For many years, Brazil prepared itself for two major international events, the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Brazilians and many visitors anxiously waited for these two events. Now that both of them have happened, there is a feeling that nothing is going on. Wrong! There are interesting things happening in Brazil that we should keep an eye on.
Economy
Brazil to Once Again Become the World’s 8th Largest Economy
After having lost a few positions in the international ranking of the world’s largest economies, Brazil seems to be moving forward. Predictions made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) place the country once again as the 8th world economy as of 2017, ahead of Italy.
Brazil dropped to the 9th position in 2015 following the recession that started on the previous year, a position it has kept so far. However, changes in the current scenario led by a set of economic measures adopted by the federal government have led the IMF to review its projections.
Brazil is now expected to remain the world’s eighth-largest economy until 2021, which is as far as the IMF’s predictions go. In its full report, the IMF states that Brazil still faces challenges, but that prospects have improved in the past few months.
Culture
Lollapalooza and Rock in Rio Bring the World Best Music
Going on its fifth edition of Lollapalooza Brazil, you can expect this festival to be as entertaining as any one of the global Lolla events. This festival is hosted out of São Paulo, in the heart of the motorsport speedway Interlagos.
Lolla Brazil is the second largest festival in the Lolla South American family. With nearly 50 artists, you can expect to be surrounded by amazing sound from the likes of Zedd, Halsey, Mumford & Sons, Eminem, Walk the Moon, Twenty One Pilots, Of Monsters and Men, and much more.
Also, expect to be well fed. You can enjoy a fantastic local food variety from nearly 20 booths and 40 food trucks! When: March 25 and 26
Rock in Rio 2017 will feature seven days of shows. The next edition of one of the biggest music festivals in the world is scheduled for September 15th, 16th, 17th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th, 2017, in Rock City, Rio de Janeiro.
Maroon 5, Aerosmith and Red Hot Chili Peppers are already confirmed. The band led by Steven Tyler performs on September 21, which will be the day of rock n ‘roll, according to the festival. The group of Adam Levine performs on September 16, Saturday, the Red Hot Chili Peppers group will perform on the last day of the festival, September 24.
One of the great attractions of Rock in Rio is also the Rock City that will change this year and will be set up in the Olympic Park, Rio de Janeiro.
Tourism
Brazilian Tourist will Have Free Admission to Canada
The government of Canada has announced that it will ease the visa rules for Brazilians who visit the country beginning May 1, 2017.
A statement posted on the website of the Canadian Embassy in Brazil on Oct. 31 states that the government will exempt Brazilians who already have visas from the United States or those who have held a temporary Canadian residency in the past 10 years.
They will only need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), which can be ordered over the Internet and costs $7. This authorization is electronically connected to the traveler’s passport and is valid for five years or until the passport expires, whichever occurs first.
Brazilians who do not meet these two criteria still need a traveler’s visa.
Health
Research on Zika Virus Vaccine to be Expedited
The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz, in the Portuguese acronym), French pharmaceutical company Sanofi and the US-based Walter Reed Institute of Research signed an agreement establishing the collaboration principles to expedite the development and registration of a vaccine against the Zika virus.
According to Marcos Freire, The Deputy Director for Technological Development at Fiocruz, the agreement sets the principles for collaboration among the three institutions. A more detailed agreement will be necessary in due course, including specific legal issues. ‘We are discussing a partnership to join efforts and develop an inactivated Zika vaccine. This agreement aims at bringing our three institutions together so that we can join our expertise to produce this vaccine’.
Freire did not mention a deadline to complete the research, but said that the joint effort aims at reaching the clinical trials phase as soon as possible. At that point, the vaccine will be tested in volunteers. “It is hard to say. Even if everything runs smoothly and quickly, it is still difficult to predict when we will have a registered vaccine. If we manage to reach phase 1 in 2017, phase 2 in 2018, and start phase 3 in 2019, I believe that we might be able to market a vaccine in 2019 or 2020, in the best case scenario”.
Sports
Ironman will be Held in Florianopolis
Ironman have been attracting athletes from all over the world for over 16 years.
Called “the place to be” and “a mixture of St. Tropez and Ibiza without the attitude” by the New York Times, Florianopolis, boasts world-class entertainment, beaches and restaurants. The sun-soaked stretches of coastline in “Floripa,” as locals affectionately call it, make up forty-two beaches in total.
Athletes lining up for the event will find themselves in a sanctuary for sports, natural life and tourism from around the globe.
The 2.4-mile mass swim start is located on El Divino Beach. Expect the two-loop swim to be in an average temperature of 70F (21C), while the mostly flat two-loop 112-mile bike course will challenge athletes with four major climbs and descents. Athletes will finish with a 26.2-mile run with a 13-mile loop with one hill and two 6.5-mile loops that are mostly flat.
The temperate climate with low humidity also makes Florianopolis a perfect location for an IRONMAN, and a vacation.
When: May, 28th