Brazil Dispatch

Dutchman Busted with Cocaine in Oranges

Michael Hone — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 18:17:54 +0000

Police at Guarulhos International Airport in Sao Paulo arrested a Dutchman who tried to catch a flight to Europe with cocaine concealed in oranges Friday. The 32-year-old man held a ticket to Lisbon, with a connecting flight to Düsseldorf, Germany. … Continue reading →

Valentine’s Day Gift Basket For Him

Michael Hone — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 20:37:37 +0000

A Valentine’s Day gift basket is the subject of a photo that has made Brazil’s Jucy Silva an Internet sensation, garnering over 7 thousand Facebook likes in just two days. The racy photos posted on Jucy’s Facebook page showed the … Continue reading →

Lawyer Runs Down Armed Robber in SP

Michael Hone — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 23:30:44 +0000

A Sao Paulo lawyer ran down a thief Wednesday night after being robbed as he waited at a traffic light in the Jardins district of the city. The victim stopped his car at a red light as he drove to … Continue reading →

Power Saw Stuck in Belly Can’t Stop Gaúcho

Michael Hone — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 18:55:48 +0000

After getting a power saw stuck in his abdomen and driving two hours to a hospital Monday, a 56-year-old farmer in Southern Brazil is lucky to be alive. Gregório Steinmedc, a gaúcho from Rio Grande do Sul, was cutting firewood … Continue reading →

German Tourist Shot in Rocinha Going Home

Michael Hone — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 22:20:57 +0000

The German tourist shot in a Rio de Janeiro slum 11 days ago, Daniel Benjamin Frank, 25, left the hospital Tuesday morning and visited the Christ the Redeemer statue before returning home to Germany. Drug dealers shot Frank May 31 … Continue reading →

Feds Seize 2.7 Tons of Marijuana

Michael Hone — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 19:21:21 +0000

Acting on an anonymous tip Saturday night, police in southwestern Brazil seized 2.7 tons of marijuana hidden in a truck carrying a load of fruit. According to the Federal Police (PF), the shipment originated in Iguazu Falls, in western Parana … Continue reading →

Fugitive Kidney Merchant Nabbed in Rome

Michael Hone — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 21:56:06 +0000

Italian police at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino International Airport Thursday arrested an Israeli man convicted of human trafficking after enticing several dozen poor Brazilians to travel abroad to sell their kidneys. Gedalia Tauber, 77, a former Israeli Defense Force (IDF) … Continue reading →

Horsemeat for Hotdogs Scandal in Brazil

Michael Hone — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 18:25:23 +0000

RIO DE JANEIRO – Authorities in Recife, Brazil’s fifth largest metropolitan area, seized 500 kilograms of horsemeat at a public market Friday morning. Brazilian federal law prohibits the sale for human consumption of horsemeat across the country. Recife is the … Continue reading →

Father and Sons Reunite After 55 Years

Michael Hone — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 00:32:27 +0000

RIO DE JANEIRO – Abiceli Silveira Dias quarreled with his wife, and then walked out of his home in Goiânia for the last time in 1958, leaving behind three sons. “Only God knows the whole story. Because when a woman … Continue reading →

Heineken Selects Brazil Design for 2014 Bottle

Michael Hone — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 21:26:21 +0000

RIO DE JANEIRO – Brazilian Fernando Degrossi won a contest by Heineken brewery to design images celebrating the 140th anniversary of the iconic Dutch brand in 2014. Degrossi is a 2011 Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado (FAAP) graduate in industrial design. … Continue reading →

German Tourist Shot in Rocinha (Updated)

Michael Hone — Fri, 31 May 2013 21:50:02 +0000

RIO DE JANEIRO – A German tourist identified as Frank Daniel Benjamin, 25, was shot and seriously wounded Friday afternoon, in Rocinha, once a lawless favela. According to the community’s Pacification Police Unit (UPP), a resident rescued the foreigner, whom … Continue reading →

20-Foot Anaconda Surprises Swimmers

Michael Hone — Thu, 30 May 2013 19:58:15 +0000

RIO DE JANEIRO – A 20-foot long anaconda snake surprised 16 swimmers enjoying a leisurely day at a state park in central-west Brazil Saturday afternoon. The animal appeared in a natural swimming pool beneath a waterfall at the Serra Azul … Continue reading →

Bradley Cooper Appears Shirtless in Ipanema

Michael Hone — Tue, 28 May 2013 18:59:58 +0000

RIO DE JANEIRO – Bradley Cooper appeared shirtless on the balcony of his Ipanema hotel room Tuesday afternoon, delighting fans below on the beach. The Hollywood star, in town to promote “The Hangover 3,” appeared to photograph the Rio de … Continue reading →

Rio’s Mayor Paes Punches Oafish Diner

Michael Hone — Mon, 27 May 2013 18:06:05 +0000

RIO DE JANEIRO – Eduardo Paes, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, punched a man who insulted him in front of his wife while the couple dined out Saturday night. The fight occurred on the patio of a popular Japanese … Continue reading →

Gunfire Delays ‘Peace Challenge’ 5k Run

Michael Hone — Sun, 26 May 2013 22:58:42 +0000

RIO DE JANEIRO – Gunfire delayed the start of the ‘Peace Challenge’ 5K run in Rio de Janeiro’s Vila Cruzeiro community Sunday morning. The celebration of peace was marred with violence, but went on after a one hour delay. Twenty … Continue reading →

Garota de Ipanema Bar Invaded by Car

Michael Hone — Sat, 25 May 2013 19:05:10 +0000

RIO DE JANEIRO – A 20-year-old man smashed his car into the world-famous Garota de Ipanema Bar early Saturday, after losing control of a Fiat Bravo. The bar, named after the hit song “Girl from Ipanema,” is a tourist hot … Continue reading →