Brazil’s Progress

Posted in Brazil Facts on 23. Jan, 2010

Last week I returned from a 4-week visit back in the US.

When people learned that I live in Brazil, they often seemed unsure what to say, probably because most know so little about Brazil (or any other country for that matter).

One guy did ask me what it’s like living in a third-world country. I replied that I didn’t know. To me, Brazil is not a third-world country.

I am not being politically correct here. Anyone who knows me would laugh at the idea of me being called “PC”. But the term “third world” is so out of date as to be meaningless. It is a holdover from the Cold War, which has been over for some years now.

I prefer the term “developing countries”, simply because it is more accurate. It’s certainly a better descriptor of Brazil, which is rapidly earning a position of prominence in the world.

True, there is still widespread poverty here. In Rio de Janeiro, where I live now, ritzy neighborhoods like Ipanema are juxtaposed with favelas (ghettos) like Pavão and Pavão. Homeless sleep on the sidewalks of Copacabana.

But don’t be fooled into thinking that Brazil is simply a poor, backward country. Brazil, in fact, is moving ahead at a pace that is surprising to me, and I’ve been coming here since 1993.

Consider just a few facts:

  • The Brazilian middle class continues to grow, and the poorest classes have advanced during President Lula’s term in office.
    Shopping mall in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil

    Brazil's growing middle class shop at modern malls

    While there is poverty in Brazil (and find me a country where it doesn’t exist), you’ll also find modern malls filled with shoppers.

  • The northeastern state of Bahia is home to one of the world’s most advanced automobile assembly plants. Opened by Ford Motor Company in 2001, it is more automated than any of Ford’s facilities in the US. To view a video, click here: Bahia Auto Plant
  • By the way, did you know that most cars in Brazil can run on either gasoline or ethanol, and that virtually all taxis run on clean-burning natural gas? Some cars, termed “total flex”, run on any of the three fuels.
  • Brazil’s stock market surged by almost 83% in 2009. 83%?!?! Yup. How did the NYSE do in 2009? Read more: Brazilian Stock Market Surges in 2009
  • Brazil’s infrastructure has a way to go to catch up to North America and Western Europe – but Brazil is making great strides, at a time when the US is faced with having to rebuild a lot of infrastructure dating back to the 1950s and 60s.
    Checking emails from Ipanema Beach

    My buddy Greg checks in with the office

    My friend Greg recently spent a few days visiting here in Rio and checked his e-mails from Ipanema Beach. Copacabana Beach also offers free wifi. I frequently work at a kiosk there while sipping a coconut.

  • You learn a lot just being on the street here. I don’t have stats at my fingertips, but the number of cars, and the size of many of those cars, has increased dramatically in the last five years. And in a completely unscientific survey I like to call the “Clites Orthodontics Index”, you see scores of adults each day sporting braces. Braces are generally a discretionary expense, and an ongoing one, so braces to me indicate that people have discretionary income and feel secure about future income.

Since my first visit here, I’ve been saying, “Once the government here gets its act together, this country will be something.” That time is now. Brazil is blessed with a full suite of natural resources, and an intelligent, hardworking workforce. The discovery of petroleum offshore a few years ago has really given the economy a boost.

I’m glad to be back in my Brazil. I’m a little wistful that the Brazil I first fell in love with is growing up, but the future looks bright. I think I’ll stick around.

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4 Responses to “Brazil’s Progress”

  1. Jennifer Lancey says:
    January 23, 2010 at 2:22 pm

    Great Blog post. I am going to bookmark and read more often. I love the Blog template

  2. admin says:
    January 24, 2010 at 11:57 am

    Thanks, Jennifer. I strive to be factual and balance, to tell the good and bad. If you have suggestions for future posts, drop me a line. John/João

  3. A says:
    January 31, 2010 at 10:16 pm

    “Clites Orthodontics Index”….hahahahahaha….love it! It’s funny you mention that, because I’ve always used braces as a gauge of wealth in a country as well. (Take, for example, all the eastern European supermodels/skaters had really bad teeth when they first became famous).

    Anyway, I’ve noticed that a large number of adults have braces here in Brazil, whereas in the United States we usually “catch them young” and put braces and retainers exclusively on children. Do you have any insight in to the reason for this trend? Has anyone told you what is up with all the brace-wearing adults here in Rio?

  4. admin says:
    February 1, 2010 at 2:37 pm

    I think you see the braces on adults simply because the family could not afford braces years ago when the person was a child. But you know that Brazilians are very conscious of their appearance, so they get the braces when they can. That’s my thinking…

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