Research reveals limitations of strategies used to stop infiltration of the sea he concluded that Fortaleza’s 16 groins — elongated structures made of rock blocks that extend tens or hundreds of meters into the sea built from the 1960s onwards to contain rising seawater — have caused intense erosion on the neighboring city’s beaches at an annual average rate of 1.8 m per year Almost 90% of the assessed stretch of shoreline was in a continuous process of erosion as detailed in the study co-organized by de Paula and published in 2023 in the scientific journal Earth Surface Processes and Landforms Caucaia’s city council erected retaining walls in places where sand was continuously being lost These rigid barriers amplify wave strength even miles from where they are built (see infographic) Alexandre Affonso / Revista Pesquisa FAPESPNow the city’s government announced a plan to build 11 groins at three tourist beaches we need land-use planning guidelines that establish the areas that can and cannot be occupied by houses and streets,” says de Paula is likely to get worse as climate change tends to make storms stronger and waves higher and usually accompanied by strong wind and rain of the Environmental Research Institute (IPA) recorded 279 severe weather events from 1928 to 2021 on the São Paulo coast Results fall short of expectations In general due to a lack of consistent studies on their likely effects coastal protection projects don’t usually work as desired to stop the rising sea — and often need to be remedied had to increase the area of Iracema beach by 40 m in 2019 after having expanded the beach by 80 m in 2000 where they either fail to abide by the law or adopt the wrong guidelines from the municipal master plan,” comments biologist Marinez Scherer of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) “Coastal work is planned by the municipal or state government and generally authorized with a simplified impact study which fails to consider what could happen to neighboring beaches.” As general coordinator of Coastal Management and Marine Spatial Planning for the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA) Scherer works to revitalize the coastal management mechanisms shelved by the previous administration including new versions of the federal action plan (the most recent is for 2017 to 2019) and the national coastal management plan (from 1974) “The beaches are areas of conflict,” summarizes de Paula It is common for coastal residents to build their own seawalls and occupy dunes they pressure the city government to expedite containment projects and stop the seawater from entering their property several houses along a beach in Florianópolis collapsed after a strong storm surge but the sand on the beach has receded and the water now crashes directly into the rocks The sand would return naturally,” says oceanographer Pedro de Souza Pereira experts consider it important to differentiate between episodic erosion of the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) says that former coconut farms in the south and north of the state were turned into allotments in the 1980s and the houses encroached on the beach’s vegetated areas beyond each plot “Those who had plots of land measuring 30 m by 30 m built on 30 m by 60 m installing a pool where the dunes used to be But the dunes acted as a stockpile of sand that the beaches use to replenish themselves,” she says protection projects would not be as necessary today.” Carlos Fioravanti | Léo Ramos Chaves / Pesquisa FapespIn Maceió (left) contained in Guarujá (right) with preserved dunesCarlos Fioravanti | Léo Ramos Chaves / Pesquisa Fapesp Assessing erosion “Before protecting houses and urban structures which in itself is a barrier on the mainland against the waves and the sea,” emphasizes Souza nearly 65% of beaches are at a very high and high risk of erosion; the most critical beaches are in the cities of Ilha Comprida and Iguape along the southern coast The 2022–2023 version of the São Paulo Coastal Erosion Risk Map can be found on the São Paulo State Coastal Flood and Storm Surge Warning System (SARIC) platform The Santa Catarina coast has also been transformed considerably The beaches have shrunk in 25 of the 29 coastal municipalities according to a survey by oceanographer Pedro Pereira and geographer Mariana Koerich with the support of Santa Catarina Research and Innovation Support Foundation (FAPESC) Published in 2023 in Ocean and Coastal Management magazine this study attributed the changes to urbanization and the 607 coastal works says that in some parts of Australia’s coast the cities use the rate of coastal erosion to define the beach’s occupancy — the most vulnerable to erosion have greater restrictions than the less vulnerable but at least one study by UFPE researchers published in January of 2023 in Revista Brasileira de Geomorfologia proposes adopting the same policy on the southern coast of Pernambuco After examining the loss or accumulation of sediment on the southern coast of Pernambuco from 2003 to 2020 the group decided that “applying annual erosion rates and occupancy patterns to current legislation is an excellent instrument for supporting decisions by the public authorities especially with regard to proper coastal management.” One way to contain erosion is to recover or preserve the so-called buffer strip “Urban beaches must have at least a 50-meter buffer strip which would really help contain the impact of waves and tides,” says Souza several municipalities along the São Paulo coast have managed to stop the rising seas by restoring the dunes Works carried out in conjunction with experts from research centers seem to have a better chance of succeeding participated in the Integrated Environmental Monitoring (MAI) project in order to identify and fix problems caused by coastal erosion in Recife One of the implemented measures was dismantling a permanent breakwater constructed years ago in Candeias The original structure blocked the flow of sand to the north of the municipality and to the capital of Pernambuco Souza knocked on the door of the then Secretary of the Environment in Guarujá and pleaded: “Stop removing sand from the dunes the beach will disappear.” Even though it was banned The secretary supported the idea of restoring Enseada beach but warned that it would not be easy One of the problems was a lack of dialog and differing objectives among the municipal bodies when he warned Souza that another secretary had commissioned a tractor to remove sand from the beach she threatened: “If you remove sand from that beach I will file a lawsuit with the Public Prosecutor’s Office because that dune is a Permanent Preservation Area.” It worked and the tractor retreated When Aranha asked what could be done to recover the dunes the dunes naturally returned to their original place such as the southern lapwing and the burrowing owl,” reports the geologist Enseada beach withstood the storm surges and high tides that hit the São Paulo coast between February and August of 2020 Scherer was talking about settlement on Brazil’s coastline with geologist David Chapman the Australian asked: “Do you know when they stopped building on the dunes in Australia When the residents of coastal towns began suing the public managers who let them build in these places.” Scherer advocates a similar stance in Brazil: holding public managers responsible for underestimating the risks of coastal erosion was fined by a state agency for having authorized illegal construction work on a beach had to vacate an area it had taken over from a beach “The way to reduce the impact on coastal zones is to remove or at least contain the development of houses and other illegal construction works on the beach,” concludes Costa Project Storm surge and coastal flood warning system for the coast of São Paulo, focusing on the impacts of climate change (nº 18/14601-0); Grant Mechanism Public Policy Research; Principal Investigator Celia Regina de Gouveia Souza (IPA); Investment R$403,406.76 © Revista Pesquisa FAPESP - All rights reserved.      