Complexo Alemão in Rio de Janeiro Has Been Taken

Complexo Alemão in Rio de Janeiro Has Been Taken. Via O Globo

Unsurprisingly, the PM moved in to Complexo Alemão, Rio de Janeiro this morning. What does suprise me is the fact that there was very little resistance from the favela community that is considered the trafficking stronghold of the city. Police raided the German Complex at 8am on Sunday, with about 2,600 men, and around 10 am had already reached the top of the hill. [See the series of events in photos]

I was seriously expecting a huge battle to take place when the PM finally made their move into Alemão. It was suspected that over 600 traffickers were hiding in Alemão. The right hand man of one of the traficante leaders came down from the hill to turn himself in after Rio’s authorities had urged the hundreds of traffickers hiding in Alemão to “surrender with arms in the air by sunset on Friday.” I wonder how long it will take for other gang members in jail to badly hurt of kill him for his betrayal.

Also on Saturday many of Alemão's residents took to the streets with white flags and tee-shirts proclaiming PEACE. These are the people who are really suffering. Many of them have been without water and electricity for over 24 hours. Some residents fled from their homes in fear of the imminent confrontation. Anything, everything. and anyone going in and out of Alemão was thoroughly searched and residents were prohibited from returning to their homes in the hours before the raid began. And you thought the TSA was bad...

But now Alemão has been taken by the state and a search of all homes has been issued. There were very few arrests and so far I've only heard of one death. This means that the traffickers have fled - yet again. I've heard many people in Niterói suspect that they will inevitably flee here, to Ntierói, and also to São Gonçalo. Very unfortunate indeed. Residents of Alemão have said that they have seen traffickers fleeing through the sewer line installed by the works of the Growth Acceleration Program (CAP), which in my view show that they are getting pretty desperate to have to resort to fleeing through sewage lines - extremely disgusting and full of terrible bacteria!

Right now there is tranquility in Complexo Alemão, but it seems people are still on edge because of the ease at which Alemão was taken. Even spokesperson for the Bureau of Drug Enforcement said, "The environment is quiet. Disturbingly quiet."

What is amazing is the amount of support the police are getting from the general public. It seems like all of Rio is ready for a change. The middle class is tired of the violence that occasionally spreads into their communities, and I get the feeling that favela residents are also ready for a new page in their history.

I can't say that I support the invasion of favelas, especially since it just seems to be transplanting social issues from one area to the next, but I can cay that I support the UPP program. To be clear I do not think that any of this is happening because the government really cares about these people or is doing them a favor, I believe that these people are now seen as consumers. Pacified favelas now have to pay bills to legitimate electric providers instead of paying gangsters in the informal economy for stolen electricity. Even McDonald's is considering opening up shop inside one favela. Vila Cruzeiro was just promised a R$400 million (US$231 million) to build infrastructure, a shopping mall, 47 new shops, and a park with space for a cinema. A wave of social services has been promised to Alemão as well.

I just hope that this can last. I think it gives hope to people that their communities can be better and that they don't have to be run by gangsters. I hope that even though many traffickers fled, they are loosing some of their power, slowly but surely. There will always be drugs and guns, but now it is being forced to be underground rather than flagrantly out in the open. At least now kids are not idolizing traffickers with unlimited guns, drugs, and girls that hangs out on the corner every day (not to mention their mini-mansion hideout) .

Now all I can do is wait and see where the fleeing traffickers turn up.

Vacation!

And what about my vacation?! We decided to wait until Sunday to leave so we can hang out at the beach with Russell's brother and sister a bit. Also, I want to climb the mountain in Itacoatiara this weekend. Then we will be able to see what the situation looks like after Saturday - when we expect the peak activity to occur - since wherever we go we have to go through Rio, and I don't want to get stuck on any shut-down roads.

