This is CBS I on the world with John Bachelor.

Here's John Bachelor.

To Brazil, a catastrophe.

Reuters reporting, the death toll from floods in Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande

du Sol rose to 147, while 127 people are still missing.

Heavy rains have caused several rivers and lakes in the region

to hit their highest levels ever,

while floods block streets and

disrupted logistics triggering a shortage of essential goods in

certain areas. I welcome my colleague long-standing Ernesto Arruja, former Foreign Minister of the Republic of

Brazil, who is a native of Rio Grande du Sol.

He knows it very well and can help us understand why this catastrophe, which at first looks like a lot of rain and flooding,

connects to the politics not only of Brazil, but to the whole of the Americas.

There it is long understood that but to the whole of the Americas.

There it is long understood that a catastrophe, a natural catastrophe like this,

test the sophistication and the connections of any administration, any regime, anyone in power.

Right now, Lula de Silva's state in Brazil is being tested and with the death toll rising

and the logistics dampen they have a challenge ahead of them are they going to meet it

Ernesto first you watch your hometown under flooding you grew up in Brasilia but you know Rio Grande

to solve very well and you have lots of friends and family there. Have they ever

seen anything like this? Are they surprised surprised good evening to you

good evening John yes it's very sad to watch that

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