Rio swiftly renews 25-year pact with spirit-channeling foundation amid windstorm concerns

Rio de Janeiro finalized a no-cost extension of its 25-year contract with the Cacique Cobra Coral Foundation in a matter of hours, a pace Osmar Santos described as unheard of. Founded in 1931 and now headed by Adelaide Scritori, the foundation asserts that a medium channels the spirit Cacique Cobra Coral, who can intervene in weather patterns at the behest of governments or corporations. The renewal followed a recent gale that left two dead and generated online pleas to keep the partnership alive.

Besides aiding Rio, the organization claims to deliver long-term climate forecasts to companies in California, the Midwest, and Chicago commodities markets, though it does not issue storm warnings. Researchers highlight its prominent place in Brazilian popular imagination and occasional involvement in diplomatic disputes, while constitutional law professor Wallace Corbo says the arrangement does not violate Brazil’s secular principles. The mayor’s office declined to comment on the agreement.