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LEIA EM PORTUGUÊS
Brazil’s biggest oil auction has exposed the government’s concern to ensure surplus goes directly to public accounts >> Pages 4 and 5
LONDON EDITION Nov 5th - 18 th 2013
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Director Paulo Henrique Fontenelle speaks about his new film which investigates the mysterious death of João Gulart >> Pages 8 and 9
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NEXT STOP: BRAZIL As Brazil shows what it has to offer at the 34th World Travel Market in London, Brasil Observer reports on the country’s expectations to attract tourists to the 2014 World Cup and Rio 2016 >> Pages 10 and 11
photo divulgation Embratur
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IN FOCUS Black Blocs and repression
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BRASILIANCE Auction to ensure positive accounts
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BRAZIL IN UK Science without Borders: First impressions
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UK IN BRAZIL
LONDON EDITION Nov 5th - 18 th 2013 EXPEDIENT
UK seeks Brazilian entrepreneurs
EDITOR - CHIEF
08 09
PROFILE Paulo Henrique Fontinelle: ‘We have done our part’
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FRONT PAGE Brazil shows itself in London for the tourism sector
ana toledo ana@brasilobserver.co.uk
EDITORS
guilherme reis guilherme@brasilobserver.co.uk kate rintoul kate@brasilobserver.co.uk
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PUBLIC RELATIONS
CONECTANDO
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CONTRIBUTORS
BRASIL OBSERVER GUIDE
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ON THE ROAD TO WORLD CUP Fans paying the price for Brazil 2014 Who’s going to the party?
Conectando projetc proposes an experience of ‘glocal’ communication
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E D I T O R I A L
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16 -17 CAPA 18 GRINGO`S VIEW 19 - NINETEEN EIGHTFOUR 20 - 21 TRAVEL 22 GOING OUT 23 COOL HUNTER 24 MIND & SOUL 25 FOOD
WELCOME TO THE BRASIL OBSERVER By Ana Toledo – ana@brasilobserver.co.uk
How to re-brand ourselves while staying true to the spirit and energy that we have created over two years. This was the challenge we have faced over the last few months, until today when we can finally present the Brasil Observer. The new publication has emerged as a culmination of the hard work, ideas and determination of our collaborators who built a strong team during their days at The Brazilian Post. The new paper marks a change through the launch of the new visual identity and structural changes that protect our independence, the intellectual property of our team and most of all our intention to show Brazil as a dynamic, creative innovator to the world. We chose Brazil with “S” as a subtle means of showing who we are and what we propose. The team at Brasil Observer are Brazilian, English and European who share a desire to connect their realities to improve a global insight. To build a contemporary media business, we organised ourselves as a cooperative, that is full recognised by UK legislation as an independent limited company. Taking this step forward was only possible with the support of our
contributors, who believe in the strength of our ideas. In order to better understand these concepts and our way of working, I invite you to read the varied content prepared for this first edition of the Brasil Observer. You will see that the new format features more double pages that provide more engaging information and enhance the journalistic work. We have also reformulated and created new pages. This includes the launch of the new ‘In Focus’ section that brings together top stories from Brazilian and international press. To emphasise the connection between Brazil and the United Kingdom, pages 6 and 7 now feature stories that highlight this growing partnership. Our ‘Conectando’ project has also gained space in the printed edition, with an introduction on page 14. With an awareness of the importance of journalistic relevance and that printed journalism can only be sustained by editorial quality along with fresh perspectives, we invite you to be part of this story. You can keep in contact with us through social networks www.facebook.com/brasilobserver and www.twitter. com/brasilobserver and see more news and analysis at www.brasilobserver.co.uk.
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IN FOCUS
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Black Blocs and repression By Guilherme Reis
Among the diverse political agencies that came to the forefront during Brazil’s wave of demonstrations in June, one group who have received the most amount of attention have been the Black Blocs, who are a new fixture in Brazilian activism. Though instead of bringing positive change, any mention of this name is already being met with harsh comments of disapproval. The actions of the “masked Brazilians” have created a dangerous split and have led to calls from a huge percentage of society for the government to make a significant response by the military apparatus of the State. A recent Datafolha survey showed that 95% of the residents of the city of São Paulo do not agree with the actions or tactics of the Black Blocs. These figures suggest that, for most people, they are nothing more than troublemakers who’s only aim is to disturb the peace of Brazilians who wake up at 5am and spends, beyond three hours to get to and from work, paying up to a third of their salary to do so, just to get by. Here, it is good to remember that arguing against increases in travel fares is one of the causes of the Black Blocs, some might even argue that the real injustice here is the abusive price of transportation imposed by companies in large cities that still have wholly inadequate infrastructure. However in practice, it seems that most of people do not agree with this, believing it is up to the Military Police to end the “riot”, without realising that this will widen the gap between the level of police intervention, as ultimately Brazilian society rejects the actions of the masked ones. It should not be treated as mere coincidence that two adolescents were shot by police officers on the outskirts of São Paulo, just days after images showed masked protesters hitting another police officer in the city centre. While I am not for one moment condoning attacks on police, I simply wish to bring attention to the fact that in instances like this, the violence of one group (the from Military Police on behalf of the State) is being directly compared to that of the so-called vandals. It is worth asking if the actions are proportionate, in addition to looking at how the tactics of the Black Blocs might have contributed to effective change.
