Posted by Rachel
There are plenty of weird but true stories that come out of Brazil, and this one is no exception. This week, a man thought to have been killed in a car crash showed up at his own funeral.
Ademir Jorge Gonçalves, age 59, was out drinking with friends in Santo Antônio da Platina, Paraná when relatives believed he was killed in a car accident. They mistakenly identified the body, and set up a funeral for the following day, which happened to be Dia dos Finados, when Brazilians honor the dead. In the meantime, a supersticious friend burned all of Ademir’s clothes and his mattress.
But the next morning, another friend warned Ademir about the mix-up, and Ademir showed up at his own funeral, still drunk, to explain to his confused relatives. The body was later correctly identified, and Ademir went home to an apartment without a bed or any clothes!
Posted by Rachel
The Logo network’s website, TripOutGayTravel.com, part of the MTV network, elected Rio de Janeiro as the Best Global Destination City for gay travelers this week, beating Buenos Aires, Barcelona, London, Montreal, and Sydney. The election took place at the International LGBT Tourism Conference in Boston.
The announcement comes on the heels of Rio’s Olympic selection win, as well as being named the “Happiest City in the World” by Forbes. It will also play host to several games during the 2014 World Cup to be held in Brazil.
Eduardo Paes, the mayor of Rio, was delighted by the news. “It recognizes the hospitality of our people, who make everyone feel at home. I’m proud and pleased to be the mayor of such a welcoming city that respects and values differences.”
The announcement also came right after Rio’s annual gay pride parade, held on Sunday in Copacabana.
Posted by Rachel
Today, for today’s interactive feature, the question is: what Brazilian news outlets do you use to get your news about Brazil? They can be TV, print, or online.
I use Estado de Sao Paulo and G1, as well a number of Brazilian blogs that often have links to breaking or recent news stories. I also check Folha de Sao Paulo, on UOL. Globo News has good news videos and live news broadcasts.
What about you?
Posted by Rachel
This week, Lamborghini opened its first Brazilian dealership, located in São Paulo. The dealership is managed by Via Italia Group, a Brazilian-based company that specializes in luxury and sports cars. The company opened a showroom on Avenida Europa in downtown, and will also open a service and parts facility nearby.
Lamborghini cited São Paulo as the ideal location for its first Brazilian dealership because it is “one of the most modern and luxurious cities in South America,” and decided to enter the Brazilian market as a part of its global network strategy.
Via Italia Group was founded in São Paulo in 1996 and has become one of Brazil’s most notable sports car dealerships. They also sell Ferraris and Maseratis.
Posted by Rachel
This week, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Brazilian government has now imposed a two percent tax on foreign investment entering Brazil, hurting the local stock markets.
Brazil has weathered the global economic crisis much better than other countries, and the Ibovespa index rose 70% since March. The government has imposed tax on stock market purchases before, at 1.5% in 2008. The move this October is due to the strong real, which is hurting Brazilian exports.
However, experts say the move is already been detrimental to Brazilian stock markets and small and medium-sized companies looking to get onto the market in Brazil. They also say the move could threaten Brazil’s relatively new investment-grade status.
But like things in Brazil sometimes go, it seems investors may have already discovered a jeitinho to get around the tax. Investors looking to buy equities in Brazil could buy the equivalent stock in New York, cancel the purchase, and as a result get the equivalent Brazilian stock.
To read more, see the WSJ article here.
