Dilma Rousseff Tortured? Secret Documents Unveiled?… Brazilian Politics: Brazil Grapples With its Violent History

Brazil Grapples With its Violent History

I just realized that i’ve never written anything about Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff …

Here’s an interesting article Via Global Post that talks a bit about her surprising past. In her youth, Rousseff was an active opponent of the country’s former dictatorship and was even brutally tortured for her views (if you are surprised to read that Brazil was not long ago under the power of a Machiavellian military dictatorship, then you should definitely read this whole article). Also, Rousseff’s attitude about this whole thing is surprising, if not a bit worrisome….although, who would really want to re-hash their having been tortured for 22 days? But still….

I think this situation really exemplifies what is in my opinion a general apathy and willingness to ignore and simply move on from the horrors committed by Brazilian politicians (or in this case, dictators). The fact that Brazil is only Latin American country to NOT hold a fact-finding “Truth Commission” to clarify responsibility for political torture committed during the military rule of 1964-1985 does not surprise me at all. The Brazilian government has entertained a long history of avoiding searches for criminal accountability, why should they want to start now?

Photo of A Banner From The Campaign of President Dilma Rousseff of The Ruling Workers' Party

Here’s the article…

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — When President Dilma Rousseff, a former urban guerrilla tortured for 22 straight days with electric shocks under Brazil’s military dictatorship, took office in January she was ambivalent about her past as a young activist: “I don’t have any regrets, nor any resentment or rancor,” she said.

Rousseff has since done little for those looking for justice for crimes under the dictatorship. For one, her new government has waffled on whether it supports allowing archival documents to be declassified as confidential in a proposed access-to-information law.

Unlike many of its Latin American neighbors, Brazil has yet to hold a fact-finding “Truth Commission” to clarify responsibility for crimes committed during the military rule of 1964-1985. It also has not reversed an amnesty law that shields torturers from prosecution. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights declared the amnesty illegal in December.

But a recent granting of first-of-its-kind access to Brazil’s National Archives may be a quiet indication that the direction is changing.

The Justice Ministry announced last week that it would grant 12 researchers “unrestricted” access to the documents in the National Archive “that make viable the identification of public agents who ordered or had been authors of acts injurious to human rights.”

Researchers in the past have complained of what they see as arbitrary denial of access to dictatorship-era documents based on a capricious interpretation of protecting the privacy of individuals. Around Rousseff’s October election, historians reported being bluntly denied military-era records because journalists had also asked for them and the archives wanted to “preserve the electoral process from the harm they could do with the information.”

At the heart of the issue is Brazil’s unresolved record with its own history of state-sponsored violence, even as it tries to become a new global voice on human rights issues abroad.

“There has been a huge delay. Every country in Latin America has had a truth commission except Brazil,” Manuela Lavinas Picq, a professor of political science at Amherst College who lived in exile during the Brazilian military dictatorship, said at a March conference . “In the rest of Latin America the truth commissions came in a context of transition. In the ‘80s away from dictatorship, also in the ‘90s away from civil war.”

Read The Rest Here…

And Here’s another really interesting article written by Nikolas Kozloff from Huffpost… It’s basically talking about how wikileaks documents show us how Brazil has aggressively pursued narrow-minded self interest in order to further Machiavellian geopolitical and economic goals….

Although, I think that the author goes a little overboard here…the Brazilian countryside generally isn’t as “violent, anarchic and backward” as his terrifying description claims…but I know he’s just trying to add some drama to his thesis, and it’s still an informative article…plus I definitely agree that the Brazilian government has a long way to go, (as is true for any government) 🙂

WikiLeaks: More Evidence of Brazil’s Rise on World Stage

Even as Brazil seeks to hype its PR image to the outside world, the countryside remains violent, anarchic and backward. In 2004, for example, scores of diamond prospectors were killed by members of a local indigenous tribe in the Brazilian jungle. The circumstances surrounding the massacre were unclear, however, with the Indians claiming they were simply defending their lands against illegal miners. The police on the other hand countered that indigenous leaders were involved in diamond trafficking and wanted to display a show of force “against those who failed to give them their share.”

