investigations - is likely being hindered by a number of factors, the most obvious of which would be a cover-up attempt by the PMs involved. Although Secretary of Public Security Jose Beltrame has confirmed that the PMs present at the Nova Iguaçu confrontation have been temporarily dismissed, many questions remain regarding their involvement. Although the media does not specify the source of the threats made against Juan's family, it does not take big leap of faith to conclude that those responsible for the threats are also responsible for Juan's "disappearance."

Disappearances such as Juan's are common in Rio de Janeiro. So common, in fact, that few batted an eyelash when a body recovered by investigators on Wednesday turned out to be that of another missing child. There was no media mention of whether another homicide investigation would be launched to ID the body that was found.

Rio de Janeiro's public security forces and politicians point to declining homicide rates as evidence that the police pacifying units (UPPs) and anti-corruption measures are working to produce a safer state. While homicide statistics do indicate that there has been an overall decrease in murders, what the statistics will not tell you is that "disappearances" - such as Juan's - are not included in the data. Examining the data provided by the Institute for Public Security reveals a homicide incidence of 29, 573 for the period of 2007-2011. The number of people officially registered as "missing persons" was 22,533 for the same period. It's probably fair to assume that the majority of these 22,533 are now dead, and that many were the victims of homicide. In other words, if missing persons were included in homicide statistics, Rio could be looking at a homicide rate of nearly twice what the Institute of Public Security reports.

Sadly, the attention that Juan's case has received is the exception, not the rule. Most such "disappearances" will never be reported, never investigated, and never solved.

Micaela is currently living in Rio, and has spent a total of three years there working for various NGOs. After graduating from Johns Hopkins with a major in Latin American Studies, she's now working on her Master's in international development at Tulane. She writes Rio Outside-In.

Guest Post: Criticism with Love

One of the things that most irritates Brazilians is criticism from foreigners, something I've written about extensively and something that every foreigner in Brazil will always encounter. While suspicion of foreign intervention and dislike of foreign criticism is deeply ingrained, and while it has become something of a knee-jerk reaction to dismiss the "gringo metido," I always like to stress that there is a big difference in where the criticism is coming from. If it's from someone who knows almost nothing about Brazil, the kind of person who says, "Brazil will never be ready for the World Cup," or "Brazil is really dangerous," without any kind of actual facts or infomration to back them up, then irritation is certainly warranted. But when criticism comes from someone who knows a lot about Brazil, someone who lives or lived there and actively follows current events and geniunely loves the country as if it was his or her own, it's another story. We have a lot to say because we care, and we feel a vested interest in seeing positive change. Such is the case with me, but also with many of my gringo readers.

One reader is Adam, a former missionary and jack of all trades who spent several years living in Brazil, whose dream is to move back and work on social development projects. He wrote an interesting piece in his blog, Igneous Quill, that I think is not only very astute, but a perfect example of someone who genuinely seeks solutions for a place he loves. He was kind enough to let me share it, so here it is.

What Keeps Brazil Back - Adam Gonnerman

The few years I lived in Brazil were both wonderful and frustrating. Wonderful because of the people I was with and the experiences we shared, frustrating because of the systemic problems that put a drag on the ability of people to get ahead in life.  By the time I left Brazil and began my exile of sorts here in the United States I had distilled my explanation of Brazil’s systemic failure down to three points: centralism, collectivism and positivism.  Despite Brazil being one of the “BRIC” nations and considered an emerging economy, this nation has a lot of reform to do before its true potential can be released. And by “reform” I mean “simplication.”

First, there’s centralism. The entire tax structure of Brazil is centralized. It’s actually called a “tribute system,” and municipal and state taxes are collected and funneled to the national capital, Brasilia. Control of so much money concentrated in one place assures that there will me massive corruption. The Brazilian federal government is unarguably too big, with far too many employees on the payroll.  Most of these keep their full pay and benefits after retirement. It has been argued that such a tribute system is necessary to sustain the poorer states, and that Rio and Sao Paulo serve as the “economic engines” of the country. I say, drop the excessive and unnecessary rules and you’ll see people in those poorer states put their creativity to good work.

Read the rest of the post after the jump.

Guest Posts

I'm taking a little blog break for the Thanksgiving holiday, so I just wanted to take the opportunity to put a call out for guest posts! If it's Brazil related, I'm interested! I don't accept every submission, and I prefer new posts to already published posts, but I will definitely link to your blog or site of your choice if I publish your post. I also accept posts in Portuguese. Submissions can be sent to: riogringaconsult at gmail dot com.

I'll be back next Monday with all new adventures I'm excited to write about, so stay tuned.

Busted in Copacabana

One of my fellow Latin America-philes was kind enough to write a guest post about a huge Colombian drug kingpin bust in Rio. Brazil has become a major transshipment point for cocaine in the Americas, and big time dealers seem to have even lived in Brazil without much of a hassle--until recently. Joint task forces and Federal Police operations have managed to bring not one but two Colombian drug kingpins down in Brazil, the most recent one in one of Rio's most famous playgrounds.

