🇧🇷 Brazil Episodes

Guests: Bruno Tavares, Globo journalist in São Paulo; and Malu Gaspar, GloboNews and CBN commentator and O Globo columnist. R$ 26 billion. According to investigators, this is the loss to the coffers of SP, RJ, and the Union caused by a tax evasion scheme involving a group operating in the fuel sector. Led by businessman Ricardo Magro, the Refit group is considered the largest tax debtor in SP, the second largest in RJ, and one of the largest in the Union. The evasion scheme was targeted by Operation Poço de Lobato this Thursday (27) – in total, there were 190 targets of warrants – including individuals and companies directly or indirectly linked to the Refit group. In this episode, Victor Boyadjian welcomes two guests to explain how the fraud worked and why a project that could toughen rules to combat crimes of this type is slow to advance in Congress. First, the conversation is with Bruno Tavares, Globo journalist in São Paulo. Then, Victor welcomes Malu Gaspar, GloboNews and CBN commentator, and columnist for O Globo newspaper. Bruno details the operation and how the billion-dollar tax evasion scheme worked. The journalist explains how those involved spread money across various companies to hinder the tracking of funds, and answers what the next steps of this investigation are. Afterward, Malu clarifies what a “habitual debtor” is and why Refit is considered an example of this type of debtor. She recounts the connections between businessman Ricardo Magro and influential people in Brasília. Malu also explains how the operation resonated in Congress – this Thursday, the Speaker of the House announced who will be the rapporteur for the project that could inhibit this type of crime.

Guest: Luiza Tenente, g1 Education reporter. On November 11, a YouTube live stream showed questions almost identical to those that appeared on the first day of Enem. Luiza Tenente, g1 Education reporter, revealed firsthand that a medical student discovered that items from a CAPES exam served as a pre-test for Enem – and encouraged candidates to memorize the answers in case the questions were part of the exam, which is a gateway to hundreds of universities. Victor Boyadjian's guest in this episode, Luiza gives details on how she discovered that 8 questions almost identical to those that appeared on Enem 2025 were previously disclosed by Edclay Teixeira, a medical student who provides preparatory courses for the exam. The journalist explains how Enem – which this year had 4.8 million registered candidates – is formulated. She describes how the question bank for the exam works – and how this stock of questions creates loopholes for the publication of items in previous exams. Luiza explains what Inep (the body responsible for Enem) claims as justification for three Enem questions anticipated by Edcley having been annulled, while others were not. She also describes what she heard from students and their families and how the investigation into the case is progressing.

Guests: Ana Flor, g1 columnist and GloboNews commentator; and Carlos Fico, Professor of History at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. November 25, 2025 marks the end of the process of the so-called crucial core of the attempted coup d'état. This Tuesday, STF Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the execution of the sentences of the eight convicted for attempted coup, among them Jair Bolsonaro and high-ranking military officials. In this episode, Natuza Nery welcomes two guests: journalist Ana Flor and historian Carlos Fico. g1 columnist and GloboNews commentator, Ana Flor details the circumstances under which the sentences of the condemned were executed. She explains how the arrests happened - and where the arrested military officials were taken: Admiral Almir Garniere (former Navy commander), and Generals Augusto Heleno (former Minister of the Institutional Security Cabinet) and Paulo Sérgio Nogueira (former Minister of Defense). Ana analyzes Alexandre Ramagem's situation. Moraes requested that Ramagem lose his mandate as a deputy - Bolsonaro's former Minister of Justice is in the US and is considered a fugitive. Also convicted by the STF, General Braga Netto has been imprisoned since December 2024 in a military village in Rio. In addition to him, Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid is under house arrest for having reached a plea bargain agreement. Afterward, Natuza speaks with historian Carlos Fico. Professor of History at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Fico clarifies the symbolism of military officials being arrested for attempted coup for the first time in history.

