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The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Missionaries using secret audio devices to evangelise Brazil's isolated peoples
Missionary groups are using audio devices in protected territories of the rainforest to attract and evangelise isolated or recently contacted Indigenous people in the Amazon. A joint investigation by the Guardian and Brazilian newspaper O Globo reveals that solar-powered devices reciting biblical messages in Portuguese and Spanish have appeared among members of the Korubo people in the Javari valley, near the Brazil-Peru border. Drones have also been spotted by Brazilian state agents in charge of protecting the areas. The gadgets have raised concerns about illegal missionary activities, despite strict government measures designed to safeguard isolated Indigenous groups. Uncontacted peoples, or 'peoples in voluntary isolation', avoid contact with modern society to protect their way of life and stay safe from violence or exploitation. They live in remote areas such as rainforests and deserts, maintaining traditional cultures free from outside influence. Governments and organisations aim to protect their rights and territories to prevent disease, cultural disruption and exploitation, safeguarding their autonomy and lands. What constitutes contact? In anthropology, 'contact' means interactions between cultural or social groups. 'Contacted' individuals have continuing relations with society. Contact can be direct, for example trade or conflict, or indirect, such as disease transmission. It involves cultural exchange and economic interactions. Colonial contact often imposed systems that disrupted Indigenous cultures. Brief or accidental interactions don't count as contact. Where are their territories? Most uncontacted peoples live in the Amazon basin, especially in Brazil and Peru, often within protected areas. Others are in the Gran Chaco, Andaman Islands, North Sentinel Island and West Papua. The Amazon basin, a vast region spanning several countries in South America, including Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador, is home to the largest number of uncontacted communities, with estimates suggesting there could be dozens of such groups living in isolation. Western Brazil and eastern Peru are known for having some of the last uncontacted groups, including some that live in voluntary isolation within protected Indigenous territories and national parks. Is it essential to protect uncontacted peoples? Some oppose protection, citing a lack of modern benefits, concerns about land use or safety issues. Advocates argue that they survive using natural resources, contact harms health and evangelisation weakens cultures. They emphasise these peoples' rights to their territories and the inability of governments to ensure their safety. Even after contact, Indigenous peoples have rights to their full traditional territories according to some national and international norms. Why is the idea controversial? Governments and NGOs work to protect uncontacted peoples' territories from logging, mining and agriculture as they threaten their survival. Demarcating protected zones reduces human activity and preserves the way of life within them. In some countries, such as Brazil, legislation requires the government to demarcate Indigenous territories in the event of identifying uncontacted peoples – a measure that often conflicts with economic interests linked to land rights and use. This is not thought to be the first recent attempt by missionary groups to reach isolated and uncontacted communities in the Javari valley. Shortly before the pandemic, a group of US and Brazilian citizens affiliated to evangelical churches were allegedly reported to be planning to contact the Korubo people. It was claimed they had used seaplanes to map trails and locate longhouses. Three missionaries were identified as planning these alleged contact efforts: Thomas Andrew Tonkin, Josiah McIntyre and Wilson de Benjamin Kannenberg, linked to the Missão Novas Tribos do Brasil (New Tribes Mission of Brazil – MNTB) and a humanitarian group known as Asas de Socorro – or Wings of Relief. They were prohibited from entering Indigenous territory by court order during the Covid crisis. Now it has emerged that missionaries have returned to the Javari valley and surrounding towns, such as Atalaia do Norte, with a new tool. The first device uncovered, a yellow and grey mobile phone-sized unit, mysteriously appeared in a Korubo village in the Javari valley recently. The gadget, which recites the Bible and inspirational talks by an American Baptist, can do so indefinitely, even off-grid, thanks to a solar panel. Up to seven of the units were reported by local people, but photo and video evidence were obtained for just one. A message on the device located by the Guardian states: 'Let's see what Paul says as he considers his own life in Philippians chapter 3, verse 4: 'If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more'.' The Brazilian government does not permit proselytising in the Korubo's territory. Its policy, dating from 1987, stipulates that isolated groups must initiate any contact, a stance that made Brazil a pioneer in respecting Indigenous self-determination. The state also strictly controls access, to protect the Korubo and other uncontacted peoples in the region from common diseases to which they have little or no immunity. The device that reached the hands of the Korubo is called Messenger and is distributed by the Baptist organisation In Touch Ministries, based in Atlanta, Georgia. It is now a curiosity in the possession of the Korubo community matriarch, Mayá. In Touch does not sell the Messenger. The devices are donated to 'unreached' people in countries around the world and are available in more than 100 languages. With its solar panel and built-in torch, the device is designed to bring the gospel to places that lack reliable electricity or internet connections. In an interview with the Guardian, Seth Grey, In Touch Ministries' chief operating officer, confirmed that the organisation uses devices such as the Messenger and that 'it is built for functionality, solar-powered, with a flashlight'. 