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From Our Own Correspondent

Brazil: United In Grief, Divided By Politics

From Our Own Correspondent

BBC

News Commentary, News

4.41.3K Ratings

🗓️ 7 January 2023

⏱️ 29 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Kate Adie presents stories from Brazil, Russia, the US, South Korea and Italy

Brazilians this week mourned the loss of one of their greatest footballers, Pele, with hundreds of thousands going to view his open casket in Santos. Meanwhile, the politics continue to divide the nation as Lula Da Silva returned to power. Katy Watson was in Brasilia for his inauguration and reflects on the challenges ahead.

Vladimir Putin used his New Year address this year to rally the nation once more for war, as festive ice sculptures even depicted military figures. The announcement of a ceasefire for Orthodox Christmas appeared incongruous with Putin's rhetoric and was dismissed by Ukrainians as a plot to stay their advances. Steve Rosenberg was in Moscow as Russians were once more put on a war footing.

Linda Pressly has a dispatch from Tucson in Arizona where she met a group of committed Christians helping migrants who've crossed from Mexico into the harsh landscape of the Sonoran desert, and lost their way. This comes as President Joe Biden prepares to visit the border next week.

John Murphy visits the rooftop apartments of South Korea's capital Seoul to hear why they hold such appeal for young Koreans - and how economic circumstances, and social expectations are causing some to leave the city altogether.

Rome was also in mourning for another iconic figure - of the Catholic church. 50 000 mourners reportedly attended the funeral of Pope Benedict in St Peter's Square and tens of thousands more paid homage to him as he lay in state. David Willey has covered the Vatican for half a decade, and says there is a bigger sea change underway.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts

0:05.3

Today in Siberia festive ice sculptures depict Russian soldiers ready for battle as rumours

0:12.3

swirl of a wider mobilization.

0:15.8

In the harsh arid landscape of the Sonoran desert in the U.S. state of Arizona, we hear

0:21.7

about a group of pastors rescuing migrants who've lost their way.

0:27.3

Stop living has for years appealed to young people in South Korea's capital, struggling

0:32.8

to get on the property ladder, so why are many now moving to the country?

0:38.5

And Catholics across the world commemorate the life of Pope Benedict, and a funeral service

0:43.9

is held in Rome, but there's a bigger sea change underway at the Vatican.

0:50.1

First Brazil, which saw the return to power on New Year's Day, a former President

0:55.0

Louis Inacio Lula de Silva, it's the third time the socialist leader has held the office,

1:02.0

and he was greeted with euphoria by supporters on the day of the inauguration.

1:07.5

Katie Watson was in Brazil, she reflects on what this transition means for Brazil, with

1:13.5

her population still so divided, and at a time when the country is mourning the passing

1:19.0

of one of its great national heroes.

1:22.5

Brazil is a country consumed and divided by politics, but these past few days politics

1:28.7

have been cast aside, and instead Brazilians have been consumed by their king of football.

1:35.0

The mourning for Pele has brought people together, tributes have poured in from across Brazil

1:39.9

and beyond, remembering the man who put the country on the map and popularised the

1:44.8

beautiful game.

1:46.7

It's been a period of remembrance, yes, but it's also been a time to celebrate, and boy

1:52.2

is Brazil good at that.

...

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