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Tom Phillips

@tomphillips.bsky.social

34K followers 1.4K following 470 posts

Latin America correspondent for the @guardian based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 🇧🇷 via London 🇬🇧, Beijing 🇨🇳 and Mexico City 🇲🇽 Say hello: [email protected]

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Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · Jun 5

Out now: the first episodes of our new six-part @theguardian.com‬⁩ podcast series about Dom and Bruno and the Amazon. Please do listen and share.
www.theguardian.com/technology/a...

Episode one: the disappearance

Three years ago British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian indigenous defender Bruno Pereira vanished while on a reporting trip near Brazil’s remote Javari valley. The Guardian’s Latin America corr...

www.theguardian.com

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 1d

“The remark went viral and unleashed a torrent of criticism, with many comparing it to Bolsonaro’s callous and incompetent response to Covid, which killed more than 700,000 Brazilians.” www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Brazilian governor apologies after joking about deadly methanol poisoning crisis

São Paulo’s teetotal governor, Tarcísio de Freitas, says of scandal that has killed three that he would only worry when ‘they start faking Coca-Cola’

www.theguardian.com

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 2d

🤦🏽‍♂️

Robert Mackey @robertmackey.bsky.social · 2d

The Oregon Republican Party tried to help Donald Trump make the case for military intervention in Portland with an image of a fiery protest — but since Portland is calm, they had to fabricate one by merging old photos of police in Ecuador and protesters in Brazil www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Republicans post fake image of Oregon protest – using photos of South America

A federal judge had blocked Trump’s request to deploy California national guard to Portland

www.theguardian.com

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 2d

“Many observers suspect Trump’s counter-narcotics crusade is really a pretext to depose Maduro, either by sparking an internal rebellion against Hugo Chávez’s authoritarian heir or perhaps through direct military intervention within Venezuela itself” www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Venezuela on edge over Trump regime change whispers: ‘If it does happen we are ready’

Allies of President Nicolás Maduro vow to resist any military intervention but experts suspect Venezuela’s leaders were rattled by Trump’s decision to bomb Iran

www.theguardian.com

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 2d

"I had a great talk with the president of Brazil. He's a good man ... Yeah, we'll start doing business" - Trump on Lula just now 👀

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 2d

“We exchanged numbers”

Brazil’s president asks US to scrap tariffs in ‘friendly’ call with Trump

Presidents spoke on a video call as expert speculates that Haiti could be an area where the two leaders can cooperate

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Tom Phillips

Antonio Luiz M. C. Costa @aluizcosta.bsky.social · 9d

No Guardian: "Animais selvagens são apanhados no fogo cruzado do Rio. De macacos-prego a gaviões-pombos, o Instituto Vida Livre trata de uma miríade de animais abatidos numa cidade devastada pela criminalidade com armas de fogo" www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

‘Not even animals escape the extreme barbarity’: wildlife caught in Rio’s rampant gun crime

From capuchin monkeys to mantled hawks - Instituto Vida Livre has treated a myriad of shot animals in a city blighted by gun crime

www.theguardian.com

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 9d

"Not even animals escape the extreme barbarity we’ve been living through" 😥 www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

‘Not even animals escape the extreme barbarity’: wildlife caught in Rio’s rampant gun crime

From capuchin monkeys to mantled hawks - Instituto Vida Livre has treated a myriad of shot animals in a city blighted by gun crime

www.theguardian.com

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 13d

“A final decision has not yet been taken on the prime minister’s attendance at Cop30, which will begin with a leaders’ summit in Belém, on the mouth of the Amazon, led by Brazil’s president, Lula”

‘History will remember who showed up’: Keir Starmer faces call to attend Cop30 summit

Response from leaders and key climate figures comes after PM’s aides advised non-attendance over concerns Reform may attack him

www.theguardian.com

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 14d

'Yu used ancient Chinese water systems to reimagine modern architecture, building systems to help cities conserve and re-use rainwater. "It’s important to make friends with water,” he once said.' www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

Renowned ‘sponge city’ architect Kongjian Yu dies in Brazil plane crash

The 62-year-old Chinese landscape architect was killed with three others while filming in the Pantanal wetlands

www.theguardian.com

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 15d

👀👀

Paulo Gustavo @paulogustavo.net · 15d

Acabei de achar esta foto no site da ONU.
Potencial de meme altíssimo.

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 15d

What a lovely man with a big heart. I miss our conversations about China, from which I always learned so much. RIP.

Melissa Chan @melissakchan.bsky.social · 15d

I met Jerry as a young foreign correspondent in China. In any field there are those who gate keep, and those who do the opposite. Jerry treated what I said seriously in a way that made me feel he considered me an equal. That is so rare. In other words — he had deep kindness... (1/2)

Jerome Cohen, the First American to Practice Law in China, Dies at 95

An expert on China—and a sometime critic—Cohen defended companies and dissidents.