'Then they discover the content,' he said, adding that the device is loud enough for 20-person 'listening groups'. Grey said he personally delivered 48 of the devices to the Wai Wai people in the Brazilian Amazon four years ago. They contained religious content in their language and Portuguese. The Wai Wai have engaged with US missionaries, who have contacted and proselytised among communities in the northern Amazon, for decades, according to anthropologist Catherine V Howard. Grey said, however, that the Messenger should not be present in the Javari valley in violation of Brazilian policy. 'We don't go anywhere we're not allowed,' he said, referring to In Touch staff. He said he was aware of missionaries from 'other organisations' who do carry the devices to regions and countries where they are prohibited. The Korubo, known for their deadly expertise with war clubs, are a recently contacted people and therefore of keen interest to certain missionaries focused on preaching to the 'unreached'. Sgt Cardovan da Silva Soeiro, a military police officer at the government protection post at the entrance to the Javari valley Indigenous territory, said he learned about the devices from an Indigenous person stationed at the base. 'I sent a report with the photos to police intelligence, but so far we haven't heard anything back. The Indigenous people didn't want to give me the devices, so I thought it best not to insist. I just managed to get the images,' he said. Cardovan said military police officers are aware of the presence of missionaries allegedly linked to another Christian group, Jehovah's Witnesses. 'Some of these religious entities are very likely trying to get closer,' he said. He also reported to police command the presence of 'mysterious drones' that had recently appeared above the base, usually in the late afternoon. Cardovan was ordered to shoot them down, but so far has been unable to do so. 'We don't know if they belong to missionaries, drug traffickers, fishers or miners who are watching the base to see if they'll have free passage through here. When I received the order from command to shoot them down, I aimed my rifle, but the drone fled at high speed. It seemed very sophisticated,' he said. Daniel Luís Dalberto, a federal prosecutor's office agent who monitors the rights of uncontacted and recently contacted peoples, said the key point to understanding the presence of missionaries is not how many there are in the territory, 'but rather the change in methods like those of the radios that are emerging now'. 'It's a stealthy, concealed, under the radar conversion,' he said. 'The method has become sophisticated and difficult, almost impossible to combat.' This series on uncontacted peoples is a partnership between the Guardian and Brazilian newspaper O Globo and is supported by the Open Society Foundations, the Ford Foundation, the Pulitzer Center and the Nia Tero Foundation. Read it in Portuguese here
News18
22-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
Trump Administration Revokes Visas Of Brazilian Judges Citing ‘Witch-Hunt' Against Bolsonaro
The former President of Brazil is currently facing trial for his involvement in an alleged attempted coup. The United States' administration under President Donald Trump has announced plans to deal with Brazilian judges who ruled against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated the administration's decision to revoke the travel visas of the eight judges in an official notice. The restrictions were imposed after the US administration found the judicial members responsible for a 'political witch-hunt" against Bolsonaro. After the notice was issued, it has now become difficult for the eight judges involved in the matter and their immediate family members to travel to the US. The move comes as a strong protest against their treatment of Bolsonaro, who is considered to be an ally of the US President. Rubio, in the official notice, has accused Alexandre de Moraes, a judge at the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court, of creating a sweeping 'persecution and censorship complex," which aims to violate the basic rights of Brazilians, and Americans, in the long run. While Rubio has not named the other judges, a new report by Brazilian daily O Globo has identified the other victims to be Luís Roberto Barroso, José Antonio Dias Toffoli, Cristiano Zanin, Flávio Dino, Cármen Lúcia Antunes Rocha, Luiz Edson Fachin, and Gilmar Ferreira Mendes. The former President of Brazil is currently facing trial for his involvement in an alleged attempted coup in 2022 election. Starting last week, the police have made a move to restrict Bolsonaro from absconding by fitting an electronic tag to him. However, Trump believes that his prosecution is unjust. In a letter sent to Bolsonaro, as per Daily Beast, Trump wrote, 'I have seen the terrible treatment you are receiving at the hands of an unjust system turned against you." Before introducing visa restrictions, Trump had reportedly repeatedly tried to pressure the federal judges in Brazil. In this regard, he also announced on July 9 the imposition of 50% tariffs on all Brazilian imports starting August 1. However, his move triggered anger in the South American country, where the action was described as 'unacceptable blackmail." The current President of Brazil, Lácio Lula da Silva has criticised the actions of the US government. He said, 'Interference in another country's justice system is unacceptable and offends the basic principles of national sovereignty and respect between nations." view comments First Published: July 22, 2025, 20:12 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
