IBOV 175,707.73 ▼ 0.53% IPSA 10,945.86 ▼ 0.71% IPC MEX 66,529.27 ▲ 0.85% MERVAL 3,251,266 ▲ 0.68% COLCAP 2,294.60 ▼ 0.18% BVL PERÚ 57,174.37 — — USD/BRL5.08▲ 0.20% USD/MXN17.40▼ 0.17% USD/CLP922.94▼ 0.39% USD/COP3,219▼ 0.53% USD/PEN3.38▼ 0.25% USD/ARS1,476▲ 0.34% USD/UYU40.15▲ 1.04% USD/PYG6,039▲ 1.28% USD/BOB10.65▲ 5.99% USD/DOP58.27▼ 0.05% USD/CRC447.49▲ 0.88% USD/GTQ7.62▲ 2.09% USD/HNL26.73▼ 0.01% USD/NIO36.62▲ 0.31% USD/VES723.93▼ 0.13% USD/PAB1.00— 0.00% USD/BZD2.00— 0.00% USD/JMD156.98▼ 0.33% USD/TTD6.76▲ 1.32% EUR/BRL5.82▼ 0.68% BRENT 84.61 ▼ 0.14% WTI 79.24 ▼ 0.13% IRON ORE 161.91 — — COPPER 6.34 ▲ 0.14% GOLD 4,044 ▼ 0.42% SILVER 57.24 ▼ 2.62% SOY 1,199 ▼ 0.72% CORN 469.50 ▲ 8.24% WHEAT 678.00 ▲ 7.41% COFFEE 325.40 ▼ 3.50% SUGAR 14.87 ▼ 0.07% ORANGE JUICE 136.05 ▼ 2.99% COTTON 82.13 ▲ 3.18% COCOA 5,923 ▲ 4.65% BEEF 230.10 ▼ 0.57% CATTLE 344.55 ▼ 1.22% LITHIUM 70.67 ▼ 1.27% PETR4 40.41 ▼ 0.61% VALE3 74.32 ▲ 0.42% ITUB4 43.10 ▼ 1.21% BBDC4 18.51 ▼ 0.64% ABEV3 15.57 ▼ 1.52% BBAS3 20.62 ▲ 0.15% B3SA3 15.73 ▲ 2.61% WEGE3 43.81 ▼ 0.88% PRIO3 57.19 ▼ 0.66% SUZB3 41.33 ▲ 0.54% RENT3 40.28 ▼ 0.64% AZZA3 18.67 ▼ 0.95% CSAN3 3.87 ▼ 0.51% RAIZ4 0.31 — 0.00% PCAR3 2.42 ▼ 1.22% GMAT3 3.96 — 0.00% PSSA3 55.32 ▲ 1.90% CVCB3 1.36 ▼ 1.45% POSI3 3.91 ▼ 2.01% SLCE3 13.45 ▼ 2.61% NATU3 8.59 ▲ 0.47% BRKM5 6.41 ▼ 6.15% RANI3 8.00 ▼ 0.12% CSNA3 5.13 ▼ 1.35% CMIN3 5.12 ▲ 0.39% USIM5 8.09 ▼ 1.70% GGBR4 24.02 ▲ 3.00% ENEV3 26.85 ▼ 1.18% CPFE3 46.86 ▼ 0.72% CMIG4 11.15 ▼ 0.45% EQTL3 40.59 ▼ 0.88% LREN3 14.11 ▼ 1.26% VIVT3 35.53 ▲ 0.03% RAIL3 13.97 ▼ 1.13% KLABIN 17.38 ▲ 0.35% RAIA DROGASIL 18.55 ▼ 0.27% RDOR3 35.78 ▼ 0.75% HAPV3 10.86 ▼ 2.95% FLRY3 16.46 ▲ 0.30% SMTO3 15.44 ▼ 4.22% UGPA3 30.38 ▲ 0.90% VBBR3 33.30 — 0.00% BBSE3 40.51 ▲ 0.30% BPAC11 57.06 ▼ 1.54% CURY3 33.18 ▼ 1.22% AERI3 2.04 ▼ 1.45% VIVARA 23.35 ▼ 0.34% COMPASS 25.07 ▼ 0.52% VAMOS 3.08 ▼ 2.22% SANB11 27.14 ▼ 0.73% ASAI3 8.70 ▲ 0.46% SBSP3 29.99 ▼ 1.15% WALMEX 49.97 ▲ 1.42% GMEXICO 199.21 ▼ 0.18% FEMSA 224.04 ▼ 2.30% CEMEX 22.47 ▲ 1.22% GFNORTE 184.83 ▼ 0.73% BIMBO 57.45 ▲ 1.93% TELEVISA 9.57 ▲ 0.42% AMX 22.72 ▼ 0.57% GAP 394.47 ▼ 0.20% ASUR 281.94 ▲ 2.30% OMA 234.66 ▼ 0.15% KOF 177.32 ▼ 1.43% GRUMA 280.11 ▲ 0.25% KIMBER 38.61 ▲ 0.44% SQM-B 65,275 ▼ 3.87% COPEC 6,205 ▼ 0.08% BSANTANDER 77.64 ▼ 1.27% FALABELLA 5,897 ▲ 0.37% ENELAM 84.97 ▼ 0.91% CENCOSUD 2,033 ▼ 0.35% CMPC 1,088 ▼ 1.37% BANCO CHILE 187.34 ▼ 1.14% LATAM AIR 25.10 ▲ 0.80% YPF 77,650 ▼ 0.16% GGAL 8,085 ▲ 2.21% PAMPA 5,175 ▼ 1.05% TXAR 668.00 ▲ 0.91% ALUAR 957.00 ▲ 0.84% TGS 9,725 ▲ 0.15% CEPU 2,328 ▲ 0.04% MIRGOR 16,975 ▲ 1.34% COME 45.77 ▲ 0.04% LOMA NEGRA 3,575 ▲ 1.20% BYMA 302.25 ▲ 0.42% TELECOM ARG 4,328 ▼ 0.12% ECOPETROL 16.06 ▼ 0.65% BANCOLOMBIA 81.54 ▼ 0.68% GRUPO AVAL 5.01 ▲ 1.21% CREDICORP 396.33 ▲ 1.04% SOUTHERN COPPER 178.17 ▼ 2.31% BUENAVENTURA 30.40 ▼ 2.05% MERCADOLIBRE 1,841 ▼ 1.75% NUBANK 14.01 ▲ 0.11% XP 16.99 ▲ 0.71% PAGSEGURO 9.18 ▼ 1.13% STONE 11.28 ▼ 0.22% GLOBANT 32.03 ▲ 3.59% TECNOGLASS 44.87 ▲ 1.45% GAP AIRPORT 227.35 ▲ 0.62% ASUR 281.94 ▲ 2.30% OMA AIRPORT 107.88 ▲ 0.22% AMX ADR 26.05 ▼ 0.50% FEMSA ADR 128.65 ▼ 3.39% CEMEX ADR 12.94 ▲ 1.09% PETROBRAS ADR 17.72 ▼ 1.14% VALE ADR 14.59 ▼ 0.03% ITAU ADR 8.48 ▼ 0.88% SANTANDER BR 5.37 ▼ 0.46% AMBEV ADR 3.03 ▼ 1.95% CSN 1.00 ▼ 2.91% GERDAU 4.74 ▲ 2.71% LATAM ADR 54.53 ▲ 1.91% BTC 64,972 ▲ 0.03% ETH 1,919 ▲ 1.55% SOL 77.52 ▼ 0.31% XRP 1.11 ▲ 0.05% BNB 578.38 ▼ 0.58% ADA 0.16 ▼ 0.80% DOGE 0.07 ▼ 0.67% AVAX 6.70 ▲ 0.04% LINK 8.49 ▲ 1.75% DOT 0.85 ▼ 0.44% LTC 45.13 ▼ 0.67% BCH 227.34 ▼ 3.87% TRX 0.32 ▼ 0.38% XLM 0.19 ▲ 1.50% HBAR 0.07 ▲ 0.48% NEAR 2.07 ▲ 3.03% ATOM 1.56 — 0.00% AAVE 96.48 ▼ 2.43% SELIC 14.25% EMBRAER 81.23 ▼ 1.53% EMBRAER ADR 63.83 ▼ 1.66% JBS 12.08 ▲ 2.07% JBS BDR 61.37 ▲ 2.71% MBRF3 15.38 ▼ 4.41% MBRFY 3.02 ▼ 3.82% INTER 5.61 ▼ 1.58% EGX 52,558 ▲ 0.50% USD/ZAR 16.34 — 0.00% USD/NGN1,379▼ 0.25% NIKKEI 68,752 ▲ 1.49% CSI300 4,787 ▼ 0.20% HSI 24,681 ▲ 1.40% NIFTY 24,079 ▲ 0.11% KOSPI 7,284 ▲ 6.24% JCI 6,042 ▲ 0.04% USD/JPY162.12▼ 0.08% USD/CNY6.76▼ 0.20% DAX 25,000 ▼ 0.59% CAC 8,382 ▲ 0.19% FTSE 10,516 ▼ 0.13% MIB 52,411 ▼ 0.85% IBEX 19,276 ▼ 0.42% STOXX 642.71 ▲ 0.10% EUR/USD1.15▲ 0.28% GBP/USD1.35▲ 1.39% SPX 7,542 ▼ 0.02% DJI 52,539 ▲ 0.06% NDX 29,301 ▼ 0.96% RUT 2,965 — 0.00% TSX 35,338 ▲ 0.05% VIX 16.40 ▼ 0.61% USD/CAD1.40▼ 0.11% US10Y 4.5570 ▼ 0.61% IBOV 175,707.73 ▼ 0.53% IPSA 10,945.86 ▼ 0.71% IPC MEX 66,529.27 ▲ 0.85% MERVAL 3,251,266 ▲ 0.68% COLCAP 