Dilma and Merkel unite against spies In response to accusations of widespread international espionage conducted by the National Security Agency of the United States (NSA), Brazil and Germany sent a proposal to the UN demanding for a resolution against the invasion of privacy. Within this text, the two countries demanded guarantees for data protection in digital communications; measures for the cessation to violations of the right to privacy (including the adaptation of national legislation); a review of procedures currently adopted; the establishment of national mechanisms for monitoring espionage activities and the increase of transparency in the communications field. After Dilma Rousseff’s tough speech at the UN in which she lambasted the practices of the NSA, it was Angela Merkel who had the most forceful response to the latest revelations that the agency monitored her phone and those of other European leaders. However some think Merkel’s outward criticism is nothing more than an act to please her electorate, as the same documents released by former US intelligence office Eduard Snowden showed that the German secret service, along with other corresponding agencies in the UK, France, Spain and Sweden works in collaboration with the NSA. So perhaps Dilma should try and find out if Brazil also part of the spy network?
Press in the UK Following the phone hacking scandal and Leveson inquiry, the Advisory Council of the Queen of England has enacted a new system of press regulation that includes the creation of an agency and another ombudsman with expanded powers and fines of more than £ 1 million for violating the code of ethics. The new system, which was based on consensus by the UK’s three main political parties, replaces the Press Complaints Commission, which has been repeatedly criticised in relation to a series of scandals over the last two decades, though many notable journalists and editors have voiced their opposition to the new rules.
Members of the Black Bloc in Rio de Janeiro. The group’s actions have made the international media question the security system for the World Cup
Photo: Agência Brasil
in Argentina ... The Supreme Court of Argentina has created constitutional rules and regulations for the country’s press with the introduction of the new Law of Media. Some points were opposed by Clarin, the largest media group in the country as the new Law states that the group will need to dispose of significant parts of its business. For example, Clarín currently owns 237 licenses relating to cable TV, however the maximum limit established by the new law is 24, the company also provides TV services to 58% of the population, when the new limit set out I the law is just 35%.
... and in Brazil Any attempt to advance debates on the democratisation of the media is treated as a threat to press freedom and free expression by the major mass media, with critics citing opposition in the UK and Argentina to try and prove their point, without clarifying the broader national topic. The proposed Popular Law Initiative of Democratic Media has not been widely supported outside of the progressive leftwing, who have also been the driving force in pressing the government to approve the Internet Civil Law which sets out network neutrality.
GIVE US YOUR OPINION
What do you think about the issues raised in these articles? Write to contato@ brasilobserver.co.uk with your comments relating to one of the stories and your opinion could be published on this page in our next edition, on 19h November.
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BRASILIANCE PRE-SALT
Following a major auction last month, the Brazilian government will sign a contract with a consortium of major oil companies that will extract oil from the pre-salt field of Libra. According to the auction rules, the consortium will have to pay the Brazilian Government a total of R$ 15 billion (around £4 billion) to sign the contract. According to the county’s Treasury Secretary, Arno Augustin, these funds will be directed into public accounts. The consortium formed by Brazil’s Petrobras (with a 40% share), the Anglo-Dutch Shell (20 %), France’s Total (20 %) and Chinese CNPC and CNOOC (with 10 % each) were the only companies to take part in the auction. Petrobras and the two Chinese companies are state owned, while Shell and Total are private companies. The Libra field is located in the 1.5 square kilometre Santos Basin, with estimated oil production being placed at 8-12 billion barrels of oil over 35 years. During this period, the government plans to raise more than R$ 1 trillion (around £300 billion). In addition to the initial R$ 15 billion (paid for the initial contract), the government is expecting R$ 270 billion in royalties and R$ 736 billion as excess oil. This is what President Dilma Rousseff stated in her public appearances on TV and Radio following the first round of bids, dubbing this latest income as Brazil’s “passport to the future”. This promise seems to be assured as back in September Congress and Rousseff signed a declaration that all future oil royalties should be applied to funding education (75%) and health (25%). In addition to this, the deal is also being seen as a boost for Brazil’s manufacturing industry as a clause of the deal means that the consortium of oil companies will invest R$ 610 million to prioritise machinery, equipment and infrastructure manufactured in Brazil during the exploration, a move intended to boost employment and income in the region. The consortium will also have to invest 1% of its revenue in research and innovation.