His justice minister ordered the deployment after concluding that Ceara police were overwhelmed     The gangs terrorising Fortaleza could be seen torching service stations in security videos aired by Brazilian media Dozens of attacks have been registered this week forcing residents to stay at home and leaving main roads deserted explosives badly damaged a pillar supporting a flyover road in the town of Caucaia     The triggers for the wave of violence were being investigated but intelligence reports published by media suggested gangs were revolting against tough new measures recently imposed in the state’s prisons has made “restoring order” a centrepiece of his four-year mandate Much of the task of restoring order falls to his justice minister a former star judge who headed up Operation Car Wash an investigation into Brazil’s biggest-ever corruption scandal     Bolsonaro on Friday praised Moro’s decision to send in troops as “apt     Ceara’s governor belongs to the left-wing Workers Party which was driven into opposition by the election of Bolsonaro and his ultraconservative allies Brazil has the third biggest prison population in the world, behind the United States and China Penitentiaries are overcrowded and prey to gangs that often viciously turn on each other     The three gangs active in Ceara are the Red Command (CV by its initials in Portuguese) that grew out of organised criminal activity in Rio de Janeiro the First Command of the Capital (PCC) based in Sao Paulo and a group called the Guardians of the State (GDE) the CV and the PCC are said to have sealed a “non-aggression” pact against each other in Ceara to focus against the government forces     The 300 troops sent to reinforce state security forces will have a big task Nearly 80 attacks have been reported in towns across Ceara state this week you very likely will pass through Fortaleza a sunny coastal city of about 3 million people located in the northeast of Brazil in the state of Ceará just a stone’s throw south of the equator you’ll drive west on Highway 222 for about 45 minutes which takes you to the Complexo Industrial e Portuário do Pecém (industrial park) just a few kilometers south of the Port of Pecém before approaching Aeris Energy on the east side of the road readily identified by a large number of wind blades lined up in expansive open yards next to the facility’s largest buildings You will park in the lot next to the security station and as your passport is checked and verified indeed,\u2028 for entry into Aeris Energy and the education you’re about to receive about its beginnings the up-close look at its operations and how important this out-of-the-way location is to Aeris local wind turbine manufacturers and to Brazil you must first understand the Brazilian wind energy industry The profile of electricity generation in Brazil is unlike that of other major countries Brazil is the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the world (behind China) relying on it for more than 75% of its electricity comes from river systems in north and northwestern Brazil which is far removed from major population centers and thus presents a challenge from an energy transmission and reliability perspective Brazil is constructing the 14,000-MW Belo Monte dam on the Xingu River in northern Brazil the second-largest dam in Brazil and the third largest in the world Belo Monte also is far from Brazil’s major cities which are located primarily on its east coast The inherent problem of hydropower is its dependence on water water flow and energy generation are reduced is turning to other resources to help stabilize its electrical energy supply the generally stiff winds in the northeast region are actually stronger which makes wind energy complementary to hydropower the wind turbine manufacturing supply chain in Brazil is mature: the infrastructure and manufacturers are already in place to meet the needs of wind farm development This is important because Brazil’s state-run national bank which finances much of the country’s wind farm development stipulates that wind farms funded by BNDES in Brazil must use wind turbines manufactured in Brazil to drive internal economic development and job creation which it has: the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC Belgium) reports that Brazilian wind energy capacity increased from only 29 MW in 2005 to 8.7 GW by year-end 2015 ranking it tenth in the world in total installed wind energy capacity Brazil installed 2.75 GW of wind energy in 2015 alone Its wind energy sector now employs more than 41,000 people This demand for locally manufactured wind turbine components drove the creation of Aeris Energy must either establish a facility in Brazil were five relatively young executives who worked for several years in the Brazilian aerospace sector and each had a deep understanding of the technologies and processes required for composites manufacturing “The wind industry itself caught our attention,” says Bruno Lolli one of the executives and currently planning and process management director at Aeris “The opportunity to work with clean energy was very interesting to us Beginning in late 2009 and into early 2010 the five men began to outline the parameters of what would become Aeris Energy Meeting early in the morning before work at their then-current jobs they became steadily convinced that their plan had merit They only lacked what every entrepreneur desperately needs: money they connected with an investor who had just sold a company and was looking to put his money to work in the renewable energy sector Lolli remembers well the investor’s response when they presented their business plan: “He said ‘Are you presenting this business plan for other potential investors?’ We said My lawyer will prepare some simple term sheets so that we can move forward together.’” Thus began a financial marriage that officially launched Aeris Energy in mid-2010 was where to physically locate the facility All five men had originally come from the São Paulo area because transportation represents as much as 20% of a wind blade’s cost that their plant had to be located where wind turbines were being installed where half of Brazil’s wind potential is located that access to overseas shipping facilities would be critical to the company’s long-term growth particularly if it ever wanted to reach non-Brazilian markets Aeris won its first blade manufacturing contract with India-based wind turbine maker Suzlon Ltd This was followed in early 2012 with a contract with Spain-based Acciona and a Brazilian energy and industrial equipment specialist but it was replaced quickly by one with Vestas Wind Systems A/S in early 2015 Blades made by Aeris range in length from 53.7m to 61.2m Aeris went from per annum production of 100 blades in 2013 to 2,000 blades today operating out of\u2028a sprawling 55,000m2 multi-building campus that employs 2,500 people The company has become a stalwart employer a highly respected blade manufacturer and a vital cog in the Brazilian wind energy machine but the sheer size of wind blades makes their manufacture a logistical challenge several orders of magnitude more complex than most composites manufacturing epoxy adhesive and bagging materials are measured in thousands of kilograms and the number of employees required to produce a single blade introduces an error potential that makes quality control that much more challenging by organizing its manufacturing around its customers So each customers’ work is organized based on the molds dedicated to its blades Lolli is CW’s guide during the plant tour where the board of directors (the five founders) works alongside employees in human resources is open-concept work area,\u2028 says Lolli fosters communication among managers and the rank-and-file and puts the five founders in direct proximity to day-to-day operations of the plant featuring three 56.9m GE molds and one 53.7m WEG mold We enter the building from the middle of its long side and find the largest molds lined up one after the other along the left side of the facility surrounded by workers and in various states of being laid up with dry glass fiber fabric and core material Some ply and core placement is guided by overhead lasers comprising two halves connected by massive hinges used to fabricate the corresponding shear webs and spar caps that the architectures and material selection for the turbine manufacturers’ blade designs vary Where and how core and glass are applied is readily apparent shear web and spar cap designs also differ significantly and then the entire mold is bagged for resin infusion The molds are heated and full cure takes about a day but the blades usually can be bonded within 4-5 hours of infusion carefully controls mold temperature and manages exotherm closely the molds are prepared for shear web attachment which runs about 90% of the blade’s length is a large composite structural beam that is attached to and works with