Starlink satellite internet brings Brazil's remote Amazon village into national election debate
A Starlink antenna installed in June now gives the riverside village of Sao Sebastiao do Saraca internet access, letting residents follow the upcoming presidential and legislative elections.
In June, a Starlink satellite antenna was mounted on the roof of a modest wooden house in Sao Sebastiao do Saraca, a fishing and craft village on the rio Negro in Brazil’s Amazonas state. The installation was carried out by the Réseau connexion des peuples de la forêt, a coalition formed in 2023 to provide high-speed internet to remote Amazon communities. The new service enables villagers, who are two hours by boat from Manaus, to browse the web on smartphones and follow the forthcoming presidential and legislative elections.
Residents like 18-year-old Tiffany Barbosa, who is studying pedagogy remotely, say they can now learn about all candidates, compare proposals, and decide whether to vote. The elections feature incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva facing far-right senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Officials hope the project will give Amazonian peoples a stronger voice in national politics.
Why it matters
Internet access lets isolated Amazon communities engage with Brazil's pivotal national elections.
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