Complexo Alemão Access Points Surrounded

Trafficker escape route from Villa Cruzeiro to Complexo do Alemåno. Via O Globo

Like I said earlier, Military Police (PM) unit, BOPE, entered Villa Cruzeiro, along with a few hundred Army soldiers and their tanks. Over 200 gangsters fled through the forest into Complexo Alemão, which is where other gangsters from previously pacified favelas are suspected to have fled as well. Villa Cruzeiro "belongs to the state," as the PM announced on TV.

Complexo Alemão is now a major hotspot. The federal government has given 800 more Navy troops to the city of Rio to use in the operation - but the PM and BOPE are still running the show. The main access points to Complexo Alemão are surrounded by military forces, but they are not entering - yet. People I talk to here say the police won't enter - but I think they will, probably tomorrow. Why would they take personnel from the Army and bring in tanks if they weren't planning something big. If they take Alemão they will be making a huge statement. And if they are eventually able to pacify it and send in UPP - wow - that would be unheard of.

I am suspicious of UPP, but I've heard a lot of good stories coming out of pacified favelas. The process of pacification - mainly the invasion part of it - is what can be terrible. But the question becomes: what about after 2016?

Great Favela Pacification Video via Al Jazeera

Peace in the favelas - PEOPLE AND POWER - Al Jazeera English

I almost forgot....

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!

It is difficult to remember purely American holidays while out of the country. I hope everyone has a great time and is thankful for all the blessings in their life.

Rio Conflict Makes US News

RIO DE JANEIRO — Police raided gang-ruled shantytowns Wednesday, setting off clashes that killed 14 people as authorities try to halt a wave of violent crime that has rattled rich and poor alike in a city that Brazil hopes to make a showplace for the 2016 Olympics.

Police invaded the Vila Cruzeiro community and surrounding slums early in the day, engaging in intense gunbattles. Twenty-five people were detained.

"We didn't start this war," police spokesman Henrique de Lima Castro Saraiva said. "We were provoked. But we will emerge victorious."

Over the past three days, 21 people had been killed and about 150 arrested during sweeps by 17,500 officers, Lima Castro said. Two officers suffered minor wounds in Wednesday's fighting.

A wave of recent gang violence has shaken Rio. Authorities say gangs are lashing back in response to a law-enforcement drive to regain control of territory the past two years. The police force has been assigned an additional 1,200 officers to fend off attacks.

"We are stepping up our efforts," Lima Castro said. "We will be even more trenchant tomorrow."

Most of the violence was concentrated in the city's poor northern and western neighborhoods. Robber gangs have erected roadblocks where they have stopped cars and buses and set 29 vehicles on fire since the clashes began Sunday. One man was killed Wednesday when he refused to stop at a roadblock.

Police said they had not yet identified all the dead or determined what connection, if any, they had to drug trafficking or other crimes.

"Bystanders may be affected," Lima Castro said.

As bodies arrived at the Getulio Vargas state hospital in northern Rio, desperate relatives insisted their loved ones were innocent victims and lashed out at police and drug dealers alike.

"Congratulations, congratulations for killing another innocent victim," screamed a distraught man who identified himself as the father of 14-year-old Rosangela Barbosa Alves. Barbosa was killed by a stray bullet at her home in Vila Cruzeiro.

The father did not want to give his own name for fear of retaliation.

"There are three children (who were shot and killed) ... and no one does anything," added a weeping female relative of Barbosa who also declined to be identified. "The criminals are never killed."

The relatives of another victim, identified by the health department as Rafael Felipe Goncalves, 29, wrapped his body in a blanket and carried it down a steep slope leading to the hospital. He had been shot in the head and was dead on arrival.

"He is not a criminal," cried a man who identified himself as the victim's brother.

Security officials say the roadblock robberies and other gang violence are aimed at bringing a halt to a police campaign to force the groups out of the city's numerous shantytowns, where they have long ruled with impunity.