Narco Arrested in Copacabana

One of Colombia’s most wanted drug barons was arrested while leaving his apartment on the afternoon of April 16.

The apartment wasn't a luxurious residence hidden in the hills outside Medellin or Cali. Nor was it a multimillion-dollar apartment in downtown Bogotá.

It was the intersection of Rua Hilário de Gouveia and Avenida Atlantida on Copacabana beach. A joint task force consisting of three different Brazilian anti-crime organizations and collaboration from the United States’ Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) arrested Nestor Ramon Caro Chapparo, aka “Felipe”, in one Rio's most famous neighborhoods. The US Department of State was offering up to US $5 million for Caro Chapparo’s arrest. 

It’s the second high-profile bust of a Colombian drug trafficker in one week that occurred outside of Colombia. Ramon Quintero, a suspected leader of the Norte del Valle Cartel, was arrested in a bakery in an upscale neighborhood in northern Quito, Ecuador, on April 13. Like Caro Chapparo, the US State Department was willing to pay up to US $5 million for information leading to Quintero's arrest.

However, unlike Quintero, who was a leader of one of Colombia’s most powerful cartels, authorities believe that Caro Chapparo was largely an independent trafficker, who likely used his connections with the former members of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) to facilitate the transportation of thousands of kilograms of cocaine to the United States, as well as West Africa and Europe via various points along the Brazilian coast.

The timing of Caro Capparo’s arrest occurs within the same week that a Defense Cooperation Agreement between Brasilia and Washington in “defense related matters” and “cooperation in any other military fields that may be of mutual interest to the Parties”.

Although the deal doesn’t specifically call out monitoring drug trafficking, it is likely implied. The US State Department recognizes Brazil, particularly Sao Paulo, as a cocaine export corridor for US and European bound cocaine. 

The arrest of Caro Chapparo highlights Brazil’s relevance as a port of exit for drugs bound for the US and Europe. Caro Chapparo was not the first to fall. In August 2007, Brazilian authorities arrested Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia, another Norte del Valle leader, in Aldeia da Serra in Greater Sao Paulo. Though the local market, which Veja says is dominated by Bolivian cocaine, exists in Brazil, the presence of internationally wanted suspects such as Caro Chapparo shows that it is Brazil's geographic location, not population, that attracts international drug traffickers.

At the local level, a lethal confrontation between Police and gang members in an attempted bust of a leading trafficker in Vila Alianza on April 20 that left five dead offers a chilling reminder that men like Capo Chapparo are the exception, not the rule, in drug-related arrests and attempted arrests in Brazil.

Eliot Brockner is a Rio Gringa reader. He writes at LatAmThought.

How to Marry a Gringo in Brazil

I've met some really amazing people, on and offline through my blog, and Mallory and Henrique are some of my favorites. Mallory, an American, recently married Henrique, a Paulista, in Brazil, and she was kind enough to put together a guest post on what it takes for a foreigner to marry in Brazil, inspired by my K-1 visa series. She also wrote a very sweet post about her wedding day on her blog, which you can read here. Hopefully, her guide will be helpful to foreigners looking to marry their Brazilian partners in Brazil, be it to settle in Brazil or before moving to other countries on spouse visas. The process is a bit tricky and requires quite a bit of paperwork, so it's useful to get an overview before you jump in.

Without further ado, here is a guide to getting in married in Brazil.

Guide to Foreign Marriage in Brazil 

Rachel began her K-1 visa how-to guide with the opening line, “So you fell in love with a Brazilian”, which uncannily happens to be our step one here for Mallory's Guide to the Obsessive Compulsive Process that is Marriage in Brazil as well. However, unlike in the U.S. where you immigrate first and then marry, in Brazil you marry first and then immigrate. Sounds so much easier than the humiliatingly long and expensive process with the USCIS, does it not? To be honest, I was expecting it to be snap. My thoughts were: marriage has often historically been abused to gain a green card in the U.S., but what are the statistics of an American buying a residency in Brazil through a scam marriage? What a breeze, I thought, all I have to do is say I do. Wrong. Don't let the Brazilian stereotype fool you; there is nothing simple nor laid-back about Brazilian bureaucracy. It is apparent that the words unnecessary and detail were born in this country. Did I cry? Only once. But the consular officer (known as the Michigan Man) at the Sao Paulo Consulate put it best at my final visit—All this to get married? He better be worth it. A great reminder that it really is all worth it, because a life in Brazil with my best friend is more than worth it. So take a breath, and go.

Read the full post after the jump.

Guest Post: The Lost Gringo Trick

Ernesto, the Brazil Boricua, a blog friend who writes Zero Tres, was nice enough to let me use one of his posts for a guest post here. He and I have had similar experiences in Brazil, and I have found that as much as I hated doing this, it works really well, especially when I most needed help. So I give you: the lost gringo trick.

Papo de gringo perdido

A lot of foreigners in Brazil are bumbling idiots. They don’t speak Portuguese (or they try to get by with Spanish), they don’t know the culture, they are naive and carefree while on vacation.

