Witness History Folgen

In 1960, Brazil opened a new capital city in its remote central plains.The city was designed by modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer and was supposed to symbolise Brazil's future ambitions. In 2014, Claire Bowes spoke to Osorio Machado, an engineer who worked on the city's construction.(Photo: The building of Brasilia. Credit: Getty Images)

In 2002, an investigative journalist called Tim Lopes was brutally killed by a drug gang in Rio de Janeiro. The murder sent shockwaves throughout Brazil. His son, Bruno Quintella, spoke to Mike Lanchin in 2014. This programme contains descriptions of violence and some listeners may find parts of it distressing. (Photo: Tim Lopes and his son, Bruno, courtesy of the family)

In March 1985, Brazil experienced the most traumatic moment in its transition to democracy when the first civilian president-elect in more than 20 years was rushed to hospital on the eve of his inauguration. Tancredo Neves, who had led political opposition to military rule in Brazil, eventually died 38 days later. He is now regarded as a hero in Brazil. In 2018, Simon Watts spoke to Tancredo Neves' press secretary, Antonio Britto.(Photo: Tancredo Neves, centre, on a visit to Spain. Credit: Getty Images)