Guest: Renato Stanziola Vieira, PhD in Criminal Procedural Law from USP. Former president of the Brazilian Institute of Criminal Sciences (Ibccrim). The former president's preventive detention was upheld by a unanimous decision this Monday (24) in the 1st Panel of the Federal Supreme Court. By 4 votes to 0, the justices decided that Bolsonaro will remain imprisoned at the Federal Police Superintendency in Brasília - where he was taken last Saturday. The STF justices considered there was a risk of flight - on the eve of the Supreme Court defining from when, and where, Bolsonaro will serve his 27-year and 3-month sentence for attempted coup d'état. One of the pillars of the request for the former president's arrest is the violation of the electronic ankle monitor. In this episode, Natuza Nery talks with Renato Stanziola Vieira, PhD in Criminal Procedural Law from USP. Former president of the Brazilian Institute of Criminal Sciences (Ibccrim), Stanziola details the legal arguments presented by STF Justice Alexandre de Moraes to maintain Bolsonaro's preventive detention. Moraes was joined by the votes of Justices Flávio Dino, Cristiano Zanin, and Cármen Lúcia. He discusses which situations foresee preventive detention, and in which cases there is room for defense appeals. Stanziola also answers what happens now with the former president's legal situation.

Guests: Pedro Figueiredo, GloboNews reporter in Brasília; and Roberto Uchôa, former civil police officer in Rio, federal police officer for two decades, and advisor to the Brazilian Public Security Forum. Approved in the Chamber of Deputies last week, the bill to combat organized crime now goes to the Senate. Originating in the Executive branch, the text underwent several changes in a few days – six versions were presented by congressman Guilherme Derrite (PP-SP), São Paulo's Secretary of Security, who stepped down from his position to report on the text. Called the Legal Framework for Combating Organized Crime, the text increases penalties, creates new criminal offenses, expands investigative tools, and establishes specific rules for leaders of criminal factions. Globo reporter in Congress, Pedro Figueiredo, recounts the bill's processing. Pedro explains what Derrite modified in the bill sent by the Executive and how the version approved by the deputies turned out. Pedro also answers what the outlook is for the topic and how the text's path will be in the Senate, where Senator Alessandro Vieira (MDB-SE) will be the rapporteur. Afterwards, the conversation is with Roberto Uchôa, former civil police officer in Rio and federal police officer for two decades. Today an advisor to the Brazilian Public Security Forum, Uchôa analyzes the positive and negative points of the Anti-Faction Bill approved by the deputies. He assesses how the financial strangulation of organized crime will be affected by the bill approved in the Chamber – financial control of criminal organizations is considered a crucial point in combating crime.

Guest: Maria Cristina Fernandes, columnist for Valor Econômico and commentator for GloboNews and CBN radio. Early this Saturday morning (22), former president Jair Bolsonaro was arrested at his home and taken to the Federal Police Superintendence in Brasília. The preventive arrest was decreed by STF minister Alexandre de Moraes and is unrelated to the serving of his 27-year and 3-month sentence for attempted coup. In the decision, Moraes cited risk of flight, violation of the electronic ankle monitor, and risk to public order. Under arrest, Bolsonaro said he used a soldering iron on the electronic ankle monitor. Questioned by a prison officer, the former president stated that he began tampering with the device late Friday afternoon. On Sunday (23), Bolsonaro will undergo a custody hearing with a judge. In this extra episode, Natuza Nery talks with Maria Cristina Fernandes about the points that underpinned the arrest warrant. Maria Cristina details Moraes' decision and analyzes Bolsonaro's political and legal situation. A columnist for Valor Econômico and commentator for GloboNews and CBN radio, Maria Cristina discusses how the call by Flávio Bolsonaro for his father's supporters to demonstrate at the entrance of his condominium deepens a fissure on the right. And she evaluates how the preventive arrest affects the execution of the sentence in the conviction for attempted coup d'état.

