Minas Gerais

Minas Gerais, a state in southeastern Brazil and the heartland of Brazil's coffee industry, is currently newsworthy due to devastating floods and landslides caused by recent record rainfall. These extreme weather events have resulted in significant loss of life, with the death toll rising to 64 as of late February 2026. Thousands have been displaced, and rescue efforts are ongoing to find missing residents. Scientists attribute the increased intensity of these floods to the continued burning of fossil fuels. Simultaneously, the state is experiencing economic developments in the mining sector. China's CMOC, a major mining company, has invested approximately US$1 billion to take control of three gold mines in Minas Gerais, reflecting a global trend towards safe assets amidst economic uncertainty.