Despite the stratospheric figures and a positive optimism of Rousseff and her government, the notion that Brazil has ‘won’ something from this auction is not widespread. The news has been met with criticism and questions from both the centre-right and far left opposition, as well as members of leftist groups who are aligned with the current government. The centre-right opposition, led by the neoliberal PSDB has criticised the consortium approach and breaks the law originally authored by the Lula government stipulating that even if extracted by private companies, all oil in Brazil belongs to the Union. Left wing groups have previously supported the government’s laws as they are seen to prevent a monopolisation of the sector, though in this auction they feel that the scheme has been undervalued and that more funding and assurances should have been provided in the deal. Having won the auction of the Libra field and in exchange for the expenses derived from the exploration and extraction of oil, the winning consortium will hold 58.35% of the profit from the field, with 41.65% going to public funds. This was the minimum set by the auction and as only one consortium took part, there were no better offers or competition that could have given more to the country. Critics on both sides of the political spectrum argue that the Union should have taken a bigger percentage of the profits so there would have been more revenue to invest in education and health. Others would have liked to have seen soul ownership by Petrobas and have rejected claims that the company was forced to work with others as it did not have capital to go after the venture alone. The government has denied these criticisms, as the words of the Secretary of Treasury show, they are determined to see that any income generated in this exploration go directly into public services and education. In time, the primary surplus (positive balance between the collection of
AUCTION TO ENSURE POSITIVE ACCOUNTS A consortium established for the exploration of oil in Brazil has faced opposition, showing the government’s concern to ensure primary surplus goes to public accounts as Rousseff reiterates that investments in health and education, will give Brazil a ‘passport to the future’
By Wagner de Alcântara Aragão
the National Treasury and expenses, excluding debt interest) is the signal that the government gives to the financial market that is committed to pay the debt, consisting primarily of securities negotiated with domestic and foreign financial institutions.
FROM CONCESSION TO SHARING Oil exploration in Brazil has long been a government issue and generator of income: 1930 -1953 – A concession policy is implemented that means exploration is undertaken by companies external to state control 1953 - With the creation of Petrobras, by Getúlio Vargas, oil becomes the monopoly of the Union 1997 - Law of the Fernando Henrique Cardoso president ends the State monopoly and restores the concession policy 2008 - With the discovery of oil in the pre-salt, the Lula government decides to bring back to the State greater control over oil 2010 – The Lula government established a new law that allows for the sharing of exploration and profits
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PRE SALT REGION
Field of Libra aproximated location
A consortium formed by the companies Shell, Total, CNPC, CNOOC and Petrobras was the winner of the 1st round of bids for exploration of the Santos Basin Photos: AgĂŞncia Brasil
IN THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS Reports on the BBC highlighted the auction as a unique process and noted the presence of the National Security Force to contain protesters, questioning whether the use of the military was good for the image of the country that will host the World Cup. The Financial Times concluded that the result is more positive than expected for Brazil, arguing that despite being seen as onerous by some, the new regulatory regime was able to attract strong private interest. The Washington Post website also praised the sharing scheme, arguing that the new rules had not discouraged investors.
Demonstrators took to the streets in the centre of Rio to show their opposition to the auction
Photo: AgĂŞncia Brasil
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BRAZIL IN UK EDUCATION
Science without Borders: First impressions By Nathália Braga
Good behaviour, an eagerness to learn new things and an excellent familiarity with the English language - these have been just some of the positive characteristics exhibited by the first wave of Science Without Borders students from Brazil. Parmjit Chima, Head of the School of Engineering, Design and Manufacturing Systems of Birmingham City University’s said: “All of the students are well behaved in the classrooms and laboratories. I was more surprised with how quickly they have adapted not only to the college environment, but also to life in the UK. They are enjoying the new experience of teaching and learning, especially as they are having lessons in engineering taught in English for the first time”. The professor also reiterated the benefits of the new initiative will have for the Brazilian economy. “It will develop the next generation of graduates that will boost the economy in various sectors during the second decade of the 21st Century and beyond”. If the teachers are happy, then the 1,700 Brazilian students who arrived in the UK to complete a year of undergraduate studies are even more enthusiastic about how the programme is going. Bruno Gomes, 19, is a resident of Uberaba in Brazil’s State of Minas Gerais, and is one of those who has taken up the opportunity to study in the UK. Gomes studies Biomedicine at the Federal University of Minas Gerais and will be based at the prestigious Durham University, in northern England for the next year. He told the Brasil Observer
Marília Passos, 23 - Kingston University London
that the first impressions made by the university and courses have met his expectations. “The university was well prepared for our arrival and I found that all my needs were met quickly, they have managed the process well. I’ve not experienced any issues in which someone has said ‘we are not prepared for this’.” The Brazilian students receive support from the university, though many have found that they can go to one another if they have questions or problems. “We end up supporting each other, because it’s more practical,” said Gomes. From speaking to the Gomes, it seems that the element of the programme, which has impressed him most, is the quality of teaching. “The tutors I have met are very good and are leaders in their field. For example, in one class, the tutor was explaining the theory put forward in an article, and then just dropped in at the end that he had actually been the author of the discovery. For all the students and especially for me, this was a very positive surprise,” Gomes said. Another Brazilian who has taken advantage of student life in the UK is Marilia Passos, 23, who studies Architecture and
Urbanism at the University of São Paulo (USP) and will be based at Kingston University, in South West London for the next year. Passos was relieved to experience a calm passage through immigration when she arrived in the UK. Once here, Passos enjoyed a busy week of events to help her to adapt to British academic life. “There was a whole series of events dedicated to helping new students and some special sessions for international students.” Passos has found that the teaching differs greatly from her experiences in Brazil where the teaching style is more prescriptive, “Here it seems like there is less focus on the theoretical aspects of a subject. Typically in my classes in Brazil, about 20 minutes would be dedicated to theory, with the teachers passing around a summary of the presentation as they spoke. Here the emphasis is on independent studies.”
