Carlos the charismatic Brazilian tour guide

Carlos and his daughter Carla

I have had opportunities to travel to Brazil in recent years. Brazil is a beautiful country with beautiful people. Too bad Brazil has always had an ugly, corrupt and dysfunctional political system.

Anyway, after my business wrapped up during one trip in 2015, one year before this country elected the current POTUS, I stayed in Rio for the weekend and took a tour through the favelas. Carlos, who lives there, was the tour guide. Carlos was one of the most engaging people I met - articulate, knowledgeable, a seasoned storyteller. One of the stories he told that day was of the unrest Brazil went through between the 60's and 80's - Brazil's Fifth Republic, a military dictatorship - during which the federal government terrorized and ransacked its population to quash dissent. Carlos and his family lived through that.

So as I read the reports now that our current administration is scaling out, nationwide, two bit dictator style tactics on its own citizenry I reflect back to Carlos' personal stories, and realize how much this country has fallen.

The thumbnail picture is of Carlos and his daughter Carla, who came to see her father at work that day.

I hope I will not tell my grandchildren similar stories Carlos - I bet - has relayed to Carla. We shall see.

Carla and Me, Photo taken by Carlos

P.S.

Literally, no joke. Look it up on Google Translate for yourself. Sounds eerily familiar doesn't it ?