Ex-President Lula on Brazil's Corona Disaster "It's the Biggest Genocide in Our History" In an interview, former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says the country's current leader, Jair Bolsonaro, shares blame for the country's 300,000 coronavirus deaths in one year. He is calling on German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other leaders to join forces to make vaccines a public good. Ein Interview von Marian Blasberg, Jens Glüsing und Britta Kollenbroich
Generation Lockdown Schoolchildren Around the World Face a Steep Uphill Battle Hundreds of millions of children around the world have been unable to attend school for months because of the pandemic. More than 24 million may never return. The future of an entire generation is at stake. By Marian Blasberg, Laura Höflinger, Katrin Kuntz und Fritz Schaap
Consequences of Corona The Skyrocketing Homeless Population of São Paulo Teachers, white-collar workers, single mothers: The Brazilian middle class is collapsing amid the crisis brought by the coronavirus, and many are landing on the streets of São Paulo. But there may be a solution in sight. By Nicola Abé in São Paulo, Brazil
Brazil’s Second Wave An Entire Country Suffers as President Sabotages Immunization Campaign With the second wave of the COVID pandemic crashing over his country, Jair Bolsonaro has left his people in the lurch. Instead of battling the disease, Brazil's president prefers to peddle conspiracy theories. By Marian Blasberg
Bolsonaro's Vendetta Assault on the Rainforest Continues in the Shadow of the Pandemic As the country suffers under the coronavirus pandemic, an unprecedented attack on the Amazon is taking place in Brazil. President Bolsonaro is actively promoting slash-and-burn agriculture that threatens to destroy the region and further harm the climate. By Marian Blasberg
The Empregadas and the Epidemic COVID-19 Lays Bare Brazil’s Deep Societal Divide The coronavirus pandemic is hitting Brazil harder than most other countries, in part because social inequality is so massive. Armies of maids commute between favela slums and middle-class neighborhoods. Taking a closer look at them tells a lot about the country. By Marian Blasberg
Coronavirus in South America What the Death of a Maid Means for Brazil Well-off Brazilians have brought the coronavirus back home with them from their travels. Many of them also employ domestic workers from the country's favelas - who they're apparently unwilling to protect by telling them to stay home. Brazil's poorest class could make easy quarry for the disease. By Marian Blasberg in Rio de Janeiro
"Extremely Vulnerable" Amazon Tribes at Acute Risk from the Coronavirus The novel coronavirus poses a deadly threat to the indigenous peoples in the Amazon rainforest. But Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is doing nothing to protect them, says the former head of the government authority responsible for their protection. Interview Conducted by Marian Blasberg und Jens Glüsing in Rio de Janeiro
Brazil's Traveling Judges A Floating Courtroom Brings Justice to the Jungle There are 14,000 people living in the remote Bailique archipelago in the Amazon delta, but the region is so remote that the state's presence is minimal. So every two months, a team of judicial officials comes to them and holds legal hearings -- on a boat. By Andrzej Rybak in the Bailique archipelago, Brazil
Favela Ballet Dance School Offers Girls a Future in Notorious Rio Slum In one of Rio de Janeiro's most dangerous areas, one woman is using ballet to guide young girls away from a future of poverty and crime. But to keep her dance academy alive, she must constantly bend to the laws of the favela -- and contend with drug dealers and hostile politicians alike. Von Fabian Federl
Ex-Brazilian President Lula 'Bolsonaro Is Setting the Whole Country on Fire' In an interview with DER SPIEGEL, former Brazilian President Lula da Silva discusses the loneliness of his prison term, the U.S. influence on Brazil and the threats he says are posed by the country's current leader, Jair Bolsonaro. Von Jens Glüsing
Swath of Destruction New Brazilian President Takes Aim at the Amazon Jair Bolsonaro, the new Brazilian president, wants to open up protected indigenous territories in the Amazon rain forest to mining, cattle ranching and farming. The decision could be a fateful one for the global climate. Von Marian Blasberg, Marco Evers, Jens Glüsing und Claus Hecking
Shattered Dreams Brazil's Olympic-Sized Political Headache On the eve of the Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil is embroiled in its deepest political and economic crisis in decades. The countries elites are ensnared in scandal and President Dilma Rousseff is facing possible impeachment. Von Marian Blasberg und Jens Gluesing
Aedes Aegypti Mosquito Fighting the Most Dangerous Animal in the World The Aedes aegypti mosquito, which carries Zika, dengue fever and other illnesses, appears unstoppable. It is posing a unique threat to this year's Olympic Games in Rio and is rapidly spreading around the world. Europe, too, is at risk. Von Marian Blasberg, Hauke Goos und Veronika Hackenbroch
El Dorado in the Amazon A Deluded German and Three Dead Bodies A German man claims to be an Indian chief in the Amazon rainforest. His tales of El Dorado even impressed Steven Spielberg and Jacques Cousteau. His tales would be harmless if there weren't three unsolved deaths connected to his fantasy world. Von Alexander Smoltczyk
Troubled Times Developing Economies Hit a BRICS Wall Until recently, investors viewed China, Brazil and India as a sure thing. Lately, though, their economies have shown signs of weakness and money has begun flowing back to the West. Worries are mounting the BRICS dream is fading. Von Erich Follath und Martin Hesse
World Cup German Team Builds Beachside Retreat in Brazil Unable to find a suitable location to set up shop in Brazil during the upcoming 2014 World Cup, the German football team has decided to simply build its own. The remote beachside camp will "help minimize strain" on players, the team manager says.
Behind the World Cup Brazil's Crumbling Football Dream It's known as a football mecca, but as Brazil prepares to host the World Cup it's clearer than ever that its infrastructure for the sport is crumbling. Now Brazilians have turned the global competition into a symbol for the country's mismanagement. Von Jens Gluesing
'Unacceptable' Mexico Slams US Spying on President The Mexican government says it "categorically condemns" email spying, after SPIEGEL reported that documents leaked by Edward Snowden show the US gained access to the email of former Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
Fresh Leak on US Spying NSA Accessed Mexican President's Email The NSA has been systematically eavesdropping on the Mexican government for years. It hacked into the president's public email account and gained deep insight into policymaking and the political system. The news is likely to hurt ties between the US and Mexico. Von Jens Glüsing, Laura Poitras, Marcel Rosenbach und Holger Stark