Convidado: Thomas Traumann, comentarista da GloboNews. O presidente Lula indicou Jorge Messias para ocupar uma vaga no Supremo Tribunal Federal. Advogado-geral da União, Messias foi o escolhido do presidente para a vaga aberta por Luís Roberto Barroso, que antecipou sua aposentadoria da mais alta Corte do país. O nome de Messias ainda precisa de aprovação do Senado. Neste episódio, Natuza Nery conversa com Thomas Traumann para relembrar quem é Jorge Messias e quais fatores pesaram na escolha de Lula. Homem de confiança do presidente, Messias tem 45 anos, é evangélico e está à frente da Advocacia-Geral da União desde janeiro de 2023. Ele ingressou na AGU em 2007, como procurador da Fazenda. Thomas analisa qual o cenário no Senado para a sabatina de Messias na Comissão de Constituição de Justiça (CCJ), e para a aprovação em Plenário. Para ter seu nome confirmado, o indicado pelo presidente precisa ser aprovado por maioria absoluta dos senadores – ou seja, ter 41 votos. Por fim, Thomas conclui como o a experiência de Messias em temas relacionados a finanças públicas pode ajudar o atual e futuros governos. Guest: Thomas Traumann, GloboNews commentator. President Lula nominated Jorge Messias to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Federal Court. Attorney General of the Union, Messias was the president's choice for the vacancy opened by Luís Roberto Barroso, who anticipated his retirement from the country's highest court. Messias's name still needs Senate approval. In this episode, Natuza Nery talks to Thomas Traumann to remember who Jorge Messias is and what factors influenced Lula's choice. A trusted man of the president, Messias is 45 years old, is evangelical and has been in charge of the Attorney General's Office since January 2023. He joined the AGU in 2007, as a Treasury prosecutor. Thomas analyzes the scenario in the Senate for Messias's hearing in the Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ), and for approval in the Plenary. To have his name confirmed, the president's nominee needs to be approved by an absolute majority of senators – that is, have 41 votes. Finally, Thomas concludes how Messias's experience in matters related to public finances can help current and future governments.

Guests: Estevão Taiar, economics coordinator at Valor Econômico; and Fernando Torres, executive editor at Valor Econômico. The arrest of banker Daniel Vorcaro shed light on evidence of an estimated R$ 12 billion fraud. Owner of Banco Master, Vorcaro was arrested by the Federal Police on Monday night (17), at Guarulhos Airport, before boarding for the island of Malta. According to investigators, the banker was trying to flee Brazil. This Tuesday (18), six other people were arrested by the PF in the operation targeting a financial fraud scheme. Vorcaro was arrested hours after the consortium led by the investment group Fictor Holding Financeira announced the purchase of Banco Master— and just over a month after the Central Bank rejected the acquisition by BRB (Banco de Brasília). Also this Tuesday, the Central Bank decided to liquidate Banco Master – which, in practice, removes the bank from the Brazilian financial system. In this episode, Natuza Nery talks with journalists Estevão Taiar and Fernando Torres, from Valor Econômico. Economics coordinator in Brasília, Estevão explains who Daniel Vorcaro is and how he created Banco Master. He recounts how the 42-year-old businessman led the bank to meteoric growth by selling securities promising returns far above the market. Then, the conversation is with Fernando Torres, executive editor of the same newspaper. He recalls how this is a crisis that has been unfolding since last year. Fernando recalls the Central Bank's actions to block the purchase of Master by BRB, Banco de Brasília, and preserve the financial system. He also explains what will happen to customers who had investments in the bank.

Guests: Poliana Casemiro, g1 reporter sent to Belém; and Paulo Artaxo, USP professor and member of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. COP 30 entered its decisive week this Monday (17th), with the arrival of ministers from participating countries in Belém (PA). The most political stage of the conference has begun, with the expectation that an agreement on the final text of the COP will be presented by Friday (21st). Outside the official agenda of the UN conference, an alternative proposal from Brazil has received praise: the so-called "roadmap" for abandoning fossil fuels. Reducing the consumption of fossil fuels is considered an essential measure to curb global warming. In conversation with Natuza Nery, g1 reporter Poliana Casemiro details what this map is and what strategy Brazil adopted to advance the plan. Live from Belém, Poliana tells how Brazilian negotiators divided the discussions into blocks, and what the most controversial points are so far. Afterwards, the conversation is with Paulo Artaxo, professor at USP and member of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the IPCC. Artaxo analyzes how the roadmap can contribute to the success of COP 30. He also answers what needs to come out of the conference to say that there has been real progress in the energy transition.