Brazilian government program brought 1,700 Brazilian students to the UK in September for a year-long undergraduate course. Brasil Observer speaks the students and teachers involved to find out how they are adapting to the UK and each other
Nathália Gobbetti, 22 - East Anglia University
ing pharmacy at USP has been based at the University of East Anglia since January, and has also been happy with her experience. Now coming to the end of her time here, (she returns to Brazil in December), Gobbetti can identify both the negative and positive points of Brazil and the UK’s education systems. “The teachers are very good, but I have found that just as in Brazil, some have more knowledge than others. I found that the teacher-student interaction in class was more limited here, but my tutors did make time for us outside of class”, she said. For her, the biggest difference between the two systems is how learning is evaluated. In the UK, the main form of assessment for most courses is annual exams covering the contents of the entire year. “On this point, I prefer the Brazilian system, in which the student is assessed continuously throughout the semesters,” Gobbetti concluded. In addition to the positive experiences, insights like this show the true value of the Science without Borders programme. Thanks to this initiative, a whole generation of Brazilian undergraduates will enrich their educational understanding and decide what elements from each they will carry with them on their academic journey.
Proven results
It is not only the new students of the Science without Borders scheme who have praise for the opportunities provided. Nathália Gobbetti, 22, who is study-
Bruno Gomes, 19 - Durham University >> Bruno´s room
Photos: personal archive
UK IN BRAZIL
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OPPORTUNITY
UK seeks Brazilian entrepreneurs Sirius Programme offers funding for young entrepreneurs to realise their dream of business in the UK with financial support of up to £12,000 Reporting by the British Consulate in Sao Paulo
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), a department of the British General Consulate in Sao Paulo, is in search of the brightest young minds who want to put make their dream businesses a reality in the UK. Now launched in Brazil, the Sirius Programme is one of the most comprehensive investment packages aimed at recent graduates, final year students and those on masters or research programs to support their great ideas. In order to attract the best talent in the business world to the UK and create the next generation of entrepreneurs, the program offers candidates a 12-month support package, including investment of up to £12,000, guidance in attracting customers and help in obtaining a visa to bring the business idea to the UK. “The UK is one of the best places in the world to become an entrepreneur. Our goal is to attract talented university educated people to start and build their business here,” said Nick Baird, CEO of global UKTI. “The Sirius Programme will be one of the most
comprehensive worldwide packages of support for the opening of businesses and also offers the best in Europe,” he added. Vacancies on the programme will be offered monthly, between October 2013 and January 2014, with applicants submitting projects that will be evaluated and selected by a panel of experts. The programme’s goal is to attract hundreds of entrepreneurs to the UK, stimulating the creation of new jobs over the next two years. The programme will formalise and support the new businesses that some enterprising Brazilians have already started. Roberta Lucca, co-founder of Bossa Studios, a game development company based in east London’s Tech City, which was founded in 2010 told The Brasil Observer: “My experience of opening a business in the UK has been very positive and not very bureaucratic. The process was very fast: within a week, the company was assembled and basically ready to start trading, hire employees and create the games.” “In addition to all the facili-
Vacancies will be offered monthly, from October 2013 to January 2014
ties that the country offers to the opening of new businesses, the Sirius Programme will make the process even easier and is a great opportunity entrepreneurs to have the backing of the British government itself, something
that would have made all the difference when we started,” added Lucca. The Sirius Programme is part of the commitment that UK Trade & Investment has to support the talent of people around the
world, helping graduates to make their business ideas a reality in the UK. For more information about the programme, visit www.siriusprogramme.com.