The anarchic situation in the countryside was compounded by the Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva government, which had “been slow to take the initiative on indigenous issues.” On the campaign trail in 2002, Lula had spoken about the need to demarcate and register Indian lands promptly. However, Indian leaders later soured on the president, expressing disappointment to U.S. officials that Lula had not paid enough attention to their issues. Fundamentally, they reported, Lula was too beholden to powerful provincial politicians tied to major landowners.

When I visited Brazil this past year, officials were quick to tout the country’s stable and efficient political institutions. Yet, WikiLeaks documents paint a different picture and suggest that the Brazilian government has a long way to go. Take, for example, Brazil’s National Indian Foundation or FUNAI which is hardly up to the task of bringing order to the countryside. Publicly, FUNAI has admitted that there are problems with the land demarcation process but claims that underfunding, understaffing, corruption and internal conflicts make it difficult to carry out claims.

Via HuffPost…

World Cup Brazil News: Brazil Has Announced Exact Dates of the 2014 World Cup

 

Brazil Has Announced Exact Dates of the 2014 World Cup

FIFA announced yesterday the exact dates of the World Cup 2014. The opening game will take place on 12 June, Thursday. The venue will only be chosen in October. The final match will be played at the Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro on 13 July, Sunday.

There had been speculation on the exact dates of the event. UEFA and the European clubs wanted to move the world cup a week earlier. In the end, FIFA prevailed.

 

A Look At BOPE – Rio’s Elite Special Forces Police Unit & The Film “Tropa De Elite” – “Elite Squad”

A Look At BOPE – Rio’s Elite Special Forces Police Unit

Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais better known by its acronym BOPE, is an elite special forces unit of the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Due to the nature of crime in favelas (slums), BOPE units have extensive experience in urban warfare and utilizes equipment deemed more powerful than traditional civilian law enforcement. Here is a look at the real BOPE…

If you are interested in understanding more about BOPE, or if you are just interested in watching a great Brazilian film, I highly reccommend…

Tropa De Elite, 1997

…(the film in English is called “elite squad“). Tropa de Elite is one of the best movies I have ever seen. The script is engaging, the characters are real, and the film truly shows the ugly reality of Brazilian slum life, and of police corruption in Brazil, which only perpetuates the never ending-cycle of drug trafficking and gritty violence that overwhelms the city.

Here’s the trailer in Portuguese…

And the English version…

Tropa De Elite 2, 2010

tropa de elite 2

They also just recently made a sequel, Tropa De Elite 2, which is just as worth watching. Here is the trailer:

Yes, you may have noticed that BOPE’s emblem in the movie trailer is a skull, sword and two guns… But this was not made up for the movie. This is real. Bizarre? I think so.

The BOPE Uniform

BOPE's actual official symbol

Fashion & Style: Brazil Beyond The Beach

Brazil Beyond The Beach – The Booming Brazilian Fashion Industry

Take a trip to Brazil to explore the country’s fashion industry and you will find it is not all samba and swimwear…

Brazil might have some of the world’s best beaches, gorgeous weather and a carnival atmosphere that resonates around every city, but when it comes to fashion it is not all gold lamé hot pants, exotic beachwear and those off-duty staple of the shoe world – Havaianas (made in Brazil – naturally).

Until you’ve experienced what this incredible country has to offer, it is easy to dismiss Brazilian fashion – which is worth an incredible $52 billion a year – as anything more than samba and swimwear.

But attending the Minas Trend Preview – one of the biggest fashion events in the country – was not only a chance to see the forthcoming S/S11 collections (summer starts in December), but also to witness what the Brazilian’s do best – creative catwalks infused with a happy local spirit and a lot of excellent designs that wouldn’t be out of place in the UAE. In fact, many of the designers brought their collections to the Emirates for last years Who’s Next fashion event and received a positive reaction from shoppers.

The Minas Trend trade show, held in the industrial city of Belo Horizonte, is a preview of what to expect at the large runway shows held at Fashion Rio and São Paulo Fashion Week. Now in its eighth year, the event hosted 31 brands and 19 catwalk shows and was curated by well known Brazilian designer Ronaldo Fraga. Under this edition’s theme of Oxygen, Fraga chose different looks from the various collections and built an amazing opening show featuring vibrant hues, colour blocking and a lot of sheer fabrics.

Highlight collections included Alessa – renowned for her modern prints that would suit both the Copacabana beach set as well as Dubai’s high society ladies – and Gig by Gina Guerra – a relatively young brand that makes very wearable clothes with a modern and feminine edge.