the spar cap to stiffen the blade and carry bending loads The three primary blade components — shells spar caps and shear web — are critical not only to blade function Each must meet closely managed specifications to provide optimum wind turbine performance we see an overhead crane transferring a shear web into one of the GE mold halves Workers are carefully positioning the web onto adhesive attachment points in the mold on the spar cap to ensure precise location and fit workers will apply bonding paste to mating points of the mold half with the shear web the mold half without the shear web attached will be closed over the half with the shear web between the blade molds and the spar cap/shear web molds Oriented with the blade-mating side facing the blade molds to permit easy attachment with minimum effort Adjacent to the GE/WEG building is the newest structure on the Aeris campus where Acciona’s blades are laid up — at 61.2m this space was being reconfigured to accommodate mold reorganization Aeris is building another structure like it Two more WEG molds and the Acciona molds will eventually be moved to these spaces Next stop is the cutting and kitting building peel ply and infusion bagging film are cut and kitted for all non-Vestas wind blade assembly The room is dominated by a large 10m-long Eastman Machine Co US) automatic cutting table for the cutting of glass fiber fabric and next to it,\u2028 a 25m long table for manual cutting of peel ply and lm (Fig Glass fiber fabric is delivered to this room from the warehouse on large rolls Glass used here includes fabric from Owens Corning (Toledo Owens Corning materials are supplied from Rio Claro (São Paulo Saertex materials are supplied from Indaiatuba (São Paulo or Huntersville are immediately re-rolled by workers and then stacked on pallets and prepared for delivery to molds Lolli says that one of the challenges of molding large blades from large molds is dimensional accuracy Even the very best molds made to the highest standards are unlikely to match the plies in the as-designed layup schedules it is also unlikely that plies cut to design spec will lay up without some gaps or overlaps ensures that Aeris’ blades meet spec with minimal waste the first plies are cut to a size a little bit larger than print These are placed in the mold and trimmed by hand to the geometry of that specific mold These plies then become the new masters for that mold and are used to program the recipe in the cutting table software is to deliver kits to each mold that are complete and precise “Material coming into the kitting room is in a form we cannot control,” he says we venture outside toward Aeris’ resin storage facility — a massive walled and all of the bonding paste used at the Aeris facility is supplied by Hexion Inc designed for infusion and used for all non-Vestas blades The bonding paste originally supplied to Aeris was Hexion’s RIM BP135G3 but that is increasingly being replaced\u2028 by the new RIM BP535 which Hexion says offers better exotherm properties and much improved mechanical properties (Fig For the occasional hand layup and repair work that must be done on blades Aeris uses Hexion’s HLU L135 resin system Hexion’s presence at Aeris is substantial and longstanding Lolli credits the resin supplier with not only providing material that does the job but in helping the blademaker optimize and improve its manufacturing operations all around Hexion not only built a resin manufacturing facility in Itatiba to serve Aeris and the rest of the domestic market but Hexion personnel are routinely at Aeris to provide technical and other assistance “Hexion’s support has helped us be competitive,” says Lolli “It is a partnership we have with Hexion and not just in a commercial sense.” all non-Vestas blades are transferred to the finishing building for painting prep (Fig Lolli says that about 90% of all blade failures can \u2028be traced to bond failures so Aeris must check every bondline against design allowables and then decide if remediation is required “Rework is very expensive,” Lolli notes “Not to deliver the product is the most expensive.” Workers in the finishing building also remove excess paste from the bond lines attach an aluminum tip at the end of the blade and sand the entire surface of each blade skin Each blade\u2028is then transferred to a massive booth\u2028to be painted but it is vital to creating a blade surface that It is in the finishing building that Lolli pauses at the tip of a finished wind blade He points out the unique curvature of the blade as we look down its length and he emphasizes the importance of a strong adhesive to maintain blade integrity Our tour is joined here by Johannes Meunier who is a member of a larger technical team from Hexion that has provided critical technical support to Aeris as it has developed its wind blade manufacturing (see the Side Story titled is the part of the blade most subject to abuse in service is being impacted at high speeds and quickly eroded by dust Protection against that erosion is a massive challenge for any wind blade manufacturer Aeris Energy’s facility is the second in the world at which Vestas allows its blades to be manufactured by a non-Vestas entity the wind turbine manufacturer is famous for the stringent control is exerts over its manufacturing operations Aeris must make Vestas blades to the same exacting standards Vestas maintains in its internal operations finishing — are confined to one building to the Vestas blade manufacturing facility in Windsor where they learned Vestas production standards and practices Vestas placed in the Aeris plant two employees of its own to oversee operations is done on another large Eastman Machine cutting table making 54m blades\u2028for the Vestas V110-2.0MW turbine Lolli says it takes Aeris about 24 hours to make one Vestas blade with three blades per day coming off the floor each features a five-piece shear web and a pultruded carbon fiber spar cap The result is a highly optimized blade that weighs 27% less than other blades of similar length While we were in the Vestas production hall workers had just placed the shear web in one mold half and were in the process of applying Hexion’s BP535 bonding paste (bright green) to the mold’s mating surfaces supplies and equipment are cleared from the work area and the other mold half is hinged over and onto the shear web half It takes about 90 seconds for the mold to close Workers then climb into the closed blade and remove excess bonding paste squeezed out when the halves mated Talking later about the importance\u2028 of bonding paste in wind blade manufacturing Hexion’s Meunier notes that BP535’s attributes — low density spreadability and longer working life — can allow wind blade fabricators to eliminate use of the “galactica,” a multi-million dollar superstructure typically used to support a shear web on the spar cap and mold shell until the bonding paste cures This is part and parcel with an overall effort by blade manufacturers and material suppliers to optimize blade fabrication Immediately adjacent to the production floor is the Vestas finishing hall,\u2028where operations are similar to those in\u2028the non-Vestas finishing building: NDT One difference: Vestas tips its blades with copper After a Vestas blade is painted and deemed complete by Aeris one of the two Vestas employees on site is called upon\u2028to inspect and certify that it meets the company’s standards training and retaining qualified employees health care and transportation resources necessary to provide a company like Aeris with a steady supply of able workers This means that even the most qualified employees — most likely from Fortaleza an hour away — probably have no access to reliable transportation and could easily miss work if they or a family member is beset by poor health to create a work environment that provides basic needs for each worker “It is not hard to manufacture blades fast,” Lolli says “But you must have the right people with the right behavior.” Employees are expected to complete at least three of those levels And for employees who have not completed high school Aeris hires teachers to help them earn their diplomas Aeris’ efforts start away from the plant Before each shift \u2028(the company runs three shifts daily a dozen buses fan out across the region and pick up employees at several designated locations each employee is given a snack and a drink by a full meal in the company-run and –funded cafeteria play games or nap at the Aeris Living Center covered facility that includes a small library Aeris pays fully the healthcare insurance premium not just for every worker Lolli says that in 2015 the company evaluated its work environment and position in the larger economy and established three goals it intends to meet: by 2018 be ranked among the 10 best places to work in Ceará; be among the 100 most sustainable companies in Brazil; be among the 1,000 biggest companies in Brazil The company is already located within 500 km of 70% of Brazil’s wind farms \u2028and as long as the Brazilian wind market sustains its growth or if customers need Aeris’ blades outside of Brazil the company’s easy access to overseas markets offers a path to sustainable growth a well-developed workforce and a manufacturing model that emphasizes quality and customer service “We are who we are.\u2028We work hard we do good\u2028 things and sometimes we make mistakes We cannot have a problem at the wind farm.” So far for entry into Aeris Energy and the education you’re about to receive about its beginnings operating out of