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PROFILE
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‘We have done our part’ Director Paulo Henrique Fontenelle was recently in London to launch his film ‘Jango Report’, which investigates the death of João Goulart, the former President of Brazil who was ousted by the military coup of 1964. In this exclusive interview for the Brasil Observer, the filmmaker discusses his research for the documentary and why he thinks that in Brazil “history is always swept under the rug.” Interview & photo: Rômulo Seitenfus
The filmmaker Paulo Henrique Fontenelle was London this Autumn to celebrate the launch his film ‘Jango Report’ (in Portuguese, ‘Dossiê Jango’), at the fifth edition of the Brazilian Film Festival. The film is a documentary with a strong investigative element, made over three years, which aims at presenting numerous clues and testimonies that suggest that João Goulart’s death in 1976 was caused by poisoning, and not by a natural heart attack, as it was officially stated. In this exclusive interview, Paulo Henrique Fontenelle was keen to discuss the strong evidence put forward in his film. Fontenelle told me about the exchange of drugs that caused Jango’s death, reflecting on the sequential deaths of leaders and fellow politicians under the Condor Operation (a political-military alliance that spanned South America to aggressively put down resistance movements against that posed a threat to the region’s dictatorships). He also cited US efforts to control Brazilian leftist movements during the Cold War but he remains hopeful for Brazil’s Truth Commission, which recently released the exhumation of João Goulart’s body, which will take place later this month. The controversy surrounding Goulart’s death is another chapter of dictatorship being unveiled, as the testimonials, survivor’s accounts and investigations of the commission come to light. In this particular case, if a death by poisoning is confirmed, this will add to the proof that senior officials of the dictatorship endorsed the torture and extermination of many people with little thought or consideration of how their acts would blight Brazil’s history. The main focus of the documentary is the possibility that João Goulart was poisoned. You feature a former Uruguayan spy, Mario Neira Barreiro says he witnessed the exchange of
drugs that caused the death of ‘Jango’, an act that was ordered by then delegate Sérgio Fleury, with the permission of the Brazilian President Ernesto Geisel under Condor Operation. How did you find the former agent? Mario is a former Uruguayan secret agent who was arrested in Porto Alegre (capital of the Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul) and is adamant that Goulart’s death was deliberate. João Vincente, who is the son of João Goulart, introduced us to one another. Jango did have heart disease, but he was very careful, it was not time for him to die of a heart attack. According to Mario Neira Barreiro, Uraguay’s secret police managed to confiscate a bottle of his prescribed medicine, before they returned it they changed only the pills for others, which contained a lethal substance to accelerate the heart, forcing the fatal heart attack. The film features other evidence supporting this theory, including key facts such as the failure to conduct an autopsy, government resistance to the body to be buried in Brazil, and delays in the funeral, which was conducted under tight military surveillance. What else did you find out? The coffin of Jango could not be opened under any circumstances. According to the testimony of the Uruguayan agent, the opportunity to detect the substance of drugs in the body would have been within 48 hours after death, but a series of delays made certain this would not be possible. In his testimony, Leonel Brizola says Jango was regularly receiving phone threats, and that his fellow politically exiled friends were murdered at the same time. This was in a reaction to policy of the United States who began to withdraw support for dictatorships in Latin America, after Jimmy Carter’s election. The dictatorships hunted political leaders because there was a fear they would win the popular vote and give the
impression that the dictatorships were not reigning in political activists. Across Latin America several political leaders, died in strange circumstances. The film shows how Jango planned to return to Brazil after ten years in exile in order to regain power in a democratic way. The possibility of his return could be pivotal in proving the motive for his alleged murder in 1976? The film also shows that Juscelino Kubitschek, João Goulart and Carlos Lacerda, the three who had formed an alliance to restore democracy died in a space of a few months… Yes. Juscelino died in a car accident that was never very well explained, Jango from a heart attack and Carlos Lacerda, died after receiving a vaccine within a hospital. We made the movie to show exactly that, and to allow people to draw their conclusions based on the evidence. Recently the Truth Commission finally released the request of the exhumation of the body of João Goulart. Are you pleased to hear this, do you believe that this case will be fully investigated? Remember that in Argentina the trials of the military dictators who tortured people took place in 1985, shortly after the end of the dictatorship, similar proceedings also took place in Uruguay. Brazil is the most backward country in this regard, they have had more than 25 years of democracy yet no one has launched a full investigation to find out exactly what happened, instead, the history is always swept under the rug. Jango’s family have been asking for his body to be exhumed for over ten years and only now, may we finally know the truth. Even though so many years have passed, I would hope that the exhumation of the body that may prove murder but that other areas of investigation into the dictatorship will be explored...
Yes. It will be important to find out more about the CIA agents who are mentioned in several documents as knowing participants in the murders which took place in Latin America, as investigations in other countries such as Chile have shown. Do hope that the film’s release will contribute to the calls to carry out these investigations? Yes, very much so! When we launched the film at the Rio Festival, members of the Truth Commission were present, and they seemed to come out with more confidence after watching the documentary, with an aim to continue the process. I feel that we have we have made a contribution and are fulfilling our role.
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FRONT PAGE BUSINESS
Da Redação
Grosso, Amazonas and Minas Gerais, among others. In the Private sector, one of the highlights is the Match Connections company from the Grupo Águia that has, amongst their offered services, the marketing of corporate cabins for the 2014 World Cup. In addition, two sessions will place Brazil in the centre of the debate. One is “The Growing Pains of Brazil”, whose goal is to analyze how the growth of the middle class was instrumental in consolidating the country’s economic grow and point out where the opportunities are for tourism businesses. The other is “Next stop Brazil - 2014 FIFA World Cup update”, which will be reviewing the country’s planning to host the World Cup.
