Brazilians are calling for urgent measures to address climate change, as President Lula Da Silva emphasizes the need for stronger actions. Amid rising environmental concerns, citizens and leaders alike are pushing for comprehensive policies to combat the climate crisis and protect the Amazon rainforest. Lula’s administration is under pressure to implement effective strategies that prioritize sustainability and environmental preservation.

Brazilians Urge Steps To Tackle Climate Change, Lula Da Silva Calls For Stronger Actions

Wearing a camouflage T-shirt that clings to his biceps, Brazilian policeman Saulo packs his bag with combat boots, camping gear, gun holsters and a knife -- "just the essential" to go&nbsp;fight&nbsp;in&nbsp;Ukraine.

The 35-year-old Sao Paulo man quit his job as a military police officer to travel more than 11,000 kilometers (nearly 7,000 miles) and&nbsp;join&nbsp;Ukraine's&nbsp;fight&nbsp;against the Russian invasion.

"I identify with the cause, with the Ukrainian people who are suffering the injustice of a foreign aggressor," said Saulo, who asked that his last name not be used for security reasons.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/refrain-from-publishing-russia-warns-media-says-dont-report-interview-with-zelensky-466209">'Refrain from publishing': Russia warns media, says don't report interview with Zelensky</a>

"And I want to help avoid World War III," he told AFP, laying the items on his short packing list out on his bed alongside his black duffel bag.

Picking up a small Brazilian flag, he added it to the pile.

Although President Jair Bolsonaro has said Brazil will remain "neutral" over the conflict -- drawing criticism in some quarters -- hundreds of&nbsp;Brazilians&nbsp;have taken steps to go&nbsp;fight&nbsp;in&nbsp;Ukraine.

They are looking to&nbsp;join&nbsp;the 20,000 volunteers from more than 50 countries who have applied to&nbsp;join&nbsp;the International Legion of Defense of&nbsp;Ukraine, a corps launched to help fend off the invasion, according to figures from the Ukrainian foreign ministry.

Saulo said good-bye to his partner and two children and left Wednesday for Poland, where&nbsp;Brazilians&nbsp;already on the ground have promised to help him&nbsp;join&nbsp;the war.

He bought the one-way ticket with his own money.

Saulo said he made his decision after seeing images from&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;of bombed-out residential buildings and hospitals. That convinced him to answer President Volodymyr Zelensky's appeal to&nbsp;join&nbsp;the new foreign legion and&nbsp;fight&nbsp;"elbow to elbow" with the Ukrainian army.

"There's a risk I won't come back. Anyone who goes over there knows that. We're not little kids," said Saulo, who sports a tattoo of a big black skull on his right arm, a knife clutched in its teeth.

His only fear, he said, is the conflict "erupting into nuclear war."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brazilian-company-using-proceeds-acquired-by-selling-nfts-to-preserve-amazon-rainforest-465996">Brazilian company using proceeds acquired by selling NFTs to preserve Amazon rainforest</a>

&nbsp;Defending a foreign country&nbsp;

The Ukrainian foreign legion's only requirement to&nbsp;join&nbsp;is military or firearms experience, according to representatives of the website fightforua.org, which is helping organize the effort.

Other webpages set up for&nbsp;Brazilians&nbsp;rallying to the cause have hundreds of members, such as Portuguese-language Facebook group "Volunteers to&nbsp;Fight&nbsp;in&nbsp;Ukraine," with 1,800.

The site is a forum for would-be volunteers to swap information -- though members told AFP they limited their interactions, fearing Russian spies could be watching.

One would-be volunteer, Guilherme -- his name was changed for safety reasons -- said he saw going to the front as a way to make a fresh start in life.

The 29-year-old formerly served in the Brazilian army and the French Foreign Legion, then worked as a private security guard in Rio de Janeiro, but is now unemployed.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-conflict-with-russia-intensifies-mourners-defy-missile-threats-to-attend-ukrainian-military-funerals-466200">&nbsp;As conflict with Russia intensifies, mourners defy missile threats to attend Ukrainian military funerals</a>

"Things are hard here in Brazil," he said.

"Helping in&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;is an opportunity.... We have to think about what we can do to help others in this world, and not just say 'That's not my war,' because the world's ending."

Open arms

Ukraine's consul in Sao Paulo, Jorge Rybka, said would-be volunteers receive "no assistance of any kind" from the Ukrainian government.

Brazil's foreign ministry meanwhile said it "emphatically discourages" people from traveling to&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;given the security situation.

