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Dear fellow South American traveler,
welcome to our March newsletter. Fall is election time in Brazil: Surrounded by a drug war in Colombia, by unstable Venezuelan Government and economic difficulties in Argentina, can Brazil remain the Island of Stability after the elections?
1. Brazil: The influence of the oligarchs and latifundists dwindles!
2. Oktoberfest and Agricultural tour: New scheduled tours to Brazil
3.
New coupons and
discounts on scheduled tours to all of South America
5. Other South American destinations: Country links
1. Brazil: The influence of the oligarchs and latifundists dwindles!
When the Portuguese came to Brazil 500 Years ago, this small population of about 1 million inhabitants from Europe clearly did not have the manpower to govern an area bigger than the US without Alaska, the size of today's Brazil.
The territory was divided up into capitanias, originally 12, later extended to more and handed over to noble families from Portugal. Descendants of these families and their friends were always a second power in Brazil. The capital, Lisbon, was far and the rule was theirs.
They are responsible for the necessary support of the independence from Portugal and helped introduce a Parliament, which sadly, however, soon became a platform for their interests.
Being the best educated and knowing how to market populist ideas, combined with the control over many newspapers, radio & TV stations, it seemed that they could survive forever in the political life of Brazil. Never could a substantial law pass that would give landless farmers plots of arable but unused land. Slavery, until 1888, was the rule, and these ruling families' influence has kept the national minimum wage at levels of around US$100 per month.
Members
of these families have ruled in democratic governments and military dictatorships;
the last President from one these families was Ferdinand Collor from Alagoas.
He was thrown out of office due to corruption. Now Roseanna
Sarney, candidate to President and daughter of Mr. José Sarney,
(the former President just preceding Collor and the first civilian after the
Military rule) has brought Brazil to its biggest political scandal in a long
time.
Involving
other members of this oligarchy, too, Ms. Sarney also stumbled over the SUDAM
case. SUDAM = Superintendencia para o Desenvolvimento da Amazonia or Government
agency for the development of the Amazon, created by the military in order to
persuade people to settle the Amazon, develop it (=deforestation) and "defend"
it against neighbors. Huge sums were invested: Transamazonica, Carajás,
Soybeans in Rondonia and more. In one case, over one billion US$ were granted
to build a car parts factory in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. That is
more than what GM had invested in Eastern Germany for a entire car factory.
Unsurprisingly, the car parts manufacturing site was never built and the money disappeared.
Gradually, the press's investigation, together, it must be said, with increasing help from the authorities, is pointing out families especially from Amazon states, like Pará ( the Barbalho family) and Maranhão (the Sarney family) involved in this massive scandal. The tail of the car parts factory is only one example of the corruption uncovered by this coalition of government agencies and the media.
Political results thus far has been the end of SUDAM and the it's integration into another ministry.
Now,
Ms Sarney, under investigation by the police, is causing trouble: she is the
current Governor of Maranhão state and is running for President of Brazil.
Her Party, the PFL, has maintained a coalition government with the current President
Fernando Henrique Cardoso's Party.
A day after the police had invaded her husband's office and confiscated evidence, Ms. Sarney forced her party to abandon the coalition. She has publicly blamed the President of knowing about the investigations against her family and for not stopping them.
Many political projects are now on hold and can not be voted on.
Brazilians are rightfully upset with Ms. Sarney. In other countries, she would have been forced to resign as governor of her state AND as candidate to the Presidency, keeping the damage to her party and to her class to a minimum. But she is determined to fight on. Day after day now new polls show her quickly losing support for her candidacy.
The headline in the March 20th 2002 edition of "Veja", one of Brazil's most respected magazines, proclaims:
"The Beginning of the End of the Oligarchies". The Magalhães (Bahia state) and the Collors (Alagoas) are already out, and now the Sarneys (Maranhão) and the Barbalhos (Para) are being expelled from politics. So far the Jerissatis (Ceará), the Alves (Rio Grande do Norte) and the Francos (Sergipe) are all still very influential. But the end seems to be nearing. These families still control several local TV and Radio stations, but the concessions are obtained in the capital, Brasilia, and there their influence (now with the PFL out of the governing coalition) is rather diminished.
We at 4star South America have long been convinced that the best way to elevate Brazil out of such scandals is like a tripod, with the three legs being: education, education and education.
Industry has learned their lessons over the last ten years, the Government machinery is becoming more and more professional and the voters are much better informed and react in increasingly educated ways. There is still a long way to go, but the direction is right!
2. The Colonial European South of Brazil (finally!) promotes itself as destination
2.a.
The 4starBrazil OKTOBERFEST-BRAZIL
tour shows you a new facet of Brazil: The European South!
2.b.