a sprawling 55,000m2 multi-building campus that employs 2,500 people Most of the epoxy resin, and all of the bonding paste used at the Aeris facility is supplied by Hexion Inc. (Columbus but that is increasingly being replaced
 by the new RIM BP535 Lolli says that about 90% of all blade failures can 
be traced to bond failures Each blade
is then transferred to a massive booth
to be painted making 54m blades
for the Vestas V110-2.0MW turbine Talking later about the importance
 of bonding paste in wind blade manufacturing Immediately adjacent to the production floor is the Vestas finishing hall where operations are similar to those in
the non-Vestas finishing building: NDT one of the two Vestas employees on site is called upon
to inspect and certify that it meets the company’s standards Before each shift 
(the company runs three shifts daily 
and as long as the Brazilian wind market sustains its growth we do good
 things and sometimes we make mistakes The page you’re on features premium CW editorial content videos and podcasts from the CW editorial team we ask all new website users to provide some information about themselves before they are provided free access to the content We thank you for your continued interest in and support of CW The following new temple presidents and matrons have been called to serve by the First Presidency They will begin their service in September or when the new temple is dedicated Jorge Homero Justin Brehm and Gloria Maria Justo Brehm, Caucaia do Alto 1st Ward, São Paulo Brazil Cotia Stake, called as president and matron of the Porto Alegre Brazil Temple succeeding President Pedro Alberto Machado da Silva and Sister Clara R President Brehm is a ward temple and family history leader and temple sealer Sister Brehm is a ward Relief Society presidency counselor and temple ordinance worker ward Relief Society president and ward Primary president José Fernando Chiu Jiménez and Maria del Carmen Pola Contreras de Chiu, Deportiva Ward, Villahermosa México Stake, called as president and matron of the Villahermosa Mexico Temple succeeding President Carlos Monroy and Sister Sonia Monroy Palacios President Chiu is a temple sealer and Primary teacher to Fernando Chiu Mena and Esther Jiménez Rueda Sister Chiu is a temple ordinance worker and ward Primary presidency counselor and a former ward Relief Society president to Regulo Pola Belches and Carmen Contreras Ruiz Jorge Esteban Detlefsen and Adriana Mabel Salomón Detlefsen, Villa Belgrano Ward, Córdoba Argentina Sierras Stake, called as president and matron of the Córdoba Argentina Temple succeeding President Ángel Licursi and Sister Graciela Licursi President Detlefsen is a temple presidency counselor and Sunday School teacher and a former Argentina Bahía Blanca Mission president to Manuel Detlefsen and Matilde Margarita Torres Sister Detlefsen is an assistant to the matron and a former mission president companion stake Primary president and ward Relief Society president to Rodolfo Martin Salomón and Elsa Maria Scigliano Enrique Alberto Flores Garcia and Anayancy Maria Jimenez Barquero de Flores, San Diego Ward, Cartago Costa Rica Stake, called as president and matron of the San José Costa Rica Temple succeeding President Victor Manuel Torres Quirós and Sister Yamileth Monge de Torres President Flores is a stake temple and family history consultant to Roberto Flores Marin and Maruja Garcia de Flores Sister Flores is a stake Relief Society presidency counselor and a former ward Relief Society presidency counselor to Guillermo Jara Villalobos and Jane Barquero Cerdas Roy Darryl Harline and Maria Estela Garcia Sevilla Harline, Huanchaco Ward, Trujillo Perú Primavera Stake, called as president and matron of the Trujillo Peru Temple President Harline is a temple ordinance worker to Richard Donald Harline and Mary Lou Harline Sister Harline is a temple ordinance worker and Young Women adviser and a former ward Relief Society president and ward Primary president to Juan Garcia Huatay and Tarcila Maximina Sevilla Esquivel Osaki Selesi’utele Ti’asi’utele Lavea and Camellia Ligaliga Lavea, Peninsula Park Ward, Auckland New Zealand Manukau Stake, called as president and matron of the new Auckland New Zealand Temple President Lavea is a temple sealer and temple and family history consultant Sister Lavea is a temple ordinance worker and a former assistant to the matron ward Young Women president and ward Relief Society presidency counselor to Fusi Ligaliga and Nellie Paugata Churchward Daniele Lui and Settimia Lucia Petarra, Verona Ward, Verona Italy Stake, called as president and matron of the Rome Italy Temple succeeding President James Toronto and Sister Diane Toronto President Lui is a Primary teacher and temple sealer branch presidency counselor and elders quorum presidency counselor Sister Petarra is a Relief Society assistant service coordinator and temple worker Carlos Tom Prince and Ema Lourdes Obeso Buelna de Tom, Bella Vista Ward, Mexicali México Stake, called as president and matron of the Tijuana Mexico Temple, succeeding President Oziel H President Tom is a temple presidency counselor and a former mission presidency counselor to Ernesto Tom and Maria Prince Alvarado de Tom Sister Ema Obeso is an assistant to the matron and a former stake Young Women president ward Relief Society president and ward Young Women president to Jose Ramon Obeso Perez and Maria Ignacia Buelna Beltrán de Obeso Jose Alfredo Zanudo Urrea and Guadalupe Vasquez Jaime de Zanudo, Reforma Ward, Hermosillo México Stake, called as president and matron of the Hermosillo Sonora Mexico Temple succeeding President Arturo Rodríguez Ibañez and Sister Celia de Rodríguez President Zanudo is a JustServe specialist and a former México Torreón Mission president to Gilberto Sanudo Baiza and Maura Urrea Serrano Sister Zanudo is a JustServe specialist and a former mission president companion ward Primary presidency counselor and temple ordinance worker to Miguel Angel Vazquez Gurrola and Maria Dolores de Vazquez Jaime indigenous policy telegram Join our Telegram channel! telegram Article originally published on the Ninja Media website A historical novelty of the Lula government is the indigenous policy The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples was created which will now be called the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples as well as the Indigenous Health Secretariat (Sesai) These names were forwarded to President Lula by the Articulação dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil (Apib) in the form of a triple list for the choice of @ministr@ Sônia coordinated Apib in recent years and was elected federal deputy for São Paulo; Joênia ends her term as the first indigenous federal deputy and Weibe has been a councilor in Caucaia (CE) for several terms Lula chose Sônia to welcome the PSOL into the Ministry but took advantage of Joênia and Weibe in other key functions Joenia Wapichana, President of Funai 📷Chamber of Deputies Sonia Guajajara, Minister of Indigenous Peoples 📷Instagram (@guajajarasonia) Indigenous protagonism over public policies will lead other cadres from the movement to government functions who will be executive secretary of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples There is also an intense movement in communities and local indigenous organizations to present names to the regional coordinations of Funai and Sesai reducing the influence of third-party