Weekly Report - 09 May 2024 (WR-24-18)

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva hosted Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on 3 May, opening the event in Brasília with an affirmation of support for the people of Rio Grande do Sul. The Japanese government similarly declared its solidarity with the victims in southern Brazil. Since late April, heavy rain and storms have struck the state, renewing debates about the lack of preparedness of Brazilian towns, cities, and infrastructure amid increasingly frequent and intense weather patterns.