Thirteen shantytowns have been freed of gangs over the past two years. The plan is to liberate 40 – a small fraction of Rio's more than 1,000 slums – in time for the 2014 World Cup.

Police said a note found on a burning bus Wednesday warned that if law enforcement continues to push drug dealers out of the slums, Rio won't be able to host the Olympics.

Rio state Public Safety Director Jose Beltrame said security forces will not be deterred.

"This is not an easy task, but it is also an opportunity to build a better city," Beltrame told Globo TV on Wednesday. "We are not giving back one millimeter. Their threat shows we are on the right path. They're being affected."

Rio's governor, Sergio Cabral, urged calm.

"What the bandits want is panic," he told CBN radio Wednesday. "We are facing a desperate reaction from criminals. But we are not going to despair."

Police have responded to the roadblock robberies by deploying riot officers on expressways into the city of 6 million people and sending patrols into more than 27 gang-controlled shantytowns to find gang members they hold responsible for the attacks.

Violence has plagued Rio for decades, but most has been contained within the slums that cling to the hillsides. Now, a few of the recent attacks have spilled into middle-class and wealthier neighborhoods closer to the beach, spreading fears that police are losing control of the city.

"The scary part is that now it's getting close to us. Before the violence was always far away," said Olga Silveira, who was milling around a plaza in the wealthy Ipanema neighborhood where police on Wednesday blew up a large, empty wooden box mistakenly feared to contain explosives. "Now we're feeling it on our flesh. The criminals have discovered the power they have and they want to show it."

Article via HuffingtonPost

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They want to pacify 40 favelas by 2014 while thousands still are gang hideouts. All they are doing is transplanting the problem away from where these international events will take place. Then what happens in 2016 after the Olympics are over? This is not a permanent or sustainable solution, in my opinion.

War in Rio's Favelas

Bandits fleeing Vila Cruzeiro towards Complexo do Alemão. Via O Globo

In Rio at least 17 schools, several universities, and 12 nursery have been shut down due to the increased violence in Rio and the surrounding area. In Rio's favelas there is an all out war going on... and it is all being broadcast live on TV. Seriously, there are hundreds of bandits running around in the hills that surround the favelas all with giant guns. The police shoot them from the military helicopter all while the news helicopter catches it on film. I have never seen anything like this.

What we are watching right now is the invasion by Special Operations Battalion (BOPE) of the Vila Cruzeiro Favela. The bandits fled towards Complexo do Alemão. Whereas the gangs used to fire upon each other when one rival entered the others territory, now the gangs have joined forces and can flee between favelas. It began when 150 military police officers from the BOPE and 30 Marines with painted faces, entered the Vila Cruzeiro, in Penha, on Thursday in the early afternoon. Six armored vehicles, the same as the vehicles used in Iraq, are being used to transport troops to the favela as well. Over 100 municipal police were also sent into the favela. This is just one police operation out of many that have occurred since the police forced began their retaliation early Wednesday morning.

Residents, especially those that live in favelas (most favelados are good, hard-working, honest people, by the way), have barricaded themselves in their homes or have left home all together. Stray bullets are a sad reality of urban warfare.

So far 27 people have been killed. Police said they had not yet identified all the dead or determined what connection, if any, they had to drug trafficking or other crimes, but Military Police Colonel Lima Castro did warn that, "Bystanders may be affected."

I left the house today without fear because I live in a safe neighborhood, but there are heavily armed police everywhere as people stop at pubs to watch the violence happening across the bay.

Map of the Violence in Rio de Janeiro

Below is a map of the violence in Rio de Janeiro. Click here for a more detailed map.


Visualizar Ataques no Rio a e reação da polícia em um mapa maior

Blue: Bus fire
Red: Car fire
Green: Attack on a Military Police booth
Light Blue: Death
Yellow: Suspected bomb
Purple: Arrest
Pink: Police reinforcements sent

Bandits Attack Rio de Janeiro, Set Fire to Busses

Last night Russell and I were told not to leave our house because there would be muggings and attacks at night. Our inside source was right. This morning we woke up to breaking news - there were attacks  in Rio de Janeiro as well as the nearby cities of São Gonçalo and Niterói. Thankfully the community within Niterói where I live - Icaraí - was not targeted.