Guests: Adriana Melo, pioneer in identifying Zika virus infection in pregnant women; and Marcelly Setúbal, producer of the series "Zika: 10 Years Later." In November 2015, Brazil declared a Zika virus epidemic – an exceptional measure after an atypical increase in the number of babies born with microcephaly. Most cases were registered in the Northeast. One of the first doctors to identify the relationship between the Zika virus and microcephaly was Adriana Melo, interviewed by Natuza Nery in this episode. Ten years later, Adriana recalls how an alert sounded when observing a baby's brain on an ultrasound of one of her patients. She recounts how it was possible to identify the causal relationship between the Zika virus and cases of microcephaly. Adriana also explains what other types of damage the virus causes in the development of babies. To tell how the thousands of women who, ten years ago, gave birth to babies with microcephaly are doing, Natuza listens to Marcelly Setúbal. Producer of the series “Zika: 10 Years Later,” from GloboNews, the journalist traveled to cities in Pernambuco and Rio de Janeiro to show how the mothers and their children with microcephaly are doing. Marcelly reports how these families were left without assistance, both by the government and by their own fathers.

Guests: Isabela Camargo, TV Globo reporter in Brasília; and Diego Cherulli, lawyer and president of the Brazilian Independent Institute of Law and Social Security Research. Former INSS president Alessandro Stefanutto and eight others were arrested this Thursday (13) in another phase of Operation No Discount, by the Federal Police. They are suspected of being part of a scheme to embezzle money from retirees and pensioners which, according to the PF and the Comptroller General of the Union (CGU) investigation, may have moved R$ 6.3 billion between 2019 and 2024. According to investigations, the suspects charged irregular monthly fees, deducted from retirees' and pensioners' benefits, without their authorization. The most recent balance sheet released by the INSS indicates that more than 6 million beneficiaries stated that they did not recognize discounts made in recent years. On Wednesday (11), the government extended the deadline for contesting these amounts. The embezzlement scandal is yet another in the history of the INSS, a social security system created to guarantee security and dignity to retirees and pensioners. In practice, what is seen is an endless source of scams, many of them committed at the door of service agencies, as journalist Isabela Camargo recalls in conversation with Natuza Nery. Globo reporter in Brasília, Isabela tells who Stefanutto is and what suspicions fall on him. She also answers how the work of the CPI created to investigate the scandal is going. Afterwards, the conversation is with lawyer Diego Cherulli, president of the Brazilian Independent Institute of Law and Social Security Research. He answers why the INSS is a “breeding ground for scams” against insured parties and gives examples of fraud – such as that of the false lawyer, who has already made thousands of victims. Diego points out necessary mechanisms to avoid embezzlement and warns: "the golden rule is not to pay anything before receiving" the benefit.

Guest: Marcelo Lins, GloboNews commentator and host of GloboNews Internacional. An old ghost returned to haunt the White House this Wednesday (12th): the Jeffrey Epstein case, a millionaire accused of sexually exploiting teenagers. Democratic deputies revealed three Epstein emails suggesting Trump knew about the girls. In one of the messages, from 2011, Epstein says Trump spent hours with one of them. Following the release of the emails, congressmen from Trump's party made public 23,000 pages of documents about the case. The American president has always denied any involvement with the case and, this Wednesday, said that the Democrats created a farce to divert attention from the party's failure during the biggest shutdown in US history. To explain what the emails reveal and how the Epstein case haunts Trump, Natuza Nery talks to Marcelo Lins, GloboNews commentator and host of GloboNews Internacional. Lins recalls the relationship between Trump and Epstein and analyzes the political moment in which the emails and other documents about the case are revealed.

Guest: Wálter Maierovitch, legal expert in organized crime; and William Murad, executive director of the Federal Police. Rapporteur of the Anti-Faction Bill, Deputy Guilherme Derrite (PP-SP) presented on Tuesday evening (11) a new opinion on the package to combat organized crime sent by the government. It was the third version given by Derrite since last Friday, when he was chosen by the Speaker of the House, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), to be the rapporteur of the government-authored project. The text is being processed urgently and is ready to be voted on in plenary, which should occur this Wednesday (12). In this third version, Derrite proposes the creation of a new law to combat organized crime. The deputy - who took leave from the Public Security Secretariat of SP to report on the project - removed the changes to the Anti-Terrorism Law and the attributions of the Federal Police. The two points generated divergences in the Chamber and were the target of criticism from the government, jurists and public security experts. In this episode, Natuza Nery talks with jurist Wálter Maierovitch to analyze what it would mean to change the attributions of the Federal Police and tamper with the Anti-Terrorism Law. He evaluates the proposal to increase the penalty for crimes attributed to factions from 20 to 40 years, and analyzes in which points the project presented by the government would need to be improved. Afterwards, the conversation is with William Murad, executive director of the Federal Police, who answers what type of investigation would be put at risk with changes in the attributions of the corporation.