Here’s my pick of the best shows…

Alessa

Founded in 2002 by Carioca Alessa, the label sticks to its South American roots but adds a touch of modern day sophistication. The S/S11 collection has a very Brazilian touch with fun, flair and florals ruling the runway. Models were adorned in shimmering silk metallic midi dresses (very now), printed kaftans inspired by the Amazon and bold floral print maxis tied at the waist with bright yellow leather belts. Hair was worn up and accessorised with elaborate embellished hair pieces which cascaded down the models’ faces.

Chiclete

Inspired by Brazil’s Japanese population, the designers – Barbara Maciel and Louise Cristine – mixed contemporary Japanese design and traditional crafts from the Far East, such as origami, to produce a chic tailored collection for modern women. Red, pink and white dominated the collection and kimono style maxi-dresses, worn with large belts that looked like exotic lilies, created a stylish silhouette. But the biggest runway wow factor was the fan effect dress worn with high-waisted pure silk shorts in midnight blue, teamed with red Mary Janes.

ViVaZ

Bringing together the many characteristics of the Brazilian people, Elizabeth Faria, the designer behind Vivaz, closed day three with a glitzy show of glorious eveningwear. Frou frou frocks, gold and fawn coloured lamé dresses, turquoise one shoulder gowns and staggeringly high heels were in abundance. Elizabeth is not ashamed to exploit what Brazil does best – party – and showed the audience that fun doesn’t have to mean fast fashion. The luxury line, which is exported to the Middle East, did show some chic casual wear, but it’s this collection of feminine frocks that really brought the house down.

Gig

In the glorious outdoor surroundings of the Inhotim Contemporary Art Centre and Gardens, Gina Guerra showcased her S/S11 collection. Walking to the beat of Blondie, models were adorned in luxurious silks, light knitwear and sheer dresses. Her passion for colour wasn’t as evident as in previous collections, with pastels, pinks, nudes and white dominating the mostly evening wear-based show. The entire collection was beautifully feminine with cute blouses, short shift dresses, embellished detailing, waists nipped in with skinny belts and 50s inspired swimwear – a welcome change to the skimpy two-pieces that Brazil is so famous for. Gig is currently available across the USA and Europe but is yet to explore the Middle East, which is a shame as this is a label that could work very well in this region.

Patricia Motta

The 70s influence was a huge trend at the international S/S11 shows and that was no different in Brazil. Large floppy hats, tailored flared trousers, high-wasited shorts and crochet waistcoats adorned the open air catwalk set within 3,000 acres of Brazil’s finest parkland.  Snakeskin is also a huge trend for S/S11 and Patricia Motta incorporated it into everything from vest tops, to mini skirts, to jackets and belts, in a variety of neons and rainbow brights. A beautiful, sophisticated and very on trend collection from the woman whose name has become a byword for quality.

Via Emirates Woman

‘City of God, Guns & Gangs’ Episode From Current TV, Depicts Brazilian Favela

The Brazilian Favela – the media infatuation du jour, reporters just can’t get enough of it….

“Vanguard” is a no-limits documentary series by Current TV whose award-winning correspondents put themselves in extraordinary situations to immerse viewers in global issues that have a large social significance. This time they’ve gone to the Brazilian favela….

In this sneak peek at an upcoming episode of Vanguard, correspondent Mariana van Zeller follows a preacher into a Rio de Janeiro favela, where he performs powerful rituals — exorcisms — in the midst of drug addicts…

In this clip, Vanguard correspondent Mariana van Zeller investigates Brazil’s bold new initiative to transform Rio de Janeiro’s dangerous favelas before the country hosts the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics.

Some Things for Brazilians to Remember when Traveling Abroad

Some Things for Brazilians to Remember when Traveling Abroad

It would be difficult for a tourist to go to Brazil and not fall in love with the scenery, the music and the food. But it’s the people who always leave the strongest impression on foreigners. Brazilians are charming, optimists, smiling and hospidable. And these qualities are contagious. The foreigner arrives in brazil and is immediately sucked into the Brazilian mentality. As they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do…

But what happens when the Roman leaves Rome? Or rather, now that many Brazilians are traveling for the first time to other countries, one must think about which “brazilianisms” work and which don’t, outside of Brazil.