2,294.60 ▼ 0.18% BVL PERÚ 57,174.37 — — USD/BRL 5.08 ▲ 0.21% USD/MXN 17.40 ▼ 0.17% USD/CLP 922.94 ▼ 0.39% USD/COP 3,219 ▼ 0.53% USD/PEN 3.38 ▼ 0.25% USD/ARS 1,476 ▲ 0.34% USD/UYU 40.15 ▲ 1.04% USD/PYG 6,039 ▲ 1.28% USD/BOB 10.65 ▲ 5.99% USD/DOP 58.27 ▼ 0.05% USD/CRC 447.49 ▲ 0.88% USD/GTQ 7.62 ▲ 2.09% USD/HNL 26.73 ▼ 0.01% USD/NIO 36.62 ▲ 0.31% USD/VES 723.93 ▼ 0.13% USD/PAB 1.00 — 0.00% USD/BZD 2.00 — 0.00% USD/JMD 156.98 ▼ 0.33% USD/TTD 6.76 ▲ 1.32% EUR/BRL 5.82 ▼ 0.68% BRENT 84.61 ▼ 0.14% WTI 79.24 ▼ 0.13% IRON ORE 161.91 — — COPPER 6.34 ▲ 0.14% GOLD 4,044 ▼ 0.42% SILVER 57.24 ▼ 2.62% SOY 1,199 ▼ 0.72% CORN 469.50 ▲ 8.24% WHEAT 678.00 ▲ 7.41% COFFEE 325.40 ▼ 3.50% SUGAR 14.87 ▼ 0.07% ORANGE JUICE 136.05 ▼ 2.99% COTTON 82.13 ▲ 3.18% COCOA 5,923 ▲ 4.65% BEEF 230.10 ▼ 0.57% CATTLE 344.55 ▼ 1.22% LITHIUM 70.67 ▼ 1.27% PETR4 40.41 ▼ 0.61% VALE3 74.32 ▲ 0.42% ITUB4 43.10 ▼ 1.21% BBDC4 18.51 ▼ 0.64% ABEV3 15.57 ▼ 1.52% BBAS3 20.62 ▲ 0.15% B3SA3 15.73 ▲ 2.61% WEGE3 43.81 ▼ 0.88% PRIO3 57.19 ▼ 0.66% SUZB3 41.33 ▲ 0.54% RENT3 40.28 ▼ 0.64% AZZA3 18.67 ▼ 0.95% CSAN3 3.87 ▼ 0.51% RAIZ4 0.31 — 0.00% PCAR3 2.42 ▼ 1.22% GMAT3 3.96 — 0.00% PSSA3 55.32 ▲ 1.90% CVCB3 1.36 ▼ 1.45% POSI3 3.91 ▼ 2.01% SLCE3 13.45 ▼ 2.61% NATU3 8.59 ▲ 0.47% BRKM5 6.41 ▼ 6.15% RANI3 8.00 ▼ 0.12% CSNA3 5.13 ▼ 1.35% CMIN3 5.12 ▲ 0.39% USIM5 8.09 ▼ 1.70% GGBR4 24.02 ▲ 3.00% ENEV3 26.85 ▼ 1.18% CPFE3 46.86 ▼ 0.72% CMIG4 11.15 ▼ 0.45% EQTL3 40.59 ▼ 0.88% LREN3 14.11 ▼ 1.26% VIVT3 35.53 ▲ 0.03% RAIL3 13.97 ▼ 1.13% KLABIN 17.38 ▲ 0.35% RAIA DROGASIL 18.55 ▼ 0.27% RDOR3 35.78 ▼ 0.75% HAPV3 10.86 ▼ 2.95% FLRY3 16.46 ▲ 0.30% SMTO3 15.44 ▼ 4.22% UGPA3 30.38 ▲ 0.90% VBBR3 33.30 — 0.00% BBSE3 40.51 ▲ 0.30% BPAC11 57.06 ▼ 1.54% CURY3 33.18 ▼ 1.22% AERI3 2.04 ▼ 1.45% VIVARA 23.35 ▼ 0.34% COMPASS 25.07 ▼ 0.52% VAMOS 3.08 ▼ 2.22% SANB11 27.14 ▼ 0.73% ASAI3 8.70 ▲ 0.46% SBSP3 29.99 ▼ 1.15% WALMEX 49.97 ▲ 1.42% GMEXICO 199.21 ▼ 0.18% FEMSA 224.04 ▼ 2.30% CEMEX 22.47 ▲ 1.22% GFNORTE 184.83 ▼ 0.73% BIMBO 57.45 ▲ 1.93% TELEVISA 9.57 ▲ 0.42% AMX 22.72 ▼ 0.57% GAP 394.47 ▼ 0.20% ASUR 281.94 ▲ 2.30% OMA 234.66 ▼ 0.15% KOF 177.32 ▼ 1.43% GRUMA 280.11 ▲ 0.25% KIMBER 38.61 ▲ 0.44% SQM-B 65,275 ▼ 3.87% COPEC 6,205 ▼ 0.08% BSANTANDER 77.64 ▼ 1.27% FALABELLA 5,897 ▲ 0.37% ENELAM 84.97 ▼ 0.91% CENCOSUD 2,033 ▼ 0.35% CMPC 1,088 ▼ 1.37% BANCO CHILE 187.34 ▼ 1.14% LATAM AIR 25.10 ▲ 0.80% YPF 77,650 ▼ 0.16% GGAL 8,085 ▲ 2.21% PAMPA 5,175 ▼ 1.05% TXAR 668.00 ▲ 0.91% ALUAR 957.00 ▲ 0.84% TGS 9,725 ▲ 0.15% CEPU 2,328 ▲ 0.04% MIRGOR 16,975 ▲ 1.34% COME 45.77 ▲ 0.04% LOMA NEGRA 3,575 ▲ 1.20% BYMA 302.25 ▲ 0.42% TELECOM ARG 4,328 ▼ 0.12% ECOPETROL 16.06 ▼ 0.65% BANCOLOMBIA 81.54 ▼ 0.68% GRUPO AVAL 5.01 ▲ 1.21% CREDICORP 396.33 ▲ 1.04% SOUTHERN COPPER 178.17 ▼ 2.31% BUENAVENTURA 30.40 ▼ 2.05% MERCADOLIBRE 1,841 ▼ 1.75% NUBANK 14.01 ▲ 0.11% XP 16.99 ▲ 0.71% PAGSEGURO 9.18 ▼ 1.13% STONE 11.28 ▼ 0.22% GLOBANT 32.03 ▲ 3.59% TECNOGLASS 44.87 ▲ 1.45% GAP AIRPORT 227.35 ▲ 0.62% ASUR 281.94 ▲ 2.30% OMA AIRPORT 107.88 ▲ 0.22% AMX ADR 26.05 ▼ 0.50% FEMSA ADR 128.65 ▼ 3.39% CEMEX ADR 12.94 ▲ 1.09% PETROBRAS ADR 17.72 ▼ 1.14% VALE ADR 14.59 ▼ 0.03% ITAU ADR 8.48 ▼ 0.88% SANTANDER BR 5.37 ▼ 0.46% AMBEV ADR 3.03 ▼ 1.95% CSN 1.00 ▼ 2.91% GERDAU 4.74 ▲ 2.71% LATAM ADR 54.53 ▲ 1.91% BTC 64,972 ▲ 0.03% ETH 1,919 ▲ 1.55% SOL 77.52 ▼ 0.31% XRP 1.11 ▲ 0.05% BNB 578.38 ▼ 0.58% ADA 0.16 ▼ 0.80% DOGE 0.07 ▼ 0.67% AVAX 6.70 ▲ 0.04% LINK 8.49 ▲ 1.75% DOT 0.85 ▼ 0.44% LTC 45.13 ▼ 0.67% BCH 227.34 ▼ 3.87% TRX 0.32 ▼ 0.38% XLM 0.19 ▲ 1.50% HBAR 0.07 ▲ 0.48% NEAR 2.07 ▲ 3.03% ATOM 1.56 — 0.00% AAVE 96.48 ▼ 2.43% SELIC 14.25% EMBRAER 81.23 ▼ 1.53% EMBRAER ADR 63.83 ▼ 1.66% JBS 12.08 ▲ 2.07% JBS BDR 61.37 ▲ 2.71% MBRF3 15.38 ▼ 4.41% MBRFY 3.02 ▼ 3.82% INTER 5.61 ▼ 1.58% EGX 52,558 ▲ 0.50% USD/ZAR 16.34 — 0.00% USD/NGN 1,379 ▼ 0.14% NIKKEI 68,752 ▲ 1.49% CSI300 4,787 ▼ 0.20% HSI 24,681 ▲ 1.40% NIFTY 24,079 ▲ 0.11% KOSPI 7,284 ▲ 6.24% JCI 6,042 ▲ 0.04% USD/JPY 162.17 ▼ 0.01% USD/CNY 6.7574 ▼ 0.07% DAX 25,000 ▼ 0.59% CAC 8,382 ▲ 0.19% FTSE 10,516 ▼ 0.13% MIB 52,411 ▼ 0.85% IBEX 19,276 ▼ 0.42% STOXX 642.71 ▲ 0.10% EUR/USD 1.1446 ▲ 0.18% GBP/USD 1.3527 ▲ 1.05% SPX 7,542 ▼ 0.02% DJI 52,539 ▲ 0.06% NDX 29,301 ▼ 0.96% RUT 2,965 — 0.00% TSX 35,338 ▲ 0.05% VIX 16.40 ▼ 0.61% USD/CAD 1.4049 ▼ 0.09% US10Y 4.5570 ▼ 0.61%
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Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Opinion: Brazil’s Sea of Mud, a Smidgen

