Lula at an October 10 election rally -- Lula Oficial, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Urariano Mota On Saturday, October 17, I got into a serious argument that escalated into a physical fight—even though I don’t know how to fight and have never taken boxing lessons. My ideal boxer is Marx. The incident took place around 5:00 p.m. at Bar do Peneira, in the Quatro Cantos neighborhood of Olinda. I’d like to note in passing that Bar do Peneira is a peaceful place, always f

By Urariano Mota Amid the current efforts to secure Lula’s reelection, I have noticed a phenomenon that had previously lain dormant. These days, in the courageous takeovers of Brazil’s streets and squares—in legitimate occupations aimed at making a political statement against barbarism—the first thing one notices is the voice of outrage. The righteous anger that drives protesters to flip off posters in a building window that read “Lula Out.” That’s how it’s been. At mass rall

The choice on October 25 should not be about Lula’s limited social democratic tendencies. It is about protecting the Brazilian democratic project from a complete fascistic takeover. Lula PT Rally, October 10, 2026 -- Lula Oficial, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Joseph Bouchard, Common Dreams On October 4, Brazilians handed the far-right their best result in decades. Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, eldest son and political heir of convicted coup plotter and former neofascist Pr

Let's turn the game around and win in the second round! Political Note of the Brazilian Communist Party (PCB) The result of the first round represented a hard blow for the popular forces, increased the risks against democratic freedoms, and revealed the growth of the far right, including among segments of the popular classes. This result did not come out of nowhere: it is also a consequence of the policy of class conciliation, which preferred to administer institutionalism, n

Ginny from USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Urariano Mota The UNESCO website has some good news for us: “World Novel Week was proclaimed at the 41st session of the UNESCO General Conference in 2021 and takes place every year during the week of 13 October. It aims to encourage the appreciation of literature as an expression of human creativity, promote reading, and raise awareness of the important role of writers as key contributors to knowledge sharing and cultural

Lula and Xi in May, 2025 -- Lula Oficial, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Tings Chak On 25 October, Brazilians will return to the polls to choose between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison for his role in an attempted coup. The first round gave Flávio 47.03 per cent of valid votes against Lula’s 45.16 per cent, revealing the enduring strength of the far right four yea

Mass rally for Lula, October 9, 2026 -- Lula Oficial, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Urariano Mota These days in Brazil, our best efforts are focused on Lua’s reelection: it’s 13 or nothing! That “nothing” means a plunge into the depths of the abyss for the entire Brazilian people. This “nothing”—which is the far right, fascism—means the loss and destruction of historic achievements, the extermination of hope for all the people in the suburbs, the outskirts, the count

By Urariano Mota Same setting as in previous episodes. (See: BBB – Brasil Bom de Bozo, BBB - Big Brazil Bolsonaro and BBB - Big Brazil Bolsonaro Part 3) Office with images of the White House. Flags of the United States and Brazil. General Bozo wearing stars, a cap, and a green-and-yellow sash that reads “Homeland of the Unlimited Militia.” Characters: General Bozo, Horse, Donkey, People dressed in animal costumes, Reporter, and Photographer. Reporter – General… I’m sorry. Gre

Flávio Bolsonaro on September 1, 2026 -- Agência Senado, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Vijay Prashad Brazil’s general election on 4 October delivered a severe warning to the Left. Flávio Bolsonaro, the presidential candidate of the Liberal Party (PL), finished ahead of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with approximately 47 per cent against 45 per cent. Neither secured a majority, sending them into a runoff on 25 October. More troubling than this narrow presidenti

By Urariano Mota Same setting as in BBB 1 and 2. (See: BBB – Brasil Bom de Bozo and BBB - Big Brazil Bolsonaro) Office with images of the White House. Flags of the United States and Brazil. General Bozo wearing stars, a cap, and a green-and-yellow sash that reads “Homeland of the Unlimited Militia.” Characters: General Bozo, Horse, Donkey, People dressed in animal costumes, Reporter, and Photographer. Reporter – Our almost-president.... General Bozo – President. Go ahead and