‘Gringos’ in Brazil Facing polls showing monthly that Brazilians are increasingly spending more and more on foreign trips - more than US$2 billion in September this year, the highest expenditure for the month since 1969, and more than US$18 billion in the year so far. In terms of tourism in Brazil, according to the Central Bank of Brazil data, foreign tourists spent R$7 billion (about £2 billion) in the first six months of 2013 in the country. Although below what is spent by Brazilians abroad, this is the highest ever recorded figure for the first half of the year, and an increase of 9.6% compared to the same period last year. “The Confederations Cup in June had a great impact on this increase”, said the Embratur President Flavio Dino at the time. “We would have broken the annual record if we consider only the results until May, but undoubtedly the Confederations Cup has greatly contributed to this performance, not only with respect to expenditures on match days, but also as a result of the visibility the country is gaining abroad”, he added. In 2012, Brazil was visited by 5.7 million tourists. The expectation is that this number will exceed 6 million in 2013, according to Embratur. In terms of the number of British tourists visiting Brazil, in 2012 the country received more than 150,000 visitors from the UK, an increase of 4% compared to 2011. For Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director of WTM, the number is still quite low. “The main issues I
Back in 2012, Em
BRAZIL SHOW LONDON FOR SEC
photo: divulgation
With the World Cup and the Olympics on the way, Brazil will have its most important year in the World Travel Market; the first edition of the fair in São Paulo drives business to the Americas and the Caribbean, which should generate around 500 million pounds next year
Held in London from the 4th to the 7th of November, the 34th edition of the World Travel Market (WTM), the largest global event of the tourism industry, every year brings together industry leaders to the Excel Exhibition Centre, in the east of the English capital. This is a great opportunity for business between tour operators and also for countries seeking exposure in tourism as a way to diversify and increase economic growth. Among the nations represented, Brazil is a significant player, preparing as it is for two of the biggest sporting events on the planet, with the expectation of attracting 600,000 visitors during the 30 days of the World Cup in June and July of next year. “As an emerging destination I feel Brazil will only get stronger and stronger in the European market,” said Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director of WTM, to the Brasil Observer. “In a survey which we conducted with WTM exhibitors and key WTM Buyers’ we can reveal that the success of London 2012 Olympics has had a positive impact on the industry’s view of Brazil and Rio as a tourism destination during the Games”, he added. This year, WTM should attract more than five thousand expositors, almost 30 thousand visitors and three thousand journalists; altogether there will be representatives from 182 countries. The expectation in relation to trade agreements is around what was generated by the event last year. According to the organizers of the fair, the WTM 2012 generated £1.8 billion in business deals, which includes contracts signed during the event and before the start of WTM 2013. With regards to the agreements made last year, the WTM generated a total of £585 million in business for the Americas and Caribbean, a significant increase of 30% compared to WTM 2011. This growth was helped by the first edition of the WTM held in Latin America – last April’s event in São Paulo – the second edition will also take place in the same city in April next year. In this year’s event, more than 60 exhibitors are from Brazil, including Embratur, agency of the Ministry of Tourism responsible for the disclosure of the country abroad, and various states of the federation, such as Rio de Janeiro, Mato
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mbratur’s focus in the World Travel Market was already the 2014 World Cup
WS ITSELF IN THE TOURISM CTOR
can foresee for Brazil attracting European travellers would be the initial infrastructure making it less accessible to travel around internally as well as the cost of travel from many European cities”, Simon said. The climate of the WTM, however, is optimistic. Simon is emphatic that data collected from the tour operators registered in WTM 2013 indicate a significant interest in doing business in Brazil, especially during the Olympic Games of 2016. According to him, nearly 40% of executives are more inclined to sell travel packages that coincide with the games. Furthermore, over 25% of them are so confident of the success of Rio as host city that they will not wait for the results of the World Cup in 2014, while 28% are considering increasing capacity to Rio, but will wait to see how business performs during the World Cup. With regard to tourists, 18% of them said that London 2012 made them become more inclined to travel to Rio de Janeiro to watch the 2016 Olympic Games.
WORLD CUP
A study by Embratur reveals that the expectation of spending by domestic and international tourists in Brazil during the 30 days of the World Cup 2014 is R$25.2 billion (approximately £7 billion). Based on average spending of tourists in major events in Brazil, as well as in tourist spending in the 2010 World Cup, economists from Embratur estimate that Brazilian tourists will spend R$18.2 billion (£5.1 billion), while foreigners will spend R$6.85 billion (£1.9 billion). According to the organization, the value outweighs the public investments for the World Cup, estimated at R$22.5 billion. An estimated 25,000 British tourists will travel to Brazil to attend the World Cup 2014. If you want to be one of them, however, you will have to be perpared to put your Simon Press – Senior Exhibition Dihand in your pocket rector of WTM (see report on page 12).