interests on indigenous territories and their natural resources should strengthen indigenous participation in the next municipal elections the new National Congress will take office who will take a leave of absence from the mandate to assume the MPI and who will coordinate the Parliamentary Front of Indigenous Peoples Other deputies and senators who also identify themselves as indigenous The occupation of political spaces does not happen only from left-wing parties but the strong indigenous political symbology has also been captured by right-wing forces The indigenous political protagonism has been growing since the end of the military dictatorship but it was strengthened in an unprecedented way in the face of the setbacks promoted by the previous government brought together more than six thousand indigenous representatives from all over Brazil in its latest edition Apib was recognized by the Federal Supreme Court (STF) as competent to file Direct Actions of Unconstitutionality (ADINs) The expressive number of votes obtained by indigenous candidates in the capitals is evidence of the reception of this indigenous protagonism by growing parts of society The appointment of indigenous people to lead the policies of their interest stems from President Lula's generosity which also stems from his perception that the indigenous movement was able to strengthen itself even under the most adverse political conditions Interests in the territories and other indigenous rights will have to be dealt with directly and not through agents or supposed guardians but this new generation of indigenous leaders is ready to face them It will not be able to underestimate the objective strength of the interests that will be opposed it will be subject to the vicissitudes typical of party and administrative action but it will learn much more about the very nature of politics There is no disdain here for serious indigenism historically practiced by people and institutions that were and continue to be fundamental to the resistance of indigenous peoples to colonial fury Many sacrificed their lives in the process and Bruno Pereira was just the most recent But now is the time for indigenous politics and we should all be proud of the privilege of sharing this new era The most relevant news for you to form your opinion on the socio-environmental agenda LAST ISSUE 43,000+ global companies doing business in the region 102,000+ key contacts related to companies and projects news and interviews about your industry in English Kinley Gearhart, a 15-year-old young woman in the Etowah Valley Ward of the Cartersville Georgia Stake, filled three pages of notes as she watched and participated in the worldwide youth discussion on discipleship on Sunday Different parts of the presentation involved pausing the video to discuss the following questions: Kinley considered the questions and recorded the following thoughts: Kinley was among many young women and young men who participated and shared what they learned about discipleship from the global discussion. Following are additional insights shared by youth from the Philippines, Brazil and various locations in the United States. These contributions have been edited for length and clarity. Hazel Bellen, of the Sampaguita Ward in the Camarin Philippines Stake, wrote: “Fitting in and making friends is challenging for me, and I thought I had to be like everyone else to fit in and have fun. The worldwide discussion event on discipleship reminded me that although we all are different with unique personalities, we can find a sense of belongingness as fellow disciples of Jesus Christ. “I don’t get to visit the temple as much as I’d like due to school, but I believe that holy places can be found in other places, like a loving home and a Christ-centered circle of friends. I am grateful to be a part of a group of friends who support and uplift each other, striving to find the good in one another and come closer to Christ every day.” Sisters Kyla and Naomi Allen are members of the Greenville Ward in the Grand Rapids Michigan Stake. “I learned that being a disciple of Jesus Christ means putting forth our best effort to gathering others unto Christ. It doesn’t mean that we all have to be exactly the same. It means that we use our differences to light the world, while allowing Christ’s Atonement to refine us. We need to be willing to accept His will and continue our own process of growth,” Kyla said. Brothers Caleb and Jacob Berge, ages 17 and 16, were among 20 young men and young women from the Springville Ward in the Porterville California Stake who watched and participated in the worldwide discussion. “We can strengthen our testimonies by being in a holy place, a place we’re comfortable with spiritually,” Caleb said. “We strengthen each other’s testimonies by sharing them.” “I learned that everyone begins with a foundation,” Jacob said. “And the stronger the foundation, the more you will be stable as you build up in the future.” Sheccid Lopez, 15, of the La Riviera Branch in the Sacramento Cordova Stake, said: “Tonight I realized that being a disciple of Jesus Christ can feel lonely at times, but when we are His disciples, we are never truly alone.” Hailey Leazenby, 12, of the Anatolia Ward in the Sacramento Cordova Stake, said: “I loved hearing the testimonies of my friends and of Elder Stevenson. It is always special to hear an Apostle’s testimony. I also was reminded that sharing my testimony can make a great impact on others and can help my testimony continue to grow.” Sammy concluded that those who strive to learn of the Savior will draw closer to Him and be able to see His hand in their lives. “I know that as we continue to develop our friendship with Christ, and as we apply sacred principles to our lives we will be blessed, and we’ll become better disciples every day.” For Guilherme de Paula of the Caucaia do Alto 2nd Ward, São Paulo Brazil Cotia Stake, the part he enjoyed most was when they could share their experience with someone else and bear their testimony. “It’s always wonderful to serve and follow Jesus Christ,” he said. “This devotional gave me much more strength to be determined and truly be a disciple of Jesus Christ.” Talita Gonçalves, from the Cotia 1st Ward, São Paulo Brazil Cotia Stake, said that during the meeting she felt very loved: “Sometimes we have a bit of difficulty in the world, ... with so much judgment. … By feeling the Savior’s love, ... I could strongly feel His concern for us.” Youth from the Houston Ward in the West Plains Missouri Stake gathered together to watch the worldwide discussion on Sunday. The following are lessons about discipleship learned by youth in the Houston Ward: Ben Cook: “When you keep your mind and thoughts holy, everywhere you go can become holy.” Ian Shupe: “We as members of the Church make our [meetinghouses] and temples holy places. Without our Christlike behavior, without attending and making covenants, those places would just be buildings.” Buckley Miller: “At Young Men camp, we had great discussions about the gospel around the campfire and we didn’t want to go to bed because we just wanted to keep talking about the gospel. When we share our testimonies together we grow and learn.”  Mark Woolstenhulme: “Once when I was preparing a talk, I read a story where a person was telling another person that they have never missed a Sunday. Then the other person asked, ‘Yeah, but what do you do in between the Sundays?’ That touched me and made my testimony grow and I realized it’s not about just going to church, but it’s what we do during the week and If we take the Spirit from Sunday and share with others — not just at church.” Hundreds of youth from the Garland Utah Stake watched the presentation in the historic Garland Utah Tabernacle. “What I learned is becoming a disciple of Christ takes time. It’s a process, not overnight,” said Chloe Cammack, of the Garland 6th Ward. “The thing I learned the most personally is to just be a disciple — just do it, not just talk about it. It takes action.” Hunter Kotter, of the Howell Ward in the Garland Utah Stake, said, “The feeling of unity that comes with being a disciple with others is phenomenal. I know that’s how the Savior helps His love shine through us.” — Alejandra Arce, Russell Wilcox, Janet Uresti and Vanessa Fitzgibbon contributed to this report. Jennifer’s memories were scattered and fleeting triggered by a smell or a glimpse of light dappled through stained glass The aroma of freshly baked mince pies repulsed her nostrils Texas church she attended as an elementary school girl “She finally came and told me that he had raped her,” the girl’s mother told GlobalPost Therapy had dragged up Jennifer’s memories: a sudden blacking out then dizzily regaining consciousness on a bed in the rectory it was just him and me and he was on top of me and I remember that stained-glass window and he did it in front of the Blessed Sacrament,” Jennifer told her mother Jennifer — who is identified only by her first name because she still suffers trauma from the alleged incident — is by no means the only parishioner to accuse Father Federico Fernandez Baeza of abuse Fernandez arrived in San Antonio in the early 1980s prosecutors had charged him with exposing himself to two young girls in a local swimming pool he had begun ritually abusing and raping two young boys in his care according to a 1988 lawsuit filed by a local family Instead the church negotiated a large cash settlement and Fernandez promptly relocated to Colombia where he continued working for the Catholic Church GlobalPost traced him to the picturesque seaside city of Cartagena He’s currently a senior administrator and priest at a prestigious Catholic university respect and unfettered access to young people that comes with being a member of the clergy Fernandez is just one of scores of Catholic priests who have been accused of abusing children in the United States and Europe but who have avoided accountability simply by moving to a less-developed country Even as Pope Francis has touted reform of the Vatican’s safeguards against child abuse GlobalPost has found that the Catholic Church has allowed allegedly abusive priests to slip off to parts of the world where they would face less scrutiny from prosecutors and the media we tracked down and confronted five such priests All were able to continue working for the church despite serious accusations against them Some of these men faced criminal investigations but went abroad without charges being brought against them One of the priests admitted to GlobalPost that he had molested a 13-year-old boy and acknowledged that he can never work again in the US He continues to preach in a small Peruvian fishing village Another is currently under investigation by authorities in Brazil for a string of alleged molestations including accusations in the poor neighborhoods where for two decades he ran a home for street children — with the support of the Catholic Church For advocates and attorneys who have studied abusive Catholic priests for decades the flight of these fathers overseas represents just the latest chapter in a long story of deceit collusion and church-sponsored impunity for child abusers “As developed countries find it tougher to keep predator priests on the job bishops are increasingly moving them to the developing world where there’s less vigorous law enforcement less independent media and a greater power differential between priests and parishioners,” said David Clohessy national director and spokesman for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests and my suspicion is that it’s becoming more and more pronounced.” “He reminds me of a boy who was in my house in Rio de Janeiro,” Van Dael says referring to the orphanage he used to run in the 1980s The boy wriggles free and lines up to fill his pot from the containers of soup that Van Dael and his volunteers have brought to this small slum just outside the rough-and-tumble city of Caucaia seems deeply affectionate toward pre-adolescent boys After a falling out with the local diocese (Van Dael says church officials objected to his working with poor street children whom they deemed criminals) a few miles from the crime-ridden city of Fortaleza Taking advantage of Brazil’s extraordinary exchange rates at the time which greatly favored the US dollar and European currencies the “gringo priest” set up a new orphanage for abandoned and troubled street kids He called it “Esperança da Criança,” or Children’s Hope But the home's whitewashed walls — which Van Dael hung with dozens of photographs he took of young boys — appear to have borne witness to plenty of misery Van Dael is currently under investigation by both the Belgian and Brazilian federal authorities an inquiry that adds to a litany of child abuse accusations against Van Dael on two continents Last year, a Dutch television station interviewed two men who claimed Van Dael fondled them at church and at a Catholic summer camp in Belgium in the early 1970s A federal prosecutor in Fortaleza told the station that there had also been several complaints of sexual abuse against Van Dael over the last 10 years two former interns at Van Dael’s orphanage told the Belgian media that children there said the priest had abused them And the head of a local government child protection agency in Caucaia told GlobalPost he had received a complaint about Van Dael back in 2008 because the agency didn’t have the staff or resources to investigate it Van Dael has been suspected of pedophilia for years his career as a priest has flourished in the Archdiocese of Fortaleza He said he sometimes celebrates Mass six times a weekend in the poor neighborhoods of Caucaia Van Dael led services at two different churches and handed out soup to children he told GlobalPost he has never been sexually attracted to children He said all the accusations against him are lies or university students who don’t understand the world 'pidos' meaning child and 'philia' meaning friendship with children,” Van Dael said “In the real sense of the word I’m a pedophile.” oembed://https%3A//vimeo.com/139231143 who has control over which priests celebrate Mass within the archdiocese But after we confronted Van Dael about the accusations against him the archbishop said he couldn’t meet with GlobalPost The Catholic Church has a long history of secrecy in matters related to sex abuse allegations, reaffirmed by a 2001 confidential apostolic letter written by Pope John Paul II The letter clarified that all cases of sexual abuse by priests were to be handled by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith an internal affairs unit of the Catholic Church which was then headed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (who became pope in 2005) The letter also reasserted that all such cases must be kept strictly confidential under the “pontifical secret,” a move that has been heavily criticized ever since told GlobalPost that her staff had interviewed three people who formerly lived in Van Dael’s orphanage as part of an ongoing investigation against the priest She said the interviews had uncovered no new evidence against Van Dael and added that investigators were also scheduled to interview the priest in September De Sousa lamented that abusive priests too often come to Brazil in search of prey She said investigating child sex abuse within the church can be frustratingly slow and difficult — especially when suspects are revered as moral icons and victims are too young to understand sexual contact “Brazil is a country where Catholicism is very strong and present and where the people really respect the church bishops and all religious authorities,” she said “So it’s very difficult for a child to understand an act that might have a sense of exploitation and abuse Van Dael closed down Esperança da Criança a couple of years ago when the Brazilian authorities changed their policies for housing troubled children But he continues to come into daily contact with vulnerable children Van Dael draws his legitimacy from the Archdiocese of Fortaleza and Despite years of accusations and investigations Van Dael said he has never faced a formal investigation by the church Father Paul Madden is an admitted child molester who was then a priest in the Diocese of Jackson took a trip to Ireland with a 13-year-old boy in his parish according to a lawsuit filed by the victim in 2002 Madden “repeatedly molested and raped” the boy “Since 1973 I have been plagued with remorse and guilt for my molestation of your son,” reads the letter “There is no excuse for my actions and I assume responsibility for them as a humble penitent.” In 2003 — soon after the victim’s second lawsuit was dismissed because too much time had passed — Madden joined the Diocese of Chimbote GlobalPost found him celebrating his weekly Mass in the tiny though he wouldn’t elaborate on what occurred oembed://https%3A//vimeo.com/139232762 “I feel quite confident in the mercy of God and I feel quite confident that God forgives all sin,” he said he’s under no illusions that he’s been pardoned in the eyes of the American public Asked if he could return to work as a priest in the US because of this ‘zero policy.’ And this was before — that’s not just from Pope Francis Madden was referring to a “zero tolerance” policy on child sex abuse that was approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2002 The policy aimed to remove any and all priests who have abused children “When even a single act of sexual abuse by a priest or deacon is admitted or is established after an appropriate process in accord with canon law the offending priest or deacon will be removed permanently from ecclesiastical ministry,” reads one of the rules approved by the Vatican after the conference Last year, Pope Francis ostensibly took the US church’s policy global when he wrote a letter to every Catholic bishop in the world stating that they must abide by the zero tolerance rules But victim advocates say the pope’s message was an exercise in public relations and that meaningful change is still a long way off Anne Barrett-Doyle is a founder of BishopAccountability.org which tracks abusive priests around the world it’s still entirely unclear what standards bishops worldwide are now being held to remain much more stringent than church doctrine elsewhere it’s absolutely false that there’s anything approaching zero tolerance in the emerging abuse policies around the world,” Barrett-Doyle said Madden’s church superior acknowledged that the new zero tolerance paradigm requires the diocese to act in this case said that Bishop Angel Simon Piorno was shocked to learn from GlobalPost about Madden’s past and would scrutinize the priest in light of the zero tolerance policy that the bishop has to investigate a priest He added that Madden would be suspended if necessary in mid-August a member of Madden’s parish confirmed to GlobalPost by phone that the priest continued to preach every Sunday We attempted to confirm this with Rodriguez but our email and phone calls went unreturned precipitous mountain pass — so high that wisps of cloud sweep past — searching for a village that locals describe vaguely as “very remote” and “out there somewhere in the tropics.” weaves down from chilly highlands to the steamy banana-stuffed interior of central Ecuador’s Bolivar province an hour’s drive from the nearest small town and several hours from the nearest big city Las Naves appears as a ring of green jungle It’s wildly different from the broad avenues of Minneapolis where not long ago Montero made a name for himself as a gregarious priest part-time radio DJ and accused child molester had been a popular addition to the Archdiocese of Minneapolis helped to found a Spanish-language church newspaper and installed himself as a fixture in his adopted homeland “Father Fredy,” as he was known to parishioners, was hardly the archetypal pious priest. For months, according to a police report he had been sleeping with at least one adult churchgoer — a witness to the abuse — who later told police she and the priest would have sex on Montero’s desk on a daily basis The little girl, who is not being identified at the request of her mother, was interviewed by a forensic psychologist and by other experts with the Hennepin County Child Protection Services. They concluded Montero had, indeed, abused the girl. Later, when Montero appealed that finding, the agency upheld it, according to a diocese document obtained by GlobalPost Police investigators searched through Montero’s computer But prosecutors eventually decided there simply wasn’t enough evidence to charge the priest with a crime the Minneapolis detective who investigated Montero said although there were no charges brought something happened to the child that was “very inappropriate.” He expressed serious concern that Montero had been allowed to continue to work with children “There was enough that I would be very concerned that this person was continuing what he was doing,” Blauert said GlobalPost's trip to far-flung Guaranda sprawling institution the Catholic Church is and how challenging it might seem to police priests who span the globe for many priests a background check is only a few clicks away BishopAccountability.org maintains a database of more than 6,400 clerics who have been credibly accused of child sexual abuse in the United States The database contains extensive information about Montero Van Dael and many other priests who have avoided scrutiny by simply getting on a plane and flying to a new country there was no need to even double-check the priest’s background in those online records Court documents show that the Minnesota accusations followed him to Ecuador A dossier sent from the Archdiocese of Minneapolis to Guaranda warned the South American diocese of Montero’s past Archdiocese officials also reported the alleged abuse to the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith But Montero was apparently able to shrug off his past once he arrived back in his native Ecuador during which he said he was employed as a journalist Montero was placed in a succession of remote local parishes in the diocese of Guaranda where he continued to celebrate Mass and interact extensively with young people He eventually stopped working as a priest a couple of years ago — not because of the accusations against him or the potential harm he might inflict on children but because he decided to run for mayor of Las Naves The local bishop decided politics and priesthood weren’t a good mix He said in a telephone interview that at the time Montero returned to Ecuador he was aware of the accusations against the priest in the US But Sanchez said he was confident of Montero’s innocence since the case against him was “not concrete,” and the priest was never criminally charged Montero was not investigated further by the Vatican after arriving in Ecuador Victim advocates say Montero’s case is a textbook example of how the Catholic Church is shirking its responsibility to protect children but without meaningful implementation by local bishops — the Vatican’s footmen and enforcers in communities — church doctrines make little difference “There’s no checks and balances,” Clohessy said “It’s like having speed limits with no cops.” Anderson said the onus to protect children was on the bishops of Guaranda and Minneapolis whom he claims let Montero flee to Ecuador without being held accountable And the ultimate responsibility for protecting children from predator priests “Until this pope removes top officials in these crimes and sends a message that he is serious “Until this pope turns over all the documents and all the offenders who they know are offenders and are in ministry and turn them over to law enforcement across the globe there seems to be little that is being done or changed.” the father of the young girl whom Montero allegedly abused finds it hard to talk about his disgust for the Catholic Church and the pain Montero’s actions brought him and his family Joles’ daughter died from an inoperable brain tumor In the pain and anguish he’s had to endure since her passing Joles is sickened that the man he says so bruised his daughter’s short life is still walking free and could return to the pulpit at any time “I began to see the way [church officials] operate,” Joles said “It was big business and from their point of view it seemed like the individual was always secondary to the business one individual who had been harmed by a priest but that Catholicism and the church was more important than people like [her].” we eventually spotted him on the narrow road leading into town His Chevy pickup truck was overflowing with children whom he had just taken to a local soccer tournament Montero eventually agreed to an interview on the side of the street in Las Naves He stressed that he wasn’t hiding from anyone and said he’d spent years working with children without any other accusations He denied that the alleged abuse took place oembed://https%3A//vimeo.com/139236322 While the portion of Americans identifying themselves as Catholic has remained relatively stable, these days only about 27 percent say they are “strong” Catholics, down more than 15 points since the mid-1980s the number of US priests has also declined by about a third according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate a Georgetown University-affiliated research center the worldwide Catholic population has remained consistent at about 17 percent there’s hope that the church is