New York Post
19-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
US revokes visas of Brazilian justices after its top court cracks down on ex-president Bolsonaro
SAO PAULO, July 18 – United States will revoke visas from other seven justices of Brazilian Supreme Court, in addition to judge Alexandre de Moraes, local newspaper O Globo reported on Friday, without citing its source. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced earlier the immediate visa revocations from 'Moraes and his allies on the court, as well as their immediate family members', citing court orders against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Brazil's Supreme Court issued search warrants and restraining orders against Bolsonaro on Friday, banning him from contacting foreign officials over allegations he courted the interference of U.S. President Donald Trump. 3 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has revoked the visa of Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes. AFP via Getty Images Trump has already tried to use pressure to help Bolsonaro by announcing a 50% tariff on goods from Latin America's No. 1 economy. Bolsonaro told Reuters that he believed the court orders were a reaction to Trump's criticism of his trial before the Supreme Court for trying to overturn the last election. The court's crackdown on Bolsonaro added to evidence that Trump's tactics are backfiring in Brazil, compounding trouble for his ideological ally and rallying public support behind a defiant leftist government. Bolsonaro was banned from contacting foreign officials, using social media or approaching embassies, according to the decision issued by Moraes, who cited a 'concrete possibility' of him fleeing the country. His home was raided by federal police and he had an ankle monitor placed on him. In an interview with Reuters at his party's headquarters on Friday, Bolsonaro called Moraes a 'dictator' and described the latest court orders as acts of 'cowardice.' 3 The move comes after the court issued search warrants and restraining orders against former President Jair Bolsonaro. ANDRE BORGES/EPA/Shutterstock 'I feel supreme humiliation,' he said, when asked how he felt about wearing the ankle monitor. 'I am 70 years old, I was president of the republic for four years.' Bolsonaro denied any plans to leave the country, but said he would meet with Trump if he could get access to his passport, which police seized last year. He also said he had sought out the top U.S. diplomat in Brazil to discuss Trump's tariff threat. Asked about Bolsonaro's comments to Reuters, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said on Friday, citing previous comments from Trump, 'Bolsonaro and his supporters are under attack from a weaponized court system.' 3 Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the visa revocations on Friday. REUTERS In his decision, Moraes said the restrictions against Bolsonaro were due to accusations that the former president was making efforts to get the 'head of state of a foreign nation' to interfere in Brazilian courts, which the judge cast as an attack on national sovereignty. Bolsonaro is on trial before Brazil's Supreme Court on charges of plotting a coup to stop President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office in January 2023. Trump has in recent weeks pressed Brazil to stop the legal case against Bolsonaro, saying that his ally was the victim of a 'witch hunt.' The U.S. president said last week he would impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods from August 1, in a letter that opened with criticism of the Bolsonaro trial.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Brazil braces for Bolsonaro's day in court as ex-president testifies over ‘coup plot'
Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, will finally find himself in the dock this week, accused of masterminding an armed far-right conspiracy to seize power after losing the 2022 presidential election. The 70-year-old paratrooper turned populist, who governed from 2019 until 2023, is scheduled to be interrogated by the supreme court as it seeks to untangle what federal police claim was a sprawling three-year plot to vandalize one of the world's largest democracies. Seven other alleged co-conspirators will also be questioned, including four former Bolsonaro ministers – three of them army generals; the ex-commander of the navy; and the ex-president's former right-hand man, Lt Col Mauro Cid. Bolsonaro's day in court, which is expected to come on Tuesday, is a milestone moment for a country that escaped from two decades of military dictatorship in 1985 but appears to have come perilously close to a return to authoritarian rule after the veteran leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva beat Bolsonaro in the 2022 presidential election. Related: Bombshell police report details alleged Bolsonaro plot to stage rightwing coup 'This is the first time in Brazilian history that there is the prospect of the perpetrators of a coup being brought to justice,' said Bernardo Mello Franco, a political writer for the newspaper O Globo. 