I've been reading about what happened on O Globo, the major Brazilian new outlet. From what I can tell so far here is a basic time line of what's been going on:

Shots were fired as bandits trawled and set fire to cars - Photo CléberJúnior

Throughout the day this past Sunday, "bandits," as they are called, continued with their series of car thefts and muggings in Rio de Janeiro city, giving the general population in Rio a little scare. Basically what happens is a group of bandits come out of the favelas with their giant guns and shut down the road. They then trawl the jammed traffic for valuables and cash (which is why they are referred to as arrastões, or trawlers, here). Some people flee their cars and take shelter in nearby businesses, others wait in their cars and hand over all valuables. Never try to outsmart the bandits, they have no problem putting those massive guns to use - seriously.

By Sunday afternoon the first reports of cars being torched began hitting the news as car thefts and trawling continued.

On Monday morning five armed men torched three vehicles and attacked a Military Police car. Soon after, the same men are suspected of attacking a Military Police booth in Irajá with machine guns.

The Military Police began a series of raids in Rio's favelas in th e very early hours of Tuesday morning after four more cars were torched and another Military Police booth was attacked. Later in the afternoon intense fighting between Military Police and bandits erupted in the streets shutting down Avenida Nossa Senhora da Penha in Rio. It was reported that the Military Police were fired upon when they arrived after receiving a complaint in the area, but it is hard to know what really happens in these firefights.

Military Police continued their raid of Rio's favelas on Tuesday. Eight criminals were arrested, two traffickers killed, two men arrested, and two children taken into custody. Explosive devices, jugs of gasoline, weapons (including shotguns, a revolver, and some handguns), motorcycles, marijuana, cocaine, and crack were also seized. The military and municipal police forces announce that they will continue the raids until a sense of security is restored to the people of Rio.

A bus that was torched on Wednesday morning / Photo: Eliezer Bridges

Last night and into this morning more vehicles were set ablaze. So far, at least ten cars, a van, and five buses have been torched since the latest early dawn attacks began. Four people were taken to the hospital when a van was set on fire, leaving the driver and passengers with severe burns to their legs. Others were injured when a bus waiting in traffic was set on fire early this morning. The violence also spread beyond Rio de Janeiro into the nearby cities of São Gonçalo and Niterói, where a handful of cars were torched. Thankfully the community within Niterói where I live - Icaraí - was not targeted. Russell and I also had forewarning that violence would enter into Niterói and were warned to stay home.

In response, the Military Police has called all officers to duty, not allowing those already working to go home and calling in all off-duty officers. All administrative duties were called off and every officer is being sent into the field in order to prevent further violence. Unfortunately, violence has only escalated as the Military Police have killed at least 10 people in multiple favela raids this morning, leading to the first deaths in the conflict. The military and municipal police have also joined forces throughout the state of Rio in hopes of preventing more attacks.

Today Secretariat of Intelligence Security Bureau announced that for the first time in 16 years, the two major criminal factions in Rio teamed up. The Rocinha gang (from Rocinha favela) joined forces with their rival gang from Complexo do Alemão (another favela). Their goal: destabilizing the primary public safety program in the state - the deployment of Police Pacification Units (UPP - Unidades de Polícia Pacificadora). Security secretary Jose Mariano Beltrame responded by promising to double the force of the Military Police and warned that, "those who cross the path of the UPP will be run over."

UPDATE: Another bus has been set on fire. There have been 150 people arrested so far. The death count for today is now at 13. Among the dead is a 14 year old girl, victim of a stray bullet in the slums of Grotão in Penha.

