Brazil Wants a Country as Good as Its Soccer
The other day I stopped into my neighborhood bistro for a bite. It's usually a laid-back place, with a great jazz soundtrack, but when two guys in dark suits walked in, the mood chilled. They were "fiscais" -- Rio shorthand for city inspectors -- snooping for irregularities. Proprietors in Rio de Janeiro dread these sorts of visits: Fiscais always find something. They might be persuaded to look the other way, for a price. Brazilians call it wetting the official hand.
With Brazil in the global headlights, and 600,000 foreigners expected for next month's World Cup, hands are getting wetter. "My blood freezes when I see them," whispered the bistro manager as the suits marched into the kitchen.… Seguir leyendo »