Smiling a lot and having a positive attitude will always work. Other Brazilian customs…maybe not. Here are some examples:

lula polegar pra cima

1) Speaking with Your Thumb

In Brazil, when you give someone a thumbs up it is the equivalent of saying “ok,” “no problem,” “don’t worry about it,” “have a good one,” “thanks,” “i appreciate it,” “see you later,” even “hey” when you are passing a friend in a hurry. Brazilians obviously didn’t invent the thumb’s up sign, but Brazil is by far the country that uses it the most to communicate.

In Brazil, that’s all ok, its normal. But in other countries I’ve had a problem with this. People think its weird, or outdated. No one understands the intended meaning. In the US it’s a thing of the past, from the time of “The Fonz” from Happy Days.

2) Taking a Shower. And another shower. And another…

Brazilians are arguably the cleanest people in the world. Sometimes I think that on the hottest days of summer, people spend more time under a shower head than they do outside.

But when traveling to foreign countries, Brazilians have to remember that Brazil has 14% of the world’s fresh water but only 3% of the Earth’s population lives in Brazil. In many countries water is scarce, and in others the cost of heating water is high. When I used to study in France, I lived with a french family who would complain when I spent more than 5 minutes in the shower. So if you are staying with friends in a country outside of Brazil, Brazilians, you should remember to limit your shower time.

3) Using Speedos and Brazilian Bikinis

It’s not that you can’t. It’s that you should know the consequences. Brazilians are horrified by the American-style women’s swimwear that covers “everything.” In Brazil, bikinis only cover about 10% of your butt, and this is completely normal in most of South America. But in other countries, the Brazilian bikini may get you some strange looks.

And the men’s speedo (sunga), in some countries, is alright. In others, such as the US, wearing a speedo is a fashion disaster and will be laughed at.

4) Toilet paper in the trash.

The world is divided: there are places which have sewer systems that permit you to throw used toilet paper in the toilet, and those that don’t. Brazil falls into the first category. So bluntly, in the world with a sewer system which allows toilet paper, it is considered disgusting to throw it in the trash.

gisele and tom brady at carnaval

5) Kissing in Public

In Brazil, kissing in public is much more socially acceptable than it is in other places. In the streets, in parks, seated at bar tables and restaurants, even in line at the movies, Brazilian couples can be seen making out openly and passionately. But while traveling to other places, Brazilians, remember that this will make some foreigners feel uncomfortable, and expect they may stare at you.

6) Forgetting to Tip

Waiters in New York despise serving foreigners. Why? It’s because a waiter in the US is not paid a salary, not even minimum wage. They live off of tips, and this is important to remember. Even foreigners who know this think it’s alright to leave 10% or 12%. It’s not. It’s 20% unless the waiter was really awful.

cerveja gelada

7) Ordering beer as if you were in Brazil

Brazilians are very particular about beer. First and foremost, it needs to be as cold as possible without being frozen, and being served beer that is not this cold is absolutely unacceptable. Unfortunately Brazilians, expect to be disappointed by the temperature that your beer is served in other countries. As shocking as it may sound, even people in the US don’t seem to care when their beer comes in a glass that feels like it was just pulled out of a piping hot dishwasher. I know, its terrible. Just remember that people in other countries care more about the flavor of the beer than the exact cold temperature.

For Brazilians traveling to other countries, it is also important to remember that in most places you cannot specify the amount of foam that you want when you are served your draft beer. Nos Estados Unidos, pedindo “dois dedos de colarinho” não rola.

Economic News: 5 Reasons The Brazilian Economy May Have Already Peaked…

A saddening article Via The Bull….

HAS BRAZIL’S ECONOMY PEAKED?

There are many signs Brazil is at the top of its game economically with only one way to go – down.

Brazil’s economy grew 7.5% last year, the fastest annual gain in nearly a quarter century and more than twice as fast as the U.S. economy, which expanded 2.8% in 2010. In fact, Brazil’s economy has been growing so fast – about 5% a year, on average – that some investors and economists are saying it has peaked and could be ready to backslide.

That would be quite an about-face, going from a top contender to a has-been in such a short period of time, but there are indications this is happening in Brazil right now. Here are five signs that, economically, Brazil may be on its way to becoming a country of the past.