'Brazilian history is full of military coups and counter-coups … but throughout history the characters [behind them] have always gone unpunished, either because they succeeded in pulling off the coup and seized control of the judiciary, or because they were granted amnesty, which is what happened after the [1964-85] military dictatorship,' Mello Franco added. Bolsonaro is accused of trying – but ultimately failing – to overturn Lula's victory through a murderous plot, which allegedly involved assassinating or arresting key political rivals including the president-elect; his vice-president-elect, Geraldo Alckmin; and the supreme court justice Alexandre de Moraes. He has repeatedly denied the charges. The prospect of watching Bolsonaro go on trial has thrilled his many progressive detractors who, in addition to the alleged coup attempt, blame the ex-president for rampant Amazon devastation; historic attacks on the rights of Indigenous peoples, human rights and Brazilian culture; and a calamitous and anti-scientific response to a Covid pandemic that killed hundreds of thousands of people. There is broad consensus among experts that Bolsonaro will be found guilty and convicted later this year, meaning the former congressman could face political oblivion and a decades-long prison sentence. 'Bolsonaro himself believes he has already been convicted by the supreme court – he's said it on numerous occasions,' Mello Franco said. 'Those who understand the supreme court also believe he'll be found guilty. There's a great deal of evidence against him.' Last week the former head of the air force, Brig Carlos de Almeida Baptista Júnior, gave damning evidence, telling the supreme court that at one point in 2022 the former head of the army, Gen Marco Antônio Freire Gomes, threatened to arrest Bolsonaro if he sought any kind of 'institutional rupture'. But major questions remain over whether, if convicted, Bolsonaro will ever actually serve time. Already one rightwing presidential hopeful in the 2026 election, Romeu Zema, has pledged to pardon Bolsonaro if he wins power. Polls suggest that if Lula seeks re-election he will face a tough battle against whichever rightwing candidate inherits the votes of the still-popular Bolsonaro, who has already been barred from running because of his attacks on Brazil's electronic voting system. Potential heirs include one of Bolsonaro's politician sons, Eduardo or Flávio Bolsonaro; his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro; or the conservative governors of the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Paraná: Tarcísio de Freitas, Zema and Ratinho Júnior, respectively. There are also doubts over how Bolsonaro, a notoriously rambunctious Trump-inspired populist with a huge social media following, will behave when his day in court arrives. On the eve of his appearance, Bolsonaro promised he would not use the hearing to 'lacrar', a Portuguese word which roughly translates as 'take the piss', 'troll' or 'drop the mic'. But the ex-president said his 'inquisition' would be 'worth watching' and urged followers to tune in to see that 'truth' was on his side. 'It will be broadcast live, which is bonkers,' Mello Franco said of the politically charged session, declining to forecast how Bolsonaro might behave in the dock. 'The only predictable thing about Bolsonaro is that he'll be unpredictable.'
7NEWS
25-06-2025
- 7NEWS
Brazilian tourist found dead on Indonesian volcano after trapped for days
A Brazilian tourist has been found dead on an Indonesian volcano after a dramatic four-day search amid claims her guide left her behind. Juliana Marins, in her mid-20s, was hiking with a group on the active Mount Rinjani volcano on June 21, when she reportedly slipped and fell from a steep section of the mountain, according to Indonesian authorities. Marins survived the initial fall. Rescuers reported hearing her screams for help on Saturday. Drone footage also appears to show her distressed but alive and moving on Saturday. She could be seen sitting and moving around in grey soil, far below a hiking path. Indonesian authorities said Marin fell from a cliffside but did not fall into the crater. The area is particularly difficult due to loose volcanic sand, the head of the local search agency Barsanas, Muhammad Hariyadi, told Reuters. 'The soft sand made it difficult to retrieve her using ropes,' he said, adding the unstable footing in the area severely delayed access to the Juliana. More than 50 people were involved in the rescue. Rescue teams first heard her cries and spotted her alive via drone, but rough terrain and bad weather delayed rescue efforts. 'After four days of work, hindered by adverse weather, terrain and visibility conditions in the region, teams from Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency found the body of the Brazilian tourist,' the Brazilian government said in an official statement. 'Today, the rescue team managed to reach the place where Juliana Marins was,' Marins' family posted on social media. 'With great sadness, we inform you that she did not survive.' Located on the island of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara province, the 3726-metre active volcano is a popular destination for international trekkers. According to Brazilian newspaper O Globo, Juliana became separated from her group during the hike and fell in a remote section of the trail near Cemara Nunggal. This stretch is known for its instability and lies between 2600 and 3000 meters above sea level on the climb toward the summit. According to her guide, 20-year-old Ali Musthofa, Juliana had asked to pause briefly due to fatigue, O Globo reported. He claims he walked ahead 'three minutes' before realising she wasn't following. Musthofa, who has been leading treks since November 2023, denies any negligence. 'I did not abandon Juliana,' he told local press. 'I went ahead to wait, just a few minutes. 'When she didn't arrive, I looked back and then I saw her light down in the darkness.' Her body was located by one of the search teams after descending more than 150 metres into a rugged ravine. Authorities have not yet confirmed her exact cause of death. Her family is now working to bring her body home to Brazil. The latest incident has renewed scrutiny on volcano safety across Indonesia. Mount Rinjani has recorded several tourist deaths in recent years. In May, a Malaysian hiker died after falling from a cliff and in December 2023, 23 people were killed when Mount Marapi erupted. - With Reuters