ready for meaningful change to protect children there’s already evidence that the pope appears unwilling to publicly confess to the church’s sins Consider the case of Father Carlos Urrutigoity once one of the four most powerful churchmen in Paraguay Urrutigoity had a big problem: He’d been accused of sexually abusing young men in two different dioceses in the US following reports by BishopAccountability.org GlobalPost traveled to Paraguay to confront Urrutigoity who had been promoted to second-in-command of the diocese of Ciudad del Este in the country's east oembed://https%3A//vimeo.com/96110786 GlobalPost found Urrutigoity celebrating Mass in the lavish surroundings of a major church there claiming that the accusations in his past were all lies The enigmatic vicar general shrugged off with a smile the public claim by the bishop of Scranton Pennsylvania that he posed a “serious threat to young people.” One month after GlobalPost published its investigation on Urrutigoity, the Vatican sent a cardinal and a bishop to Paraguay on a well-publicized visit. The purpose of the trip was shrouded in secrecy both Urrutigoity and the bishop of Ciudad del Este who had sheltered and promoted him were removed from the diocese by the Vatican Occurring just a year after Pope Francis rose to power the move gave observers hope that the Vatican was finally getting serious about condemning and stamping out child abuse across the Catholic Church South American activists in particular were hopeful that the Argentine pope was sending a signal by dismissing Urrutigoity But a Vatican spokesman was quick to tell reporters that these dismissals had more to do with internal church politics than cleaning up abuse Urrutigoity’s apparent wrongdoing has so far gone unacknowledged by the church and his alleged victims continue to suffer without the solace of justice in addition to holding a well-publicized meeting with victims of abuse by priests Pope Francis announced the creation of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors And in June the Vatican announced it was setting up a new system of tribunals to hear cases of bishops accused of protecting or covering up child abuse by priests GlobalPost tried for weeks to interview Boston’s Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley who chairs the commission and proposed the new tribunals to the pope His staff insisted that our story was outside the cardinal’s Numerous calls and emails to the Vatican press office went unreturned a lay member of the new pontifical commission and an advocate for victims of sexual abuse by priests said the priests GlobalPost tracked down are exactly the sort of cases the Catholic Church “Zero tolerance is meaningless unless it applies to the whole institution,” he said some of the biggest problems are in the less well-off parts of the world This is where we know many priests flee to in order to carry on their abuse Saunders acknowledged that the commission’s remit is still a little fuzzy “We’re all scratching our heads a bit,” he said But he also expressed new optimism that a crisis he’s been sounding the alarm about for decades will be addressed “I have to remain hopeful until my hopes are dashed,” he said “She just kept dreaming of this man chasing her and chasing her She kept spiraling down into a black hole,” her mother recalled in a recent interview with GlobalPost in San Antonio the mother told her daughter to try to keep the dream going and to spin around inside it and confront the man who chased her through her nights Then the daughter had a startling revelation The man in the dream was the same man she says sexually abused her in front of a stained glass window years before “She said it was Father Fred,” the mother said: Federico Fernandez Baeza A year later, Fernandez was negotiating a plea bargain with prosecutors, the family’s lawyer told local media He had offered to plead guilty to the two counts of indecency in exchange for a 10-year suspended sentence and the promise that he would stay away from children and seek psychiatric help But Fernandez and the Diocese of San Antonio’s lawyers were also negotiating a cash settlement with the family on the side, for more than $1 million, according to media reports Just before the plea bargain was to be heard in court a district judge rejected Fernandez’s plea bargain She told reporters that she rejected the deal because she did not believe the defendant should get special treatment because he was a priest After his plea deal was rejected, the San Antonio prosecutors suddenly dropped their case against him. The United Press International news agency quoted Bexar County District Attorney Fred Rodriguez as saying that prosecutors were looking out for the best interests of the victims and that their family “had already been victimized once.” In asking for a dismissal prosecutors told the judge that a trial would have been too traumatic for the children so close to pleading guilty to child sexual abuse This judicial snafu so incensed one Texas state legislator that he introduced a bill that would bar victims of sexual abuse who receive cash settlements from later refusing to testify in criminal cases "State laws need to be changed so the guilty offender will not be able to buy off the victim and go free," state Rep Jerry Beauchamp told a San Antonio newspaper in 1989 But the bizarre story of Federico Fernandez Baeza wasn’t yet over a Mexican national on death row in Texas for raping and bludgeoning to death a 16-year-old girl in 1995 (a crime he denied committing) suddenly told his attorneys he had been molested as a child by Fernandez Leal told a forensic psychologist that the abuse began with inappropriate touching and ended with anal rape when he was in 5th grade The abuse revelations inspired a campaign for clemency from others who said Fernandez had abused them as well Leal’s legal team then found several more alleged victims of the priest Leal was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville In GlobalPost’s investigation, finding Fernandez wasn’t particularly difficult. We tracked him down at the Universidad de San Buenaventura in Cartagena, where he holds the position of secretary, the second-highest administrative rank according to the university’s website GlobalPost discovered that speaking to Fernandez would be far harder than finding him A guard at the university’s front gate called someone in Fernandez’s office During a game of cat-and-mouse that lasted several days and included hours of staking out the university entrance three university officials confirmed that the priest had indeed been there when we asked to interview him informed us the priest had not left town until the second morning We also received several anonymous emails and phone calls from someone identifying themselves as “Limpieza Unidos” (which translates roughly to “Cleaning Together”) who claimed to be a university employee The messages started arriving shortly after GlobalPost emailed Fernandez’s colleagues at the university “I understand that you’re looking for Father Federico Fernandez and he’s hiding from you,” one email read “I can tell you that he’s here at the university.” Limpieza Unidos stopped answering the phone or responding to emails Calls to the cellphone number for Fernandez that the source provided were also not picked up students expressed disgust and disbelief that an accused child abuser was employed as a top administrator at their school they’re showing us a different façade,” said 21-year-old microbiology student Jessie Palomino what is the church doing about these cases?” added her friend other Catholics were wondering the same thing Jennifer’s father told GlobalPost he remains deeply distressed by the nightmares that haunted his daughter He said his family life has long revolved around the local church (He asked not to be identified out of concern about backlash from parishioners.) he said he thought many times about taking matters into his own hands He said he had tried to get postings near Fernandez so he could slip across the border into Colombia in pursuit of the priest “I was going to kill him,” Jennifer’s father said “I think the whole Catholic Church has failed us but they continue to let these things happen.” oembed://https%3A//vimeo.com/138831093 This story investigation was originally published by our partners at GlobalPost delivered to your inbox every weekday morning Thanks to our sponsor PRX is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS: #263347402.