That did not stop Brazilian military veteran Leandro Galvao, who is already on the ground in the suburbs of Kyiv, where he carries out patrol and civilian rescue operations alongside the Ukrainian army.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brazil-police-probe-education-ministry-graft-allegations-source-says-465625">Brazil police probes education ministry's graft allegations</a>

Galvao, 49, came from Estonia, where he lives, to "defend democracy," he told AFP.

"Ever since I joined the Ukrainian army, I'm part of this nation, and I'll defend it to the end," said the Sao Paulo native, who has two children.

Foreign fighters, he said, "are welcomed here with open arms, with happiness and thanks."

Watch |&nbsp;'Ready to go for neutrality, non-nuclear status,' says Ukrainian president Zelensky

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ready-to-go-for-neutrality-non-nuclear-status-says-ukrainian-president-zelensky-466211/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Wearing a camouflage T-shirt that clings to his biceps, Brazilian policeman Saulo packs his bag with combat boots, camping gear, gun holsters and a knife -- "just the essential" to go fight in Ukraine.

Wearing a camouflage T-shirt that clings to his biceps, Brazilian policeman Saulo packs his bag with combat boots, camping gear, gun holsters and a knife -- "just the essential" to go fight in Ukraine. The 35-year-old Sao Paulo man quit his job as a military police officer to travel more than 11,000 kilometers (nearly 7,000 miles) and join Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion. "I identify with the cause, with the Ukrainian people who are suffering the injustice of a foreign aggressor," said Saulo, who asked that his last name not be used for security reasons. Also read | 'Refrain from publishing': Russia warns media, says don't report interview with Zelensky "And I want to help avoid World War III," he told AFP, laying the items on his short packing list out on his bed alongside his black duffel bag. Picking up a small Brazilian flag, he added it to the pile. Although President Jair Bolsonaro has said Brazil will remain "neutral" over the conflict -- drawing criticism in some quarters -- hundreds of Brazilians have taken steps to go fight in Ukraine. They are looking to join the 20,000 volunteers from more than 50 countries who have applied to join the International Legion of Defense of Ukraine, a corps launched to help fend off the invasion, according to figures from the Ukrainian foreign ministry. Saulo said good-bye to his partner and two children and left Wednesday for Poland, where Brazilians already on the ground have promised to help him join the war. He bought the one-way ticket with his own money. Saulo said he made his decision after seeing images from Ukraine of bombed-out residential buildings and hospitals. That convinced him to answer President Volodymyr Zelensky's appeal to join the new foreign legion and fight "elbow to elbow" with the Ukrainian army. "There's a risk I won't come back. Anyone who goes over there knows that. We're not little kids," said Saulo, who sports a tattoo of a big black skull on his right arm, a knife clutched in its teeth. His only fear, he said, is the conflict "erupting into nuclear war." Also read | Brazilian company using proceeds acquired by selling NFTs to preserve Amazon rainforest Defending a foreign country The Ukrainian foreign legion's only requirement to join is military or firearms experience, according to representatives of the website fightforua.org, which is helping organize the effort. Other webpages set up for Brazilians rallying to the cause have hundreds of members, such as Portuguese-language Facebook group "Volunteers to Fight in Ukraine," with 1,800. The site is a forum for would-be volunteers to swap information -- though members told AFP they limited their interactions, fearing Russian spies could be watching. One would-be volunteer, Guilherme -- his name was changed for safety reasons -- said he saw going to the front as a way to make a fresh start in life. The 29-year-old formerly served in the Brazilian army and the French Foreign Legion, then worked as a private security guard in Rio de Janeiro, but is now unemployed. Also read | As conflict with Russia intensifies, mourners defy missile threats to attend Ukrainian military funerals "Things are hard here in Brazil," he said. "Helping in Ukraine is an opportunity.... We have to think about what we can do to help others in this world, and not just say 'That's not my war,' because the world's ending." Open arms Ukraine's consul in Sao Paulo, Jorge Rybka, said would-be volunteers receive "no assistance of any kind" from the Ukrainian government. Brazil's foreign ministry meanwhile said it "emphatically discourages" people from traveling to Ukraine given the security situation. That did not stop Brazilian military veteran Leandro Galvao, who is already on the ground in the suburbs of Kyiv, where he carries out patrol and civilian rescue operations alongside the Ukrainian army. Also read | Brazil police probes education ministry's graft allegations Galvao, 49, came from Estonia, where he lives, to "defend democracy," he told AFP. "Ever since I joined the Ukrainian army, I'm part of this nation, and I'll defend it to the end," said the Sao Paulo native, who has two children. Foreign fighters, he said, "are welcomed here with open arms, with happiness and thanks." Watch | 'Ready to go for neutrality, non-nuclear status,' says Ukrainian president Zelensky