The
4starBrazil
SCHEDULED
AGRICULTURAL TOUR, including the Coopavel "Show Rural"
in Cascavel
Heard of the SECOND BIGGEST Oktoberfest in the world? German settlements of Blumenau and Novo Hamburgo? Gaúchos? Florianópolis? Did you know that in Brazil's South you'll find:
Brazilian Farming Technology that makes US Farmers shiver? Enjoy an Escorted Agricultural Group Tour to Brazil including highlights such as Soybeans, Coffee, Orange Sugar cane, Poultry, irrigation project, sustainable agriculture under tropical conditions:
European-looking blondes, tall and skinny; cities so well organized that US and European delegations are coming here to learn how to best organize public transport and waste collection...
And all this with the subtropical mountains of the Atlantic Rainforest as a backdrop.
Brazil has much more to offer than Carnival in Rio, the Amazon and Salvador! ...Just to repeat ourselves; it should not be forgotten!
By
visiting Brazil's 2nd biggest attraction (after Rio), the majestic Iguassu Falls,
you are already there, in the heart of Southern Brazil. Many travelers unfortunately
fly in and out of Iguassu by plane, and wind up missing a lot.
Here in the South, the Brazilian mentality has been a bit tamed by the northern German influence, the Italians immigrants are still responsible for the best restaurants, the Swiss make the best cheese, the Austrians bake the best pastries and the Japanese immigrants organize it all (the former mayor of Curitiba, the "best organized city in Latin America", was Japanese-Brazilian.)
This melting pot of cultures has finally come to the conclusion that they have been overlooked. Always too busy building up their states to show off: Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná. Practically uninhabited in 1850, they have absorbed immigrants from Europe and Japan over the last 150 years in much the same way as the US did during the same period.
Unlike the Northeast of Brazil, no slave trading took place here; families were settled on farms just big enough to support one family. No "contributions" had to made to mighty landlords.
These people, highly skilled and educated, arrived attracted by the riches of this corner of the world, and made the best of it - maintaining there ancestral traditions! Even today, many inhabitants are still bilingual, learning Brazilian Portuguese only in school and speaking the language of their forefathers at home.
Please let us know about your interest soon, particularly for larger groups. Hotel capacity for this kind of big event is rather limited.
3. New coupons and discounts on scheduled tours to all of South America
After having introduced the "refer a friend" coupon, we add the "senior discount coupon". The value being another US$100 for scheduled tours. The coupons are even combinable outside the main seasons, which vary from destination to destination. Please inquire upon booking or contact us now or see the coupons at http://www.SouthAmerica.travel/specials/
This is also valid for our offer below:
Great
prices for a great destination: Brazil's state of Bahia!
20 % group discount, plus
bring 8, get one free*
It’s:
Great landscape, African heritage, UNESCO cultural sites,
baroque colonial architecture, unforgettable beaches and unparalleled value
for money.
Click on Brazil: Rhythm & Diamonds
- additions to Rio de
Janeiro and / or the Amazon easily customized.
Target audience: Active people, also active mature travelers with interest
in culture and beautiful landscapes. Very interesting for those interested in
African heritage in the Americas.
Minimum requirement for special: 8 passengers, tour must be booked as
stated on website, customized additions possible High season prices vary, available
upon request. (JUL, JAN, FEB, MAR)
*Land portion only, bring 15 and get flight from Miami also free.
Similar conditions are available for other tours - upon request!
4.
African Heritage tours
The above tour Brazil: Rhythm and Diamonds also is the perfect African heritage tour. For your mini group we would be able to put an emphasis on the slave trade during all sightings. Brazil's state of Bahia has the longest history of slavery on the American continent: 1500 to 1888, nowhere in the Americas African culture is as alive as here, with many traditions from Angola that still exist in Bahia, but (due to protracted civil war) no longer exist in Africa anymore.
Or new traditions have been formed: A dance that in effect comes from the training of self defense techniques: Capoeira, a form of Catholicism that incorporates the African Gods, Virgin Mary and Yemanjá... as an example.
But even if you cannot bring a mini group of 8, just by joining our regular tour, the riches of African culture never escape your eye!
5. Country links: 4starBrazil is now 4starSouthAmerica
...Learn the ABC's now!
Argentina: http://4starArgentina.com
Brazil: http://4starBrazil.com
Chile: http://www.chile-tours.travel Now online with 4 Chile-only tours and 3 combining Chile & Argentina!
Peru: http://www.peru-tours.travel We're adding more every day...check out our latest offerings!
...Or just start from our main menu at 4starSouthAmerica.com
Now, from all of us at 4starSouthAmerica,
we wish you all the best and hope to see you soon!
Kindest regards,
Juergen Keller, President
--
Juergen Keller
http://4starBrazil.com
http://www.SouthAmerica.travel
tel.
1-866-Go-4star (1-866-464-7827) US
Canada toll-free 866-892-8183
fax 1-425-977-7192