“As an emerging destination I feel Brazil will only get stronger and stronger in the European market”
£2 billion Was the expenditure of foreign tourists in Brazil in the first six months of 2013
£1.9 billion Is what foreign tourists are expected to spend in Brazil during the 30 days during the World Cup in 2014
5.7 million The number of foreign tourists who visited Brazil in 2012. The number should rise to 6 million in 2013
155.488 British tourists visited Brazil last year. Almost 25 thousand are expected for the World Cup
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ON THE ROAD TO WORLD CUP HIGH COST
Fans paying the price for Brazil 2014 English fans who want to watch the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will have to shell out between £7-10,000 for packages which do not include match tickets, which have to be bought directly from the FIFA website. By Renato Brandão
The England football team made supporters of the Three Lions suffer during the course of the European Qualifiers for the World Cup. But in the end, England fans were able to celebrate qualifying for the finals, securing top spot in the group in the last group match. However, actually attending the event in Brazil will seem like a luxury. Choosing from packages sold by travel agents in the UK, which are cheaper options than buying directly from airline companies, a fan will spend between £ 7,000
and £ 10,000 for one package for the first phase of the tournament, lasting from 12 to 16 days. Packages guarantee accommodation and transport to the host cities, but do not include tickets to actual games – these are sold exclusively by FIFA. Companies like Thomson Sport are offering packages from £6995 for adults (half price for a child), which include a full stay of 16 days in Costa do Sauipe (Bahia north-eastern state) and airline round trip tickets for three more host cities of the World Cup group stage, but do not include
tickets for these first three games. Other agencies offer more modest packages, with one of the most basic from Infinity Tours. Six nights accommodation in a three star hotel, breakfast and bus transportation between two cities - valid for the group stage of the tournament. An estimated 25,000 England fans will travel to Brazil for the World Cup - the same number of fans who were at the World Cup in South Africa in 2010, although at the time it was expected 40,000 English supporters would make the trip to Africa. As the World Cup draw is yet to be held, it is not possible to know which cities the England team will play in, so one of the main challenges for the fans will be travel within Brazil, the fifth largest country in area in the world. If a fan is staying in Rio de Janeiro and has to go to Sao Paulo (southeast), Porto Alegre (south) and Fortaleza (northeast), travel of 276, 985 and 1627 miles, respectively, should be expected. Because of this, it is not recommended to buy tickets directly with airlines. In any case, British Airways and TAM are the only two airlines that offer direct flights to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo leaving from Heathrow - one daily flight from BA or TAM varies between £600 and £ 1600. Regarding accommodation, one three-star hotel is expected to cost at least £400 per night, so an English fan could expect to shell out at least another £4800 for a single room for only 12 to 15 days in the group stage. Most luxurious hotels are charging up to an incredible £800 per day. Flight and accommodation will only be part of the costs. A ticket for the final World Cup match in the Maracanã Stadium, on July 13, will be 60%
more expensive than the value of the ticket paid to see France and Brazil in the final of the 1998 World Cup. English fans will have two options when buying tickets on the FIFA website. One is to choose a package that includes seven games - three group stage matches of the secondround, one of the quarter-finals, one semi-final and the final. This package, in which there is no guarantee of watching England play, will cost at least £784 - if you purchase tickets in category 3, which are the cheapest. The second option is to just buy tickets for the three initial matches of England in the group stage, where fans pay £186 (category 3), £278 (category 2) or £362 (Category 1). The first batch of applications was opened on 20 August last year and had over 6.2 million requests - with over 70% made in Brazil and 1.5% (almost 97,000) from England, which had the sixth highest demand from any nation. In total there will be raffled and sold 1 million tickets in this first round. Another 2.3 million tickets will be made available in other phases - the first one scheduled for November 11.
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ON THE ROAD TO WORLD CUP LAST PLACES
Who’s going to the party? Of the 32 countries that will be represented at the World Cup in Brazil, 21 have already secured their places, with two world champions still with a chance to qualify
Swede star Ibrahimovic and Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo will go head to head for a place in the World Cup finals
By Antonio Veiga
With eight months until kick-off in Brazil, 21 nations have guaranteed their place in the World Cup. The latest rounds of the playoffs confirmed the presence of champions and newcomers for this summer’s showpiece event. In South America, Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Ecuador have secured their passage, as well as Brazil, which is the host country. From the CONCACAF, which brings together countries from North and Central
America, the USA, Costa Rica and Honduras confirmed their presence. From Asia it will be Japan, South Korea, Iran and Australia. And finally, from Europe, attending will be Belgium, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland, England, Bosnia and Hezergovina and the champions, Spain. The only continent yet to fully decide its representatives is Africa, where five will leave from: Tunisia or Cameroon, Ethiopia or Nigeria, Ghana or Egypt, Ivory
CROATIA X ICELAND
URUGUAY X JORDAN (13/11 e 20/11)
PORTUGAL X SWEDEN
Former world champions Uruguay will count their lucky stars that they made it to this stage. The likes of superstars Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani have much to thank Paraguay, who beat Venezuela away, confirming the Uruguayans in the playoffs.
The match between the Portuguese and Swedish is the most unpredictable of the clashes. From it will be felt the biggest World Cup absence. The superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic will go head-to-head to try to lead their teams into the finals. The teams have similar characteristics, both relying on the genius of their two superstar players.
(15/11 e 19/11)
A crowd of well-known chequered shirt counts the hours to celebrate their presence in the World Cup, while the team tries to contain the euphoria and preaches respect for the opponent. If Croatia wins in Iceland, they will accompany neighbours Bosnia Hezergovina, who will compete in their first World Cup.
MEXICO X NEW ZEALAND (13/11 e 20/11) Since Australia were moved out to compete in the Asian qualifiers, New Zealand have become more competitive. This rise was confirmed in 2010, when they took part in South Africa. However, New Zealand face an extremely difficult task to repeat that feat. The Mexicans are heavily experienced, because in addition to having already hosted two World Cups, they boast many players from the top leagues of the world.
FRANCE X UKRAINE
(15/11 e 19/11)
The French team have a mission not to repeat the embarrassment of four years ago. A goal from Henry, helped by his hand, led the team narrowly to the 2010 World Cup, eliminating Ireland. Ukraine will bet on its pragmatic football with a strong organisational defence and discipline. France will put their hopes on established names like Ribery and Benzema. The French are favourites, but the game will be far from a foregone conclusion.