Convidada: Mariana Albuquerque Zan, advogada do Instituto Alana. A lei brasileira proíbe o casamento civil de menores de 16 anos, mas dados divulgados pelo Censo revelam que 34 mil crianças e adolescentes entre 10 e 14 anos vivem em algum tipo de união conjugal. Nesse grupo, quase 8 em cada 10 são meninas, segundo os números do IBGE. Meninas que, na maioria das vezes, deixam de estudar para cuidar de afazeres domésticos. Os indicadores são baseados em informações fornecidas pelos próprios moradores que responderam ao Censo – e não têm comprovação legal. No entanto, outros números reforçam a existência deste problema na sociedade brasileira: o país ocupa o 6º lugar no ranking global de casamentos infantis, segundo dados de 2023 da Associação Nacional dos Registradores de Pessoas Naturais. Neste episódio, Natuza Nery conversa com Mariana Albuquerque Zan, advogada do Instituto Alana, organização da sociedade civil que há mais de 30 anos atua para garantir os direitos de crianças e adolescentes. Mariana lista os vários indicadores que reforçam os dados do Censo e traça um perfil das vítimas de casamento infantil no Brasil. Ela também aponta o que pode ser feito para reverter essa situação, que tira de crianças e adolescentes direitos básicos. E fala da necessidade da criação de políticas públicas para proteger menores de casamentos fora da lei.

Guests: Tasso Azevedo, general coordinator of MapBiomas; and Ricardo Abramovay, senior professor at the Institute for Advanced Studies and the Institute of Energy and Environment at USP. COP30 starts this Monday (10th) in Belém, Pará, with a proposal on the table: a fund to transform forest preservation into profit. The Tropical Forest Forever Fund (TFFF) was officially launched by President Lula during the COP Leaders Summit. The initiative aims to raise funds from governments and the private sector. One of the creators of the first version of the plan, Tasso Azevedo talks to Natuza Nery to explain the importance of preserving tropical forests. General coordinator of MapBiomas, Tasso details how the plan should work and why it is considered innovative compared to other initiatives to preserve biomes. Afterwards, Natuza talks to Ricardo Abramovay, senior professor at the Institute for Advanced Studies and the Institute of Energy and Environment at USP. Author of books on the sustainable economy of the Amazon, Abramovay answers why, from an economic point of view, it is worth keeping the forest standing. And points out ways of what can be done to combine development with environmental preservation.

Convidada: Isabela Leite, reporter from GloboNews. Around 4 PM on November 9, 2024, a man with a death sentence arrived in São Paulo on a flight from Maceió. Upon disembarking and leaving Terminal 2, Antônio Vinícius Gritzbach was executed with rifle shots at Cumbica Airport, in Guarulhos. The execution, in the middle of Brazil's largest airport, opened a Pandora's Box about organized crime. In conversation with Natuza Nery in this episode, journalist Isabela Leite recounts this story. GloboNews reporter Isabela recalls the assassination of the man who denounced the PCC and was considered by investigators a "living archive" of the faction. Months before being killed, Gritzbach had closed an agreement with the Public Prosecutor's Office of São Paulo and denounced PCC money laundering schemes, in addition to cases of police corruption. Isabela explains the questions that are still open about the case. She discusses the various lines of investigation opened and how they exposed sophisticated criminal schemes: from police corruption to money laundering using fintechs and construction companies. And she answers how Gritzbach's death shook the police of São Paulo.