Brazilians join fight in far-away Ukraine

Argentina's president was forced to apologise for describing Brazilians as people from the jungle. Why do politicians continue to twist the scientific theory of human evolution? WION’s Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas | Argentine President: Brazilians came from jungles

Argentine&nbsp;President&nbsp;Alberto Fernandez triggered a Twitter storm and a regional race debate on Wednesday with misjudged comments to visiting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez that sought to play up the South American country's ties with Europe.

"The Mexicans came&nbsp;from&nbsp;the Indians, the&nbsp;Brazilians&nbsp;came&nbsp;from&nbsp;the jungle, but we&nbsp;Argentines came&nbsp;from&nbsp;the ships. And they were ships that came&nbsp;from&nbsp;Europe," Fernandez said, referring to the country's many European migrants. He later apologized for the comments and said his country's diversity was something to be proud of.

Fernandez seems to have taken the phrase&nbsp;from&nbsp;a song by local musician Lito Nebbia, of whom the&nbsp;President&nbsp;has declared himself an admirer on more than one occasion.

The comments sparked a viral response on social media, with many criticizing Fernandez for racial insensitivity.

"I did not mean to offend anyone, in any case, whoever has felt offended or invisible, I give my apologies," Fernandez said on Twitter.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-argentina-no-longer-hosting-copa-america-conmebol-388557">Also Read |&nbsp;Argentina no longer hosting Copa America: CONMEBOL</a>

Brazilian media ran Fernandez's statements on Wednesday and many on social media joked that right-wing&nbsp;President&nbsp;Jair Bolsonaro would enjoy getting back at the left-wing&nbsp;Argentine&nbsp;leader.

Bolsonaro obliged by tweeting a photograph of himself wearing a native headdress, smiling among a group of indigenous people. The only text in the tweet was the word "JUNGLE" in capital letters, flanked by a Brazilian flag emoji.

Eduardo Bolsonaro, a congressman and the Brazilian&nbsp;president's son, slammed the comments as "racist" and shot a retort back at Argentina over its troubled economy, in recession since 2018.

"I say the ship that is sinking is that of Argentina," he posted on Twitter.

Netizens on YouTube posted replies under a video of the speech, expressing anger or unease.

"Excuse me, Mexican and Brazilian friends, on behalf of all&nbsp;Argentines we feel a lot of embarrassment. You know how much we love you, and your countries and customs," said one user under the name Barbara Bongiovanni.

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez triggered a Twitter storm and a regional race debate on Wednesday with misjudged comments to visiting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez that sought to play up the South American country's ties with Europe.

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez triggered a Twitter storm and a regional race debate on Wednesday with misjudged comments to visiting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez that sought to play up the South American country's ties with Europe. "The Mexicans came from the Indians, the Brazilians came from the jungle, but we Argentines came from the ships. And they were ships that came from Europe," Fernandez said, referring to the country's many European migrants. He later apologized for the comments and said his country's diversity was something to be proud of. Fernandez seems to have taken the phrase from a song by local musician Lito Nebbia, of whom the President has declared himself an admirer on more than one occasion. The comments sparked a viral response on social media, with many criticizing Fernandez for racial insensitivity. "I did not mean to offend anyone, in any case, whoever has felt offended or invisible, I give my apologies," Fernandez said on Twitter. Also Read | Argentina no longer hosting Copa America: CONMEBOL Brazilian media ran Fernandez's statements on Wednesday and many on social media joked that right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro would enjoy getting back at the left-wing Argentine leader. Bolsonaro obliged by tweeting a photograph of himself wearing a native headdress, smiling among a group of indigenous people. The only text in the tweet was the word "JUNGLE" in capital letters, flanked by a Brazilian flag emoji. Eduardo Bolsonaro, a congressman and the Brazilian president's son, slammed the comments as "racist" and shot a retort back at Argentina over its troubled economy, in recession since 2018. "I say the ship that is sinking is that of Argentina," he posted on Twitter. Netizens on YouTube posted replies under a video of the speech, expressing anger or unease. "Excuse me, Mexican and Brazilian friends, on behalf of all Argentines we feel a lot of embarrassment. You know how much we love you, and your countries and customs," said one user under the name Barbara Bongiovanni.

