Human Rights in Brazil

The population in Brazil consists of 144 million people.

Brazil is one of the fastest-growing nations in the Western

Hemisphere. Its population is increasing at the rate of about 2% a

year. The constitution of Brazil gives the president tremendous

powers. For example, the president may intervene in affairs of

Brazil's states. The chief executive may even create new states from

existing ones.

Brazil has three main ethnic groups-whites, blacks, and people

of mixed ancestry. Most of the whites are from Europe. According to

the Brazilian government whites make up about 60% of the nation's

population, and people of mixed races form about 30%. However, the

government of Brazil counts many lightskinned people of mixed ancestry

as white. Brazil's ethnic groups generally get along well with one

another. Racial discrimination in Brazil if far less widespread than

that in many other countries with people of several races. But

Brazilians of European descent have had better educational

opportunities. As a result, they hold most of the higher jobs in

government and industry. Many of the non-Europeans, particularly

blacks, have excelled in the arts, entertainment and sports.

Brazil's prison system system is in crisis. Four years ago, in

its 1990 urban violence report Amnesty International described the

prisons as being at breaking point, holding double their official

capacity in "inhuman" conditions. Four years later the situation

has not improved. In some respects, it has deteriorated. Overcrowding,

lack of medical and legal assistance, torture and ill-treatment of

inmates and harassment of visitors are endemic. A frightening and

rising proportion of prisoners carry the HIV virus. In the Women's

Prison of Soo Paulom, around 33% of the inmates are infected with the

virus, while in the male prison the figure reaches 27% of the prison

population. A study published in 1994 shows that the majority of

prisoners are yourn, poor, and black.

A group of inmates in the Desembargador Vidal Pessoa Central

Prison of Manaus, Amazonas held a peaceful protest against conditions

in es called in military police shock-troops. They reportedly