GREECE X ROMANIA
(15/11 e 19/11)
(15/11 e 19/11)
The duel that will be defined in Romanian lands promises to be truncated due to the defensive characteristics of the teams. The Greek team is a little more experienced, having played in the last Euro. Without having gone to a World Cup since 1998, Romania dreams of reliving the moments of glory when it was led by Hagi.
Coast or Senegal, Burkina Faso or Algeria. However, other teams still have a last chance to stamp their passports towards Brazil in the playoffs. Among them, two world champions - France and Uruguay.
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CONECTANDO
By Roberta Schwambah
Those who adopt this outlook believe that the understanding of the global world passes through the perception and understanding which are experienced at a local level. While globalisation has had many benefits such as improved social mobility, rising living standards and high speed communication, local ways of thinking have a lot to offer such as a sense of community and allocation of roles. Just think of how the greatest technological tool the Internet has changed in the last decade to become a major site for community (Facebook, MySpace), information sharing (You Tube) and charity (Kickstarter and other crowd funding sites). In essence both the local and global have something to teach each other for the benefit of everyone. With its base in London but roots in Brazil, we see our newspaper as the perfect vehicle for “Glocal Communication”. We tell global stories through the eyes of our freelance contributors who are working and living their lives in different regions of the Brazil and the world. As our digital and online activity has grown, through our website (www.brasilobserver.co.uk) and social networks, we realised the importance of our work in
Project Logo from Wake Up Colab
Conectando is our project that strongly supported in Europe and Brazil. Directly translated the name of the scheme means ‘connecting’ and within this the Brasil Observer are working with journalism students, mediaactivists and cultural movements from Europe and Brazil to make connections between information, ideas, projects and experiences. Started in 2012, the project was established to respond to a feeling shared by many Brazilians that now is the time for the country to be known for more than “samba, caipirinha and football”. While we celebrate these aspects of our culture and those who appreciate them, many Brazilians feel the need to show the diversity of our country through the true accounts of those who live there to give a real picture of our green and yellow outlook. It is through sharing the insights and stories of Brazilians at home and abroad, along with others who are interested in the country, that we hope to establish an “Experience of Glocal Communication”, Glocalisation is a relatively new word and concept that combines Global and Local ways of thinking, linking global trends to local realities.
WHO CAN TAKE PART IN CONECTANDO?
The project is open to students, journalists, media-activists, communicators and all those who are interested in showing their vision of reality, discussing facts, exploring news and reporting experiences.
disseminating information that otherwise would not reach the international audience. From arts coverage featuring the likes of OQuadro, who took London’s underground music scene by storm by importing their unique hip-hop from Bahia to giving a voice to indigenous people who’s lives have been directly impeded by Brazil’s collosal hydroelectric constructions, our collaborators have broken these stories around the world. These are just some examples that demonstrate the Conectando project’s goal: to circulate information through our media outputs, increase the exchange of knowledge and act as a connection between Brazil and the outside world. We seek to decentralise communication, because we know that Brazil is much bigger than Rio-São Paulo, just as the UK goes beyond London. We also give space for more voices to show the reality in which they live, and doing so we make an essential contribution to the increasingly complex of the globalised and interconnected world in which we live, celebrating its full of colours, cultures and tastes.
CONECTANDO PROJETC PROPOSES AN EXPERIENCE OF ‘GLOCAL’ COMMUNICATION
“The partnership with the Brasil Observer happened was the best and biggest surprise in my life this year. The enthusiasm of the newspaper team for my ideas meant that I got to attend two major European film festivals:Berlin and Venice. Furthermore, it’s allowed me to return to writing and practicing journalism, something which I had been forced to stop as I did not have a platform to share my ideas.” Gabriela Lobianco – Irlanda
“I’m a journalist and contributor of the Brasil Observer. It all started with the Conectando project, which is a democratic journalistic space where everything and everyone has a proper place. The team is fantastic; they give me freedom to explore and cover the topics which interest me and are always there to help when needed” MaxwellQuintão–Portugal
HOW TO GET INVOLVED? Step 1: All you need is a story to tell, it could be related to politics, culture, sports, entertainment, culture, technology. You could be inspired to tell us something going on where you live, or a place you visited - your story has potential to be spread all over the world. Step 2: Send your article to conectando@brasilobserver. co.uk. Our team of editors will review the content and decide if it will be published on the website of the Brasil Observer. In some cases, the material may also be published in the printed edition, following any necessary modifications to fit in this space. If you haven’t written the article but have a good idea in mind, get in touch, our editors will be happy to discuss the idea with you and give you direction. Step 3: With the article published in our media, help us to increase the scope of your story by sharing the content on social networks with friends, family and everyone who might be interested.
“The Erasmus internship with the team of Brasil Observer was a unique opportunity to experience the reality and pace of working as a professional journalist in London, one of the most motivating and busy cities in the world. I was encouraged to explore the cultural life and the networks of communication among various communities and social groups. This style and approach makes this newspaper different from all others, and I would not have had the same opportunities from an internship at another paper. The Connectando project made me see that between England, Brazil and Europe, everything is more connected than we first imagine” Heloisa Moraes – Portugal
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