By · November 20, 2015 · 2 min read

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Opinion, by Michael Royster

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – This week, how not to write about the sea of mud? Not the figurative political mud that has taken over Brazilian communications for the past year, but the truly murderous mud that destroyed the district of Bento Rodrigues and took the lives of many of its residents. The sea of mud now threatens to concrete over the riverbed of the Rio Doce, an ecological disaster of multi-secular proportions.

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If the doom-saying experts are right, the destruction of the riverbed will lead, inexorably, to the destruction of traditional riverine flora and fauna habitats. Species will disappear, never to return. The course of the river will abruptly change, speeding into unknown territory at increased velocity because there is no more underlying soft bed nor verdant riverbanks to cushion its impact.

The Rio Doce now supplies drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people. As of this writing, people in cities and towns on the banks of the river refuse to drink the water because they fear the mud contains toxic matter. Governmental agencies deny this; would you believe them?

As of this writing, the mud bath has already traveled 400 kilometers downstream and has not appreciably slowed down; it threatens to reach the delta and the sea within another day or two. The buffer zone estuary between salt and fresh water will cease to exist.

How did this happen? Samarco, builder of the defective dams, claims there was an earthquake. President Dilma dithered six days before visiting the destruction, and then issued a decree calling the event a “natural disaster”. She knows that is not true, it is an unnatural, disaster made by men.

What has the federal government done other than pretend it was just an accident and lie about the toxicity of the water? It applied a fine of R$100 million to Samarco. Samarco’s owners (multinational mining giants Vale and BHP) are laughing all the way to the bank, as this is pocket change for them.

The Curmudgeon has written dismal smidgens before, but this one is truly saddening.

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