Report LATIN AMERICA REPORT - BRAZIL
FACTS ANF FIGURES l
There’s a colony in Brazil founded by 2,000-4,000 Confederate refugess who left the US after losing the Civil War.
l About 4 million slaves were taken from Africa to Brazil, about 40 per cent of all in the Americas. l
Brazil was the only independent South American country to send ground troops to fight in WWII, with over 25,000 soldiers.
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In 2010, a clown called Tiririca announced he would run for congress in Brazil. He became the most-voted-for congressman of the election.
l Brazil’s government spent US$53m in public funds for Pope Francis’ visit in 2013. l
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In 2013, the world’s 7th richest person, Brazilian Eike Batista, lost his US$30bn fortune and now owes US1bn.
In Brazil, just 43 per cent of adults have a high school degress. In Sweden the figure is 87 per cent.
l There is an island in Brazil where civilians are forbidden to go. It has up to five snales per sq.m.
finances, the baron had the idea to create the lottery and allowed the bettor to choose 1 of the 25 animals in the zoo. Each species is associated with a sequence of four numbers ranging between 1 and 100. It is believed that the game is so popular today that it matches the federal lottery in terms of revenue.
Today the game is worth billions of dollars each year. The game is particularly popular in Rio de Janeiro where it is currently controlled by clandestine and criminal organisations, whose leaders, known as’ bicheiros’- usually finance the impressive and world famous Carnival parades. The lottery-type drawing, operated on a regional basis by criminals known as contraventores, has been illegal since 1946 in 25 of the 26 states with Paraiba being the only state where the game is legal and regulated.
The Animal Game is still cause for major concern in Brazil and continues to regularly make headlines. In 2012 Brazilian newspaper Globo, revealed that local police forces were investigating the links between numbers runners and their connection to casinos in Argentina, Ecuador and Uruguay. Local police sources revealed that criminal gangs that run the animal game had formed alliances with other criminal groups based in Israel and Russia that specialised in money laundering and tax evasion. The gangs were thought to have been targeting countries in Latin America where casinos are legal.
A special committee in the Brazilian Congress has now
been charged with reviewing proposed legalisation which
would legalise the animal game. The act, read by Deputy Vitor Valim (PMDB-CE), at its meeting on June 2 this year,
creates a special committee to consider the proposal.
Last year the government also launched a major crackdown on the game across several states called Operação Trevo (Operation Shamrock). According to police sources, the gang had been active in 13 states and the scheme involved the both the animal game and illegal slot machines. Police sources estimated that the organisation handled approximately $R1.5bn in assets. The arrests were the culmination of a nine month investigation into illegal gaming in Brazil. Arrests of those involved in the animal game have continued apace this year with arrests and raids continuing along with confiscation of equipment in states all across Brazil.
A special committee in the Brazilian Congress has now been charged with reviewing proposed legalisation which would legalise the animal game. The act, read by Deputy Vitor Valim (PMDB-CE), at its meeting on June 2 this year, creates a special committee to consider the proposal and contains other clauses which would also legalise bingos and casinos in resorts.
The cross party commission, which was established at the initiative of the President of the Lower House, Eduardo Cunha, is made up of 26 lawmakers. They have 40 sessions in order to discuss draft law number 442 which dates back to 1991, before a vote is taken.
When the law was first introduced in 1991, the author of the project, former deputy Renato Vianna argued that the animal game should be decriminalised, so that it could be regulated saying that the game finances “crimes such as arms and drug trafficking drugs and illegal slot machines. It is also a powerful instrument of corruption, as crime lords use it to bribe police and lawyers.” The act, however, was shelved before being resurrected over twenty years later. Deputies arguing for change today say that the act is more relevant than ever and that revenue generated by a legalised version of the game could be allocated to municipalities where it could be used for education and health.
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