Argentine president says Brazilians 'came from the jungle', sparking uproar

Why 11 million Brazilians think Earth is flat

Rightist Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was discharged here Wednesday from one of Latin America's premier hospitals after being hospitalized for 17 days following a colostomy reversal and receiving a level of treatment that is inaccessible to most of his countrymen.

The 63-year-old Bolsonaro had been recovering at Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital from an operation to remove a colostomy bag, which was inserted after he was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/brazilian-presidential-candidate-stabbed-undergoes-surgery-to-repair-liver-164170">stabbed in the abdomen in September </a>during a campaign rally in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais.

Bolsonaro has undergone three successful surgeries since the near-fatal attack, including the January 27 colostomy reversal, but his latest hospital stay had to be lengthened because he was diagnosed last week with pneumonia and needed an increased dose of antibiotics.

On Wednesday, he said on Twitter while travelling by plane from Sao Paulo to Brasilia that the risk of death from September 6, 2018, stabbing can finally be definitively ruled out.

"I can only thank God and everyone that I'll finally be able to get back to work as normal," Bolsonaro added.

Shortly after the attack, which occurred just weeks before he was elected, the then-candidate underwent a surgical procedure (colostomy) in which one end of the colon (large intestine) is diverted through an incision in the abdominal wall.

This creates a stoma (opening in the skin) where a pouch for collecting faeces is attached.

In Bolsonaro's case, that procedure was necessary for the wake of the stabbing to avoid complications in the region where the initial emergency surgery was performed.

The colostomy reversal is a procedure that reverses the colostomy process and re-establishes the flow of waste through the gastrointestinal tract.

In comments last weekend on social media from his specially prepared hospital room at one of the region's most exclusive medical centres, Bolsonaro was the first to acknowledge his privileged situation.

"We know that few people could have treatment like this, but we're fully aware that our SUS (Brazil's publicly funded health-care system) can improve a great deal. We'll do everything possible to make that a reality," Bolsonaro said Sunday in a video uploaded to his Twitter account.

According to the medical institution, the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital was born out of a "meeting of friends" in 1955 in which Dr Manoel Tabacow Hidal proposed that a hospital is founded as a gesture of thanks to Brazilians for welcoming Jewish immigrants after World War II.

Located in the upscale Morumbi neighbourhood on Sao Paulo's west side, the list of former patients also includes soccer legend Pepe and other prominent Brazilians.

Its main competitor is Sao Paulo-based Hospital Sirio-Libanes, a private facility known as the "hospital of the powerful" where three ex-presidents, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Dilma Rousseff and Michel Temer, have received treatment.

The reality for these individuals is very different from that of many Brazilians forced to rely on an overcrowded and deficient public-health system. For those with only basic coverage, the wait for a colostomy reversal, for example, can be more than a year.

That has been the experience of 64-year-old Isaque Ferreira da Silva, who has been forced to wear a colostomy bag for 14 months.

He underwent emergency surgery at a public hospital in Sao Paulo in December 2017 after doctors detected a bowel perforation. A colostomy was performed and he still has the colostomy bag attached to his body.

"I have to do a test first and until I do that test I can't have the surgery" to reverse the colostomy, Ferreira da Silva, who still is able to work part-time as an electrician or a plumber, told EFE.

His problem - one that reflects the precarious state of Brazil's public health system - is that the machine needed for his pre-surgery colonoscopy was broken nearly all of last year.

"In a private hospital, those exams cost 870 reais (roughly $230). I don't have that kind of money, not to do that test," said Ferreira da Silva, who has not worked full-time for a year because the risk of possible damage to the colostomy bag prevents him from lifting anything heavy.

Sources with Brazil's public-health system confirmed to EFE that there can be a significant wait for a colostomy reversal because more urgent cases take priority.

It is recommended that surgery for the removal of the colostomy bag, which must be emptied daily and changed once a week on average, be performed three months after the colostomy if the patient is in optimal condition to undergo the procedure.

More than 30 years after SUS was created in 1988, the challenge of efficiently financing Brazil's public-health system - which 80 per cent of Brazil's 200 million people rely on exclusively for medical care - remains unmet.

Among the effects of a drop in spending in that sector, the number of hospital beds nationwide has declined by 34,000 over the past eight years, according to the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM), the agency tasked with professional regulation and medical licensing in Brazil.