No offense to anyone in particular; I was like that back in 2004. But time passes and you learn. And one thing I’ve learned is that, when necessary, I can play the role of bumbling idiot. Play up to the stereotype that Brazilians expect, and thus Brazilians help me out.

It can be as simple as picking batata doce at the supermarket. I have no fucking clue how to pick batata doce and macaxeira and inhame. Simple: just exaggerate the accent, and ask the old lady: “É bom?“. She’ll ask if you’re a gringo, you’ll answer “sim” with a thick accent, and she will proceed to select the best available vegetables for you. You can almost see the mental *sigh* as she smiles and thinks “coitado do gringo“. (If you’re a female, try the young, male supermarket employees.)

It’s fantastic.

It’s also worked with Brazil’s Department of Transportation (DETRAN). Before I had my Brazilian driver’s license I would always show my Puerto Rican driver’s license, plus my passport, and exaggerate the accent. “Oh, I can’t drive? Really? Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” No fine, no fuss, no breathalyzer test. Free to go. They wave me on as they think to themselves “coitado do gringo“.

Once in Maranhão I was offered a pousada for R$85 (“oitenta-e-cinco”); I took out R$35 (“trinta-e-cinco”) and handed it over. “Oh no,” the owner said, now with hand gestures, “oitenta-e-cinco“. So I apologize (because my Portuguese is obviously very poor and I must have misunderstood); I put the money back in my pocket and begin to walk away. “But,” he says, “no, it’s ok. You are alone. R$85 is for a couple.” It’s low season, and the pousada is empty, so why would he let me walk away? I smile and hand over the R$35, thinking that if it was indeed R$85 for a couple then it should be R$42.50 for a single. I may have just saved R$7.50 or R$50 without even negotiating. But how much I saved doesn’t matter; I’m happy, because the lost, confused, misunderstood gringo persona worked again.

It’s not all personal benefit; it also helps in uncomfortable situations too. For example, I don’t like pointing out when someone gives me the incorrect change, and the “bumbling idiot gringo” persona helps. You simply look at the change you received, with a confused look on your face, and ask (with a thick accent, of course) “Quanto?“. It’s a nice way of saying: “You are either trying to rip me off, or you failed math class.” But the Brazilian smiles, counts and corrects the mistake.

It’s the “papo de gringo perdido” ©. No matter how many years I live here, no matter how well I know the country, there will always be a situation when playing up to the stereotype will have its advantages.

-Ernesto

Guest Post: There's Plenty More Forest to Cut Down

Cristiano, the author of Casagrande blog and the guy behind the Brazilians Twitter account, wrote this about his encounter with a logger in Rio Grande do Sul.

Ainda tem muito mato, leva uns 50, 60 anos para a Amazônia acabar

Hoje pela manhã fui ao centro da cidade onde moro, no Rio Grande do Sul, e enquanto aguardava para ser atendido acompanhei uma conversa que me chamou a atenção.

Um rapaz, aparentando 20 anos de idade, contava como era o seu dia-a-dia na Amazônia. Pelo sotaque deduzi que era daqui mesmo. Gaúcho na Amazônia não é difícil de descobrir a profissão. A maioria são militares, criadores de gado ou madeireiros.

Não me contive e peguntei:

- Você é militar?

- Não, trabalho em uma madeireira.

- Madeira certificada? - questionei não acreditando no que havia acabado de perguntar.

- Sim - respondeu desviando o olhar.

- Porque o IBAMA certifica a madeira legal na Amazônia, certo? - continuei

- Ninguém trabalha certinho na Amazônia - interrompeu ele - quando os fiscais do IBAMA chegam todos os madeireiros param até eles irem embora.

- E para onde vai a madeira de vocês? - quis saber, curioso.

- Exportação. A 1ª linha para Europa, 2ª linha para os Estados Unidos.

- Não fica nada no Brasil? - continuei, surpreso.

- Só a madeira com muita imperfeição, que não tem como tirar os nódulos.

- Entendi. - concluí, percebendo que ele não estava disposto a continuar a entrevista.

Continuei acompanhando a conversa do rapaz com outra pessoa, com quem não tinha constrangimento em falar sobre o assunto.

"As notícias nos jornais são exageradas. O povo acha que o IBAMA está sempre lá fazendo apreensões e multando. Tem madeireiros que tem milhões em multa, mas a vida deles é essa, não vão pagar essas multas nunca."

"Falam que a Amazônia vai terminar. Ainda tem muito mato, leva uns 50, 60 anos para a Amazônia acabar."

A conversa era interessante nesta história onde pistoleiros e madeireiros eram os personagens principais enquanto governo e polícia eram coadjuvantes e eventuais.

Neste momento, precisei sair. Despedi-me de todos, olhei para ele e vi que desviou o olhar. Estava claro que não tinha constragimento para falar sobre isso com os demais, mas parecia saber que não podia confiar em mim.

See original post for photos of logging in the Amazon.