1. Shrinking Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

GDP is an indicator of economic health representing the monetary value of all goods and services produced within a country during a specific time period, such as three months or a year. In Brazil, economists believe GDP growth is slowing and will fall to around 4.5% or 5% this year. That’s as much as a 40% drop-off from last year’s 7.5% GDP growth.

2. Worrisome Inflation

Inflation usually picks up as an economy heats up and expands because consumers want more of everything, from food and clothes to cars and houses. And that’s just what’s been happening in Brazil for more than a decade. There, inflation has gone from a record low of 1.65% in 1998 to 6.7% now – more than a 300% increase. Inflation can severely hinder economic growth when prices get so high that they discourage consumer spending, which is the main driver of growth.

3. Overdependence on Commodities

As a leading exporter of coffee, orange juice, sugar, soy, iron ore and other items, Brazil has been dubbed a “commodities powerhouse.” So how could that be bad? Some economists are concerned Brazil is overdependent on commodities and too weak in other areas, like industrial production.  In the long-term, that could result in a much slower overall economy even though Brazil does a tremendous amount of commodities business with the U.S., China and other countries.

4. Record-Low Unemployment

At a little over 6%, unemployment in Brazil is near record lows and less than half the historic high of more than 13% in August 2003. Surely, low unemployment is a good thing, right? Not necessarily. Although just about everyone would rather have a job than be out of work, very low unemployment is a major sign an economy has peaked, particularly in the case of Brazil. At this point, excessive government hiring, not a bonafide need for more workers in the general economy, is the main reason for record-low joblessness in Brazil.

5. A Potential Housing Bubble

Brazil is starting to look like the U.S. a few years ago, right before the housing crisis that sent our economy into a tailspin. Property prices are soaring, like in Sao Paulo, which has seen home prices nearly double in only a few years. Also, credit has become much easier to obtain, with the amount issued to the private sector nearly doubling since 2007 – and set to grow another 20% this year. Experts believe many new loans are being made to first-time borrowers who simply can’t afford them – just like in the U.S. before the big crash.

The Bottom Line

There are many signs Brazil is at the top of its game economically with only one way to go – down. The question is how quickly and how far it will fall. A major crash like the U.S. had a few years ago doesn’t seem likely because the Brazilian government saw what we went through and is already looking to curtail consumer credit. It has also been raising interest rates, a step governments often take to prevent a hot economy from overheating. Thus, a more likely scenario in Brazil is what economists call a soft landing, where the economy gradually pulls back to a more sustainable level of growth.

Weird Science News: New Photos Of Uncontacted Tribe in Brazil

I seriously cannot get enough of this…

New Uncontacted Group Confirmed in Brazil

so, it's not OK to "contact" them, and yet it is OK to fly right over them through the sky in airplanes

The Javari Valley

The newly-identified group lives in the Javari valley, a South Carolina-sized region set aside by the Brazilian government for indigenous people. About 2,000 uncontacted people are believed to live there, making it the last great stronghold of groups who’ve utterly eschewed industrial civilization.

“There are about seven groups who have been contacted, and what the Brazilian government says is that they’ve found references to about 14 uncontacted indigenous groups,” said Watson. “Some of those groups may be the same people. It’s hard to say exactly how many there are.”

The most recent contact was made in 1996 with a group of Korubo tribespeople. (Above is videotape from that encounter.) Though government policy is to avoid contact altogether, they were moving toward an area occupied by loggers, making it necessary to warn them away.

Via Wired Science…

Starting A Company in Brazil (For Dummies)

Loved this summary so much, copied and pasted it straight from The Brazil Business, read this if you are thinking about starting a company in Brazil and want to understand brazilian bureaucracy a little bit better….

Company Formation for Dummies

Opening a company in Brazil can be extremely complicated and takes a lot of time. What we aim with this article is to present the bureaucracy and procedures related to this enterprise.

Background

Foreigners and locals face several bureaucratic procedures when trying to start a business in Brazil. Such deficiency is the result of old regulations and restrictive laws that together create a barrier to foreign investments.

Just to give an idea, it takes up to 152 days to start doing business in Brazil and 43 documents must be presented, whereas in other countries, such as Russia, the process takes 31 days and the number of documents to 10.

Such complicated process requires a step-by-step orientation, which is what this article will provide.