Guests: Maurício Stegemann Dieter, USP criminology professor; and Lincoln Gakiya, São Paulo Gaeco prosecutor. The term narcoterrorism was used by the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Cláudio Castro, on the same day as the operation that ended with 121 deaths, including 4 police officers, in the Alemão and Penha complexes. Since then, the discussion about a project that equates drug trafficking with terrorism has gained traction in the Chamber - and the support of some governors. According to the project under discussion, the application of the Anti-Terrorism Law – created in 2016 - will be extended to criminal organizations and militias. Defended by the opposition, the proposal displeases the government, as Minister Gleisi Hoffmann declared this Wednesday. But what changes, in practice, if drug trafficking is considered terrorism? To answer this question, Natuza Nery receives two guests: Lincoln Gakiya, Prosecutor of Justice of Gaeco of São Paulo, one of the biggest investigators on the PCC; and Maurício Stegemann Dieter, Professor of Criminology at USP. Gakiya answers what could happen to ongoing investigations if the project is approved in Congress. The prosecutor assesses whether it is feasible, from an operational point of view, to transfer investigations that are currently under the competence of state police and bodies to the Federal Police. Maurício details the difference between the crimes of terrorism and trafficking and answers how a possible change could impact the lives of Brazilians.

Guest: Vanessa Cavalieri, judge of the Children and Youth Court of Rio de Janeiro. Brazil had 12,500 adolescents in restriction and deprivation of liberty in August 2024, according to data from Sinase, the National Socio-Educational Care System, linked to the National Secretariat for the Rights of the Child and Adolescent. Brazilian law provides for a series of ways to guarantee social reintegration and prevent these young people from committing illegal acts again. In a conversation with Natuza Nery in this episode, Judge Vanessa Cavalieri explains what happens from the moment a young person is apprehended. According to her, by inefficiently complying with the first restrictive measure, many of these young people return to trafficking. Vanessa reports how, when apprehended by the police and losing the drugs belonging to the traffic, young people create unpayable debts, generating a "snowball" process, in which one crime leads to another even more serious. Head of the Children and Youth Court of Rio de Janeiro, Vanessa Cavalieri reports what she sees daily in her work with young offenders and what type of investments and social programs would need to be put into practice to reverse this scenario. She lists which social, educational and family factors lead minors to commit illegal acts, in a cycle that is difficult to break.

Guests: Gabriela Azevedo, reporter from g1 Ceará; and Francisco Elionardo de Melo Nascimento, professor and executive coordinator of COVIO, the Laboratory for Studies on Conflictualities and Violence at the State University of Ceará. Brazil's two largest criminal factions were born in the Southeast and, in recent decades, have expanded to other states. An X-ray done by the Ministry of Justice shows that more than half of the criminal organizations operating in national territory are in the Northeast region, including precisely the PCC and Comando Vermelho, the country's two largest factions. The arrival of these criminal groups has provoked a series of territorial disputes, which have aggravated the problem of public security in the states. One of the portraits of this dispute is a "ghost village" in Ceará, as reporter Gabriela Azevedo, from g1 Ceará, tells Natuza Nery in this episode. Gabriela visited this village in the city of Pacatuba, in the Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza. She tells what she saw on the spot and what she heard from residents expelled from the region. Then, Natuza talks with Professor Francisco Elionardo de Melo Nascimento, from the State University of Ceará. Executive coordinator of COVIO, the university's Laboratory for Studies on Conflictualities and Violence, Elionardo details how the expansion of organized crime in the region took place and explains how the expulsion of residents is a recurring practice in the territorial dispute with other criminal groups.

Guest: Ana Maria Gonçalves, author of "A Color Defect". Next Friday (7th), writer Ana Maria Gonçalves will assume Chair No. 33 of the Brazilian Academy of Letters (ABL). The inauguration of the author of the book "A Color Defect" will be historic: for the first time a black woman will have a seat in the 128-year-old institution. On the eve of the event, Ana Maria Gonçalves talks with Natuza Nery. The author of the book that became a landmark of our contemporary culture discusses the place of black women in Brazilian literature. Ana Maria tells how the protagonist Kehinde was built, an African woman who survives the crossing of the Atlantic and the violence of slavery in Brazil. Kehinde was inspired by the life of Luísa Mahin, mother of the poet and lawyer Luiz Gama – a key figure in Brazilian abolitionism. In the conversation, Ana Maria discusses the differences between Brazil in 2006 – the year her main novel was published – and the country today. "A Color Defect" won the Casa de las Américas Prize in 2007, one of the most important in Latin America. In 2024, the book was the theme of the samba plot of the Portela samba school. Throughout the episode, excerpts from "A Color Defect" are read by journalist Maju Coutinho and actor Lázaro Ramos – he gives voice to stanzas of the poem "My Mother", by Luiz Gama, and letters written by the author.