According to Military Police Colonel Lima de Castro, some 17,500 police are on standby throughout the metropolitan area.

"We did not start this war. We were provoked into it and we will be victorious," said Col. Castro.

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Favela invasion and pacification has become the preferred technique of the Military Police in an effort to rid Rio of violence in preparation for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games. The Military Police special forces, Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais (Special Police Operations Battalion), commonly know by its acronym BOPE, storm the favela, often with helicopters and on foot. Traffickers either flee or stay and fight the BOPE creating an urban war zone that often leaves innocent bystanders in the crossfire. After violence calms down BOPE moves out as the UPP (Police Pacification Unit) moves in. Basically a heavily armed office now takes the place of the heavily armed gang member. These have been many success stories out of favelas that have been pacified, although there is still widespread anger about the takeover and occupation process. One major problem arises when you consider that many traffickers flee before or during the invasion, thus transplanting rather than solving the issue.

Favela Blogs

Today I set up a few Google Alerts (favela, Rio de Janeiro, pacification, homeless) to be sent to my inbox. I did this so I can keep up to date on all things favela, which I am hoping will be beneficial to my thesis. While I was setting up my alerts I came across these two really great blogs about favela life.

Check them out:

• Homeless in Brazil: By Daphnie Carter who spends her months between California and Brazil. She blogs about the issues facing the street children in Rio de Janeiro, writing that, "Their situation (along with homeless kids everywhere) is clearly unjust, and an umbrella-range of irresponsible adults, from all levels of society, are to blame for the cruel lifestyle that these children are "living" in such conditions on the streets." This blog also has some good video and outside links.
• Life in Rocinha: A guy who lives in Rocinha (I believe he is a favela tour operator). Basically reading an insiders perspective, a nice supplement to my own outsider perspective.

Beautiful Rio de Janeiro Sunset

"The best thing about Niterói is the view of Rio." This is a commonly said around here and it is really true. I want to share this sunset with you so you can see for yourself. Click on the photos for more details.

Father and son fishing

Walking the beach at sunset.

The Christ and the Museu de Arte Contemporânea (MAC) lit up at sunset.

A couple walks the beach at sunset.

Sugar Loaf, Corcovado Mountain (the Christ is covered by clouds) and the MAC at sunset.

The moon over Rio de Janeiro at twilight.

Slackline With A Homeless Family

BOPE occupies a favela in Tijuca, photo by Max Coelho/BOPE.

The amount of homeless in Icaraí has drastically increased since my last two visits in 2008 and 2009.  From what I understand, Rio won hosting duties for the World Cup and Olympics and now the government has begun Favela Pacification - favelas are invaded and occupied by police forces. Sometimes there can be all out war between gangs and military police but often war lords and drug and gun traffickers flee into the cities surrounding Rio. Basically the homeless, as well as war lords and drug and arms traffickers, are being swept out of Rio and into the surrounding cities, such as here in Niterói.

[Favela Pacification Spreads to Tijuca]

The girls go for a dip with the baby after playing on the slackline.

Russell and I are very popular on the beach when we do slackline. We are equal opportunity and all different types of kids, from high class kids to favela kids, come and want to try the slackline. So when a homeless family set up camp under a shade tree next to us, their kids obviously wanted to come and play - and they did.

The social gap between couple walking and the homeless family is palpable.

Our conversation:

Are you a gringa?
   Yes, yes I am.
Laughter
Where are you from?
   America
Germany?
   No, The United States of America.
Oh, Germany.
   No, the US.
Germany must be nice.
   Yes, Germany is nice.

Deep, I know. But they didn't seem to know of the US - Russell even told them and they still didn't get it.

The family seems to consist of one older man (certainly drunk or on drugs, or both [read about the crack epidemic among the homeless]), a woman my age or a little older (she seemed to be in charge of things), two male teenagers, three younger girls and two younger boys, and one baby.

