Paulo Rebêlo Wired News February 2002 PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil — The heavy rain didn’t dampen the spirits of the thousands who strode down the streets here in the “Walk for Peace,” which preceded Thursday’s opening of the World Social Forum. Politicians, scholars and grassroots organizers — the vast majority coming from the left portion of… Continue reading →

Paulo Rebêlo Wired News January 2002 PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil — While political and business leaders from the world’s richest nations preach the gospel of globalization at this week’s World Economic Forum in New York, a wholly different point of view will be presented in this southern Brazilian city. The week-long World Social Forum, beginning Thursday,… Continue reading →

Paulo Rebêlo Wired News January 2002 Thirty years ago, the sugar business was Recife’s biggest source of income. That was until São Paulo started processing its own sugar, and Recife was forced to diversify. Recife, situated on the northeastern coast of Brazil, went through another economic boost with expanded use of its local harbor, but… Continue reading →

Paulo Rebêlo Wired News December 2001 In a poor neighborhood in the city of Olinda, artists, dancers and musicians are embracing technology as a way to help youth imagine a way out of poverty. A group called Leo Coroado, which has sung and danced “maracatu” since 1863, is trying to fight poverty and violence by… Continue reading →

Paulo Rebêlo Wired News October 2001 Satellite Internet connections have, for the first time, arrived in order to expand the country’s Web penetration. Universo Online (UOL), the biggest ISP in Latin America, joined forces with Star One and Gilat Satellite Networks in an effort to expand Internet access at distant locations of Brazil. Only 5… Continue reading →

Paulo Rebêlo Wired News August 2001 The Brazilian government might again get into a worldwide fight about anti-AIDS drugs. Now it’s over Nelfinavir, a drug from the Swiss laboratory Roche. Last June, the World Trade Organization defended Brazil in the so-called patent war between American laboratories — which had the support of the U.S. government… Continue reading →

Paulo Rebêlo Wired News August 2001 If you lived in a house with no running water, no electricity and not many amenities, getting access to the Internet wouldn’t seem to be such a high priority. But that’s what’s happening in Amapá, a small state in Brazil near the Amazon region, where a project called “Navegar”… Continue reading →

Paulo Rebêlo Wired News August 2001 Free ISPs in Brazil have been falling apart for quite some time, despite the growing number of Net users. Recently, Internet Gratis (iG), the biggest of the free ISPs, acquired hpG, the biggest free Web-hosting service in Brazil. Two free services getting together won’t make a profitable business, right?… Continue reading →

Paulo Rebêlo Wired News July 2001 Efforts to connect Brazil to the 21st century continue in earnest as governments and non-governmental organizations endeavor to provide Internet access to poor and rural areas. According to Brazilian Planning Minister Martus Tavares, the government is about to invest $400 million this year to expand Internet use in Brazil…. Continue reading →

Paulo Rebêlo Wired News May 2001 The Brazilian health system is a model to the world when it comes to fighting AIDS. But it faces the wrath of labs in the United States, which want to regain control of their patents on generic medicines used to fight the disease. Brazil is the only Latin American… Continue reading →