As Ferreira da Silva sees it, all that's left for the poor is the worst of the worst. 
&nbsp;

Rightist Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was discharged here Wednesday from one of Latin America's premier hospitals after being hospitalized for 17 days following a colostomy reversal and receiving a level of treatment that is inaccessible to most of his countrymen.

Rightist Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was discharged here Wednesday from one of Latin America's premier hospitals after being hospitalized for 17 days following a colostomy reversal and receiving a level of treatment that is inaccessible to most of his countrymen. The 63-year-old Bolsonaro had been recovering at Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital from an operation to remove a colostomy bag, which was inserted after he was stabbed in the abdomen in September during a campaign rally in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais. Bolsonaro has undergone three successful surgeries since the near-fatal attack, including the January 27 colostomy reversal, but his latest hospital stay had to be lengthened because he was diagnosed last week with pneumonia and needed an increased dose of antibiotics. On Wednesday, he said on Twitter while travelling by plane from Sao Paulo to Brasilia that the risk of death from September 6, 2018, stabbing can finally be definitively ruled out. "I can only thank God and everyone that I'll finally be able to get back to work as normal," Bolsonaro added. Shortly after the attack, which occurred just weeks before he was elected, the then-candidate underwent a surgical procedure (colostomy) in which one end of the colon (large intestine) is diverted through an incision in the abdominal wall. This creates a stoma (opening in the skin) where a pouch for collecting faeces is attached. In Bolsonaro's case, that procedure was necessary for the wake of the stabbing to avoid complications in the region where the initial emergency surgery was performed. The colostomy reversal is a procedure that reverses the colostomy process and re-establishes the flow of waste through the gastrointestinal tract. In comments last weekend on social media from his specially prepared hospital room at one of the region's most exclusive medical centres, Bolsonaro was the first to acknowledge his privileged situation. "We know that few people could have treatment like this, but we're fully aware that our SUS (Brazil's publicly funded health-care system) can improve a great deal. We'll do everything possible to make that a reality," Bolsonaro said Sunday in a video uploaded to his Twitter account. According to the medical institution, the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital was born out of a "meeting of friends" in 1955 in which Dr Manoel Tabacow Hidal proposed that a hospital is founded as a gesture of thanks to Brazilians for welcoming Jewish immigrants after World War II. Located in the upscale Morumbi neighbourhood on Sao Paulo's west side, the list of former patients also includes soccer legend Pepe and other prominent Brazilians. Its main competitor is Sao Paulo-based Hospital Sirio-Libanes, a private facility known as the "hospital of the powerful" where three ex-presidents, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Dilma Rousseff and Michel Temer, have received treatment. The reality for these individuals is very different from that of many Brazilians forced to rely on an overcrowded and deficient public-health system. For those with only basic coverage, the wait for a colostomy reversal, for example, can be more than a year. That has been the experience of 64-year-old Isaque Ferreira da Silva, who has been forced to wear a colostomy bag for 14 months. He underwent emergency surgery at a public hospital in Sao Paulo in December 2017 after doctors detected a bowel perforation. A colostomy was performed and he still has the colostomy bag attached to his body. "I have to do a test first and until I do that test I can't have the surgery" to reverse the colostomy, Ferreira da Silva, who still is able to work part-time as an electrician or a plumber, told EFE. His problem - one that reflects the precarious state of Brazil's public health system - is that the machine needed for his pre-surgery colonoscopy was broken nearly all of last year. "In a private hospital, those exams cost 870 reais (roughly $230). I don't have that kind of money, not to do that test," said Ferreira da Silva, who has not worked full-time for a year because the risk of possible damage to the colostomy bag prevents him from lifting anything heavy. Sources with Brazil's public-health system confirmed to EFE that there can be a significant wait for a colostomy reversal because more urgent cases take priority. It is recommended that surgery for the removal of the colostomy bag, which must be emptied daily and changed once a week on average, be performed three months after the colostomy if the patient is in optimal condition to undergo the procedure. More than 30 years after SUS was created in 1988, the challenge of efficiently financing Brazil's public-health system - which 80 per cent of Brazil's 200 million people rely on exclusively for medical care - remains unmet. Among the effects of a drop in spending in that sector, the number of hospital beds nationwide has declined by 34,000 over the past eight years, according to the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM), the agency tasked with professional regulation and medical licensing in Brazil. As Ferreira da Silva sees it, all that's left for the poor is the worst of the worst.

President Jair Bolsonaro's elite level of medical care inaccessible to most Brazilians

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