They all had giant Coca-Cola bottles to drink from. I often see homeless people with Coke, but never see them with water. Why? Coke is cheaper than water. How can that be, right? I know. It's outrageous. Not to mention how may health and dental problems arise from drinking sugar filled Coke as a substitute for water.

Slackline on the beach.

It really sucks that instead of getting these kids off the streets and into school (which in Brazil is mandatory and free) the government instead is just ignoring the problem and transplanting these social and structural issues from Rio into surrounding cities. I don't think invasion and occupation are long term solutions - but hey, at least Rio will be looking good in the harsh international spotlight (note the touch of sarcasm in my voice).

Amazonas Suffer Record Drought

Boats stranded on the Rio Negro river bed, photo by Rodrigo Baleia.

According to local authorities, 27 of the 62 municipalities of the Amazonas state have declared a state of emergency. The local population that mainly relies on fluvial transportation is currently suffering a shortage in food, medicines, fuel and drinkable water.

According to Daniel Oliveira, a hydrology expert with the CPRM, Brazil’s hydrological service, the central part of the river is still navigable, but some of the branches and effluents have dried out, revealing sandbanks and leaving villagers whose houses used to be on the riverfront, stranded and isolated. The risk of dislocation for fishermen who used to fish in front of their houses is also great.

“Even in the navigable parts, the consequences on the population are important. A five day trip now takes seven days, and has to be done with more detours. As a consequence, more fuel is used, the price increases, and so does the price of other commodities”, says Oliveira.

The drought also has other environmental consequences, with landslides near the riverbanks in São Paulo de Olivença, where according to the local authorities, the front of the city collapsed, affecting more than 200 houses and the Amazon forest left more susceptible to the increasing risk of fire.

Rio Negro's banks are drying up, photo by Rodrigo Baleia.

The record drought is not an isolated incident, though. With major drought in 2005 and a historic flood in 2009, the Amazon River has been experiencing rapid and extreme variations over the past few years. “The Amazonas state is going through a permanent emergency situation and this is very serious”, says Rafael Cruz from Greenpeace Brazil.

Cruz continued; “It’s too early to say that all this is provoked by global warming but one cannot ignore the possibility. If this is not climate change right now, it at least gives us the sensation of what it will be if we don’t limit carbon emissions.”

The drought comes at a time when climate change has gained renewed political attention with the unexpectedly strong results of the Green Party candidate Marina Silva at the first round of the Presidential elections and the attempt of the two other candidates, Dilma Rousseff and José Serra to appeal to her electorate even if some issues, like the Belmonte dam remain controversial.

For now, President Lula has reaffirmed a commitment to climate change in view of the next U.N. climate summit in Cancun in late November, with Brazil already agreeing to a fifty percent emission reduction in 2050. Yet after the failure of the Copenhagen summit to deliver a binding international agreement to cut greenhouse emissions, expectations for Cancun are low.

[Full Article via The Rio Times]

Can you believe that 50% of Congress, since the elections, will be made up of climate skeptics.... I need to go see the Amazon before it is gone.

A Glimpse Into The Future

In a sign that combat and the 2012 elections rather than compromise could mark the next two years, GOP leader Sen. Mitch McConnell on Thursday called for Senate votes to repeal or erode Obama's signature health care law, to cut spending and to shrink government.

"The only way to do all these things it is to put someone in the White House who won't veto any of these things," McConnell said in a speech to the conservative Heritage Foundation.

[full article]

Imagine Republicans taking back the White House. We have just been told their master plan: fuck things up as much as they can for the next two years, then privatize everything in 2014 if they make it to the White House. George Bush recently said that his greatest failure as president was not privatizing social security. I just really don't understand how so many people can vote for a party who out-rightly says that their goal is basically to make the rich richer. And it is not just Republicans - it is those Tea Party-ers too!  OK, fine, Democrats as well. :) And this is a huge problem for all of us. Too many people have been bought off by giant corporations and powerful lobbies, and it sucks that we sit back and let it happen. I feel like I am watching our government structure deteriorate, and it seems so obvious to me.