Amid an Adverse Overall Scenario, the PCdoB Grows in the Elections and Expands the Communist Presence in Parliament Lula on October 2 -- Lula Oficial, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons Via the National Executive Commission of the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB) Dear comrades, The first round of Brazil’s general elections, held on October 4, took place in a complex political environment marked by a strong offensive from conservative and far-right forces. The presidential ra

By Urariano Mota (Continued from: BBB – Brasil Bom de Bozo) Same setting as before. An office with images of the White House. Flags of the United States and Brazil. General Bozo, wearing a star-spangled cap and a green-and-yellow sash that reads “Homeland of the Unlimited Militia.” In addition to the characters General Bozo, Horse, Donkey, and people dressed in animal costumes, there are now a Reporter and a Photographer. General Bozo stands up from behind the long table. He

By Urariano Mota A play in one act and scenes Characters: General Bozo Horse Donkey People dressed in animal costumes Office with images of the White House. Flags of the United States and Brazil General Bozo wearing stars, a cap, and a green-and-yellow sash that reads “Homeland of the Unlimited Militia” General Bozo - Today is World Cerebral Palsy Day. Horse - What’s that got to do with us? General Bozo - Long live Mental Health Day! Donkey - Are you calling us donkeys? Gener

Donald Trump and Flávio Bolsonaro in the White House's Oval Office, May 2026 -- public domain image By Miguel Enrique Stédile On the last Friday before the first round of Brazil’s presidential elections, the U.S. embassy and consulates in the country remained closed, following a generic order from the State Department regarding ‘security concerns.’ Elections in Brazil proceed peacefully; there are no civil conflicts or military threats, no records of political violence above

Lula on September 26, 2026 -- Lula Oficial, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Urariano Mota Almost no one realizes they are making history while they are living through it. That’s how it was, and that’s how it has been at decisive moments that change the world. It’s not even a matter of being aware that you’ve witnessed something never seen before. It’s more than a glimpse of what is to come. But it would be the awareness of living in the moment that will outlast his day

By Urariano Mota I am now publishing in English Guanaíra Amaral’s moving account of the novel ““Never-Ending Youth”. She is a psychiatrist, poet, and survivor of the dictatorship. She was the sister-in-law of Jarbas Pereira Marques, the person who inspired my creation of the character Vargas in the novel. These are the words of Guanaíra Amaral: “I just finished reading the book! I’m speechless! It was unsettling! I'm still feeling the impact of what I read. When I say “speech

w. Freire's epic poem Recife Forever By Urariano Mota Born in Recife on September 19, 1921, Paulo Freire overcame the contradiction of being from Recife and simultaneously a citizen of the world-at-large. Far from Pernambuco, he reinvented himself as a man without borders by the strength of his work as a revolutionary philosopher and teacher only to suffer a second, posthumous exile in the Bolsonaro regime. Once considered the “Patron of Brazilian Education,” he has again bec

Cármen Lúcia in February, 2026 -- Supremo Tribunal Federal STF, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons By Urariano Mota At the Federal Supreme Court session on September 15, during the trial to discuss the report highlighting the relationship between former banker Daniel Vorcaro and Minister of Justice Alexandre de Moraes, Justice Cármen Lúcia stated the following in her vote: “I find myself, as perhaps many of my colleagues do, in a state of deep distress and sadness. Today, on

Urariano Mota at the gathering (second from left) By Urariano Mota Below is a transcript of a speech I gave at a gathering of young writers in Recife: When I speak of rebellion within the phenomenon of resistance, I’m not referring to that kind of gratuitous rebellion. It’s a rebellion that is inherent in resistance. And resistance to what? It’s not something abstract; it’s resistance against the dictatorship. Younger people don’t know—it’s as if the dictatorship happened cen

Images via Estudios Revolución By René Tamayo León, translated from the Spanish In a modest ceremony honoring genuine friendship, rooted in shared struggles and aspirations, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, awarded the Medal of Friendship to two distinguished members of Brazil's Landless Workers' Movement (MST), comrades Nivia Regina Da Silva and Marcelo Durao. On Wednesday m