On this Three Kings’ Day, we shout out loud: Democracy is still here, and we stand with it! It was with deep civic emotion that my husband, Ricardo Villela Marino, and I embraced Fernanda Torres shortly after her award, alongside director Walter Salles and the cast of I’m Still Here, on this unforgettable night in...
Category: Articles
23/12/202409/01/2025
Post
A Christmas message from the Humanitas360 Institute
Dear friends, On this Christmas Eve, I invite each of you to reflect on Christian love, citizenship, and Justice. The birth of Christ reminds us of His most sublime message: unconditional love, forgiveness, and the unwavering belief that everyone deserves a second chance. Today, the teams from Humanitas360 Institute and the social business Tereza are...
16/12/202410/01/2025
Post
Article in Estadão: “Wave of police violence shows São Paulo needs a new secretary of Public Security”
The following article, authored by Patrícia Villela Marino, was originally published in the Opinion section of the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo on December 14. On Monday, December 9, the President of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), Luís Roberto Barroso, mandated the compulsory use of body cameras by police officers in the State of...
27/11/202430/11/2024
Post
Article in O Globo: “It is necessary to reassess limits on industrial hemp use”
The following article was originally published in Portuguese in the newspaper O Globo on November 25, 2024. The recent decision by Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice (STJ) to authorize the importation of seeds and the cultivation of hemp for medicinal purposes represents a milestone in the country’s drug policy. While this ruling opens doors for...
15/10/202430/10/2024
Post
Article in O Globo: “Brazil is not a homeland for the majority”
The following article was originally published in Portuguese in the newspaper O Globo on October 12, 2024. For whom has Brazil been a homeland? It may seem like a simple question, but any attempt to answer it honestly exposes some of the country’s deepest flaws. The etymology of “pátria” (Portuguese for “homeland”) suggests a connection...
01/08/202401/08/2024
Post
President of H360 defends transparency and respect for democracy in the electoral process in Venezuela
Democracy and transparency As a citizen and as the president of an organization with deep ties to Venezuela, as is the case with Humanitas360 Institute, I cannot remain silent in the face of the ongoing deterioration of democracy in the country. From a personal standpoint, it is a painful situation, where I empathize with the...
15/04/202429/04/2024
Post
Article in Folha: Restricting sentence progression is populism that ignores the reality of prison
The following article was originally published in Portuguese in the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo on April 12, 2024. Brazil has a sad tradition of public figures who, unable to present adequate solutions to the problems they should solve, resort to simple formulas and easy ways out. The strategy is used by administrators who prefer...
25/03/202425/03/2024
Post
PEC 45/2023 is a setback that disrupts the public debate on drugs, writes president of H360
Approved by the Senate’s Constitution and Justice Committee on March 13, the proposed amendment to the Constitution that establishes the possession of drugs in any quantity as a crime is a legal setback, a political abomination and an enormous social risk. Confusing public opinion with prejudices and criminal punitiveness, the measure reinforces the worst instincts...
29/02/202404/03/2024
Post
Article: “Without proposals for public security, senators exchange the Law for penal populism”
By Patrícia Villela Marino For those who dedicate themselves to thinking about society’s problems and working towards its improvement, a maxim needs to be followed: there is no easy solution to complex problems. Faced with the crisis in Brazilian public security, the National Congress ignores this elementary idea and embraces penal populism. The most recent...
13/10/202303/11/2023
Post
Article in CIVI-CO Mag: “Justice, citizenship and entrepreneurship”
The following article, written by the president of the Humanitas360 Institute, Patrícia Villela Marino, was published in CIVI-CO Mag, a publication of the CIVI-CO social impact hub, in October. A series of preconceptions hover over the North and Northeast of Brazil that prevent us from seeing the region’s potential, without neglecting its socioeconomic challenges. The...