On the bright side, I still have hope that I am wrong!

US vs. Brazil Elections

I am not the only one who has noticed the perfection of Brazil's election system. Hundreds of international observers were sent throughout the country to learn from Brazil's example and is often cited as one of the top voting systems in the world. But right now it is the the people of the US who are voting. Well, ok, only some people in the US are voting - the US does not require its citizens to vote. This means that likely voters are the people who can afford to leave work. I know employers have to allow employees time off to vote, but it is unpaid time off, and there are a lot of people out there who just can't afford that. Others just don't have the time between work, school, and hobbies. Wouldn't it be nice if we could vote on a day when many of us already rest, like maybe a weekend? And then there is all of the messy aftermath of elections - we all remember the 2000, and even the 2004, presidential election fiasco...

Dilma Rousseff Beats Jose Serra in Brazil Elections

Brazil has perfected the art of elections. Firstly, voting is mandatory. If you don't vote, you can receive a fine and can be prohibited from obtaining a passport and sometimes even a license. Why is it important for everyone to vote? Right now I am following the US elections online and all I am reading about is last minute drives to get people out to vote. This wastes time, resources, and energy that could be better used by focusing on the candidates and the issues - not making sure more Republicans show up than Democrats. This is also important because in the past, groups (and individuals) have invested in campaigns to keep the opposition from voting. We will never have a government that is of the people, by the people, and for the people, until the US making voting a requirement.

And what is up with the Electoral College system in the US? It's archaic! Why don't we follow Brazil's lead and requite a 50% plus 1 majority win. This way there is never another occurrence of the guy who American's prefer (Gore won the popular vote, remember) loosing to the guy Congress prefers (Bush won the Electoral College count). Unlike the US, Brazil has many different political parties, although the current favorites are the Worker's Party (Partido dos Trabalhadores, PT) and the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (Partido da Social Democracia Brasileira, PSDB). The recent election saw the unexpected showing of Green Party supporters and no candidate scored enough votes to win the majority. In this predicament the top two candidates have a run-off.

The beauty of this system is that if, for example, say there is a Republican, an Independent, and a Democrat running a race in Florida. The Independent candidate will siphon off votes from the Democrat candidate, giving Republicans a much easier road to victory. This leads to political jostling behind the scenes, invites corruption, and discourages voters.

In Brazil this very situation occurred in the recent presidential elections. Like I said, the Green Party candidate siphoned off a good chunk of votes from outgoing President Lula's Worker's Party. The run-off took place this past Sunday, nearly a month after the first election turn. This allowed the voters the opportunity to signal their approval of some Green Party policies without fear of causing another similar party a major loss. This also gave voters time to watch multiple televised debates between the two front-running candidates and get to know the candidates and their policies a little better. In the end Dilma Rousseff (better known simply as "Dilma", the hand-selected successor of current, and extremely popular, outgoing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known popularly as Lula).

Another thing - why do we hold elections on a Tuesday? A Tuesday? When everybody works, goes to school, picks up kids, runs errands, makes dinner, cleans the house.... Brazil holds their elections on Sunday. Families eat breakfast or lunch and go vote together. Many people vote before or after church while they are already out. Since school is not in session on Sundays, schools turn into easily accessible polling stations - solving the problem in the US of finding suitable polling locations. Lines are nearly non-existent and voting locations, even in poorer areas, and the voting machines are simple, easy to use, and reliable (no more hanging chads).

Oh and in Brazil they vote with numbers, which is why, in the photo above, Dilma's name has a 13 next to it. That is her number. When you arrive to the machine you type in her number and her name, photo, and details  pop up on the screen. If this is who you want to vote for you press the accept button and cast your vote. This didn't make sense to me at first, but now that it has been explained to me a few times, I am coming around to the idea.