1. Placement

The first step is to write down everything necessary to the operation, such as place, machinery, number of employees and facilities. Then check the legislation of the city where your company is going to operate. It is important to be sure that the building you have chosen to establish your business is in line with your line of business.

Consider the kind of operations of your company is going to perform and the materials that will be used, as environmental impact may become a serious obstacle to your business.

2. Registration and Operation

Before getting the article of association, it is important to check with the board of trades if there is no other company already registered with the same name you are planning to give your company.

The next step is to have your company included on National Department of Commerce Registration.

For this registration it is necessary to present the article of association and each partner’s tax ID and ID card, (in Brazil, CPF and RG). You will then receive an identification number known as NIRE (Número de Identificação do Registro da Empresa).

Now you can obtain a CNPJ (National Register of Corporate Taxpayers) and a DECA (Registration Declaration). Both documents state that the company is now able to pay taxes. CNPJ is your company’s federal taxes ID and DECA is your state one.

These registrations are the easiest ones as both of them are requested online. Both must be requested at the Receita Federal website. The required documentation is sent through Sedex to the Receita Federal and the reply to the founder will be made online as well.

3. Business License

The next step is to go the city’s prefecture and request a business license. This document is obtained at the municipal finance department and it allows the localization and operation of commercial, industrial, agricultural, services establishments, as well as institutions and associations related to legal entities or private people.

4. Registration at the Social Security

Now that the business license was approved, the company is ready to start operating. However, in order to hire employees, the company has to register at the Social Security, as it is necessary to handle labor requirements.

The entrepreneur or his representative must go to a Social Security office, in possession of the CNPJ and the article of association, and request the registration of the company and its accredited representative. The registration deadline is of 30 days after the company has started to operate.

5. Fiscal Equipment

To finally begin to operate, the company has to request the printing of invoices and the authentication of accounting books.

For that, service providers will have to go to the local prefecture, whereas companies related to industry and commerce must go to the State Department of Taxation and Finance.

Once the fiscal equipment is ready and registered, your company can finally start to operate.

Costs

Costs related to opening a company in Brazil vary a lot from state to state, but in general, the process is expensive, besides taking too long, as it involves the assistance of some professionals. If you decide to do everything on your own, the average cost to open your company is of BRL 2.038,00, still much higher than in countries such as Colombia (BRL 1.213,00) and Canada (BRL 315,00).

Differently from what many may think, the most expensive state to open a company is Sergipe, in the Northeast, and not São Paulo, which is the wealthiest state in the country.

Rio de Janeiro is another expensive state too, as it has the highest costs related to authentication of documents within the public records.

Lawyers can also be very expensive in different regions of the country. As the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) does not establishes national rules regarding how much a lawyers can charge for their services, prices vary 1.241% throughout Brazil.

Via  The Brazil Business

News: Skilled Foreigners Struggle to Get Brazilian Visas

Although Brazil is very much in need of a skilled workforce, and companies are often willing to recruit foreign talent to fill that void, I have been hearing from several non-brazilian friends that obtaining a work visa has really been an issue. This is an interesting article that reflects these sentiments…

Via IT Decisions…

Skilled Foreigners Struggle to Get Brazilian Visas

As the Brazilian government attempts to remedy its worsening skills shortage in key areas such as technology, skilled foreigners interested in moving to the country face major visa headaches.

According to an article by Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo, Brazil has only granted 56,006 work visas in 2010.  That compares with 586,000 visas granted in the UK, 482,052 in the US and 223,000 permits to work granted by China during the year.

The story goes on to comment that despite the growing interest from professionals, students and businesspeople in Brazil, these individuals are often put off by visa applications that often take several months to be processed.

Reasons for such drawn-out processes include lack of online automation for many procedures including the several items of documentation foreigners often have to provide and the fact that applications are forwarded to government departments in Brasilia for analysis.

In sectors such as IT, the skills gap seen in more developed nations is already a reality across the Brics as these countries seek to focus on value-added services. CIOs in Brazil are struggling to find and retain talent and have to rely on services providers instead – which comes at increasingly hefty price tags.

The skills shortage issue has now become a potential blocker for successful investments in Brazil from overseas: for example, Taiwanese tablet manufacturer Foxconn has already delayed the production of the Apple iPad in Brazil, mainly due to the scarcity of qualified manpower.