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 15d

Trump on Lula: "He seemed like a very nice man, actually ... at least for about 39 seconds we had excellent chemistry - it's a good sign."

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 17d

“Huge crowds packed the squares and beaches of some of Brazil’s biggest cities to voice their opposition to rightwing endeavors to help Bolsonaro escape jail for his failed power grab”

Brazilians protest in their thousands against granting Bolsonaro amnesty

Huge crowds pack the streets to oppose endeavours to help ex-president escape jail

www.theguardian.com

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 19d

Thanks Paulo! Zero chance of 6ft2 Tom fitting in those beds I'm afraid!!

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 19d

Even on dry land, clambering into a transatlantic narco-sub is NOT a fun experience www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

‘Insane journeys’: inside the narco-subs that cross oceans carrying hundreds of millions of pounds of cocaine

Poorly paid crews risk their lives on voyages in ‘propeller-driven coffins’ to smuggle drugs from Brazil to Europe

www.theguardian.com

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 21d

Today’s podcast on the downfall of Jair (with the brilliant @helenpidd.bsky.social) www.theguardian.com/world/audio/...

The downfall of Jair Bolsonaro – podcast

Former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro has been handed a 27-year sentence for an attempted coup – is there any way his political career can continue? Tom Phillips reports

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Tom Phillips

Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 22d

Exclusive: Sadiq Khan has accused Donald Trump of doing more than anyone else to encourage the intolerant far right across the globe as the US president arrives in the UK.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Trump has fanned the flames of divisive politics around the world, says Sadiq Khan

Exclusive: London mayor says US president has ‘perhaps done the most’ to encourage far right

www.theguardian.com

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 22d

"ANALYSIS-Brazil's Bolsonaro is going to prison. Here is how he can get out..." explains @reuters.com Dig a tunnel? Climb a wall??

Reposted by Tom Phillips

Antonio Luiz M. C. Costa @aluizcosta.bsky.social · 23d

No Guardian: "Ministro brasileiro fala da revogação do visto de sua filha de 10 anos pelos EUA. O pai de Alexandre Padilha fugiu da ditadura para os EUA e agora, a família do ministro da Saúde é alvo das táticas de intimidação de Trump" www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

‘Diplomatic abuse’: Brazil minister on US revoking his 10-year-old daughter’s visa

Alexandre Padilha’s father fled dictatorship for the US – now the health chief’s family is a target of Trump’s bully tactics

www.theguardian.com

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 23d

“When Alexandre Padilha’s father most needed help during the dictatorship, the US took him in. So more than 5 decades later, it came as a nasty surprise when Padilha’s 10-year-old daughter became the youngest victim of Donald Trump’s pressure campaign against Brazilian authorities.”

‘Diplomatic abuse’: Brazil minister on US revoking his 10-year-old daughter’s visa

Alexandre Padilha’s father fled dictatorship for the US – now the health chief’s family is a target of Trump’s bully tactics

www.theguardian.com

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 24d

Brazil must read of the weekend, by @ceclynch.bsky.social

www1.folha.uol.com.br

Reposted by Tom Phillips

Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot.bsky.social · 25d

EXC - Keir Starmer condemns far right racism and violence at yesterday's march

Says there will be "no surrender" of British flag to those who promote hate

Our story here - www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Britain will ‘never surrender flag’ to far-right protesters, Starmer says

PM condemns attacks against police, racist intimidation of minorities and use of flag to instil fear

www.theguardian.com

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 25d

Rest in Peace, Hermeto Pascoal, you genius. It was an absolute pleasure to meet you and your cuddly toys in Curitiba back in the day www.theguardian.com/music/2011/n...

Hermeto Pascoal: The whole world in his hands

Pints of beer, a table, a pig – anything can be a musical instrument for the ever innovative Hermeto Pascoal. 'In my head there is always more stuff,' he tells Tom Phillips

www.theguardian.com

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 25d

“For nearly 50 years, his fate has remained a mystery, sparking desperate searches, raising suspicions of government complicity, and inspiring international documentaries. Now the mystery has been solved,” writes @harrietbarber.bsky.social

Brazilian musician identified as victim of 1976 killing by Argentina military

The bossa nova pianist Francisco Tenório Cerqueira Júnior went out for cigarettes after a concert in Buenos Aires – a forensic team has finally revealed his fate

www.theguardian.com

Tom Phillips @tomphillips.bsky.social · 27d

"This [plan] wasn’t printed out in a cave. It wasn’t printed out hidden away in a room of terrorists. It was printed out in the presidential palace." www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

Operation World Cup: the murder plot at the heart of Brazil’s trial of the century

Intricate plan to murder top judge, president- and vice-president elect was central to Jair Bolsonaro coup hopes

www.theguardian.com