Sue Branford & Maurício Torres, Author at Pacific Standard

Home Archives for Sue Branford & Maurício Torres

Environment

Brazil’s Bolsonaro Government Wants to Circumvent the Constitution to Allow Mining on Indigenous Lands

The Brazilian minister of mines and energy stated that Brazil would open its indigenous territories to mining interests without the consent of the affected population.

Sue Branford & Maurício Torres

The 554-mile Carajás railroad that annually hauls 120 million tons of iron ore from the huge Carajás iron mine in Pará state to the port of Ponta da Madeira in Maranhão state.

Economics

How Chinese Interests—and Money—Have Revived Brazil’s Ambitious Amazon Rail Network

Brazilian commodities producers have long dreamed of a railroad network crisscrossing Amazonia and the Cerrado, able to cheaply move crops and minerals from the nation's interior to South America's coasts. But factors, including lack of investment, political instability, and difficult terrain, have foiled those hopes—until now.

Sue Branford & Maurício Torres

The Amazon rainforest, which saw a decrease in deforestation until recently, has seen a significant increase over the last two years, likely a result of pressures coming from land thieves and Brazilian agribusiness.

Social Justice

How Brazil’s Temer Administration Is Provoking Violence Against Agrarian Reform

The Temer administration and Congress, controlled by the bancada ruralista agricultural lobby, is trashing environmental, indigenous, and social rights.

Sue Branford & Maurício Torres