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00:00:04,713 --> 00:00:07,674
[crowd]   chanting          
               in Sinhala

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00:00:07,716 --> 00:00:09,801
[Matthew]   The people        
        in this country say that

3
00:00:09,843 --> 00:00:12,178
Gotabaya fled because       
    he was escaping prosecution.

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00:00:12,220 --> 00:00:14,431
They blame the president

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00:00:14,472 --> 00:00:16,850
for destroying its economy.

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00:00:16,891 --> 00:00:18,476
[person]   If I pay taxes,

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00:00:18,518 --> 00:00:20,437
all these politicians       
         will steal our money.

8
00:00:20,478 --> 00:00:21,646
[person]   They're gonna       
         fatten their pockets.

9
00:00:21,688 --> 00:00:23,314
-I don't know.           
        -You're their lawyer.

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00:00:23,356 --> 00:00:25,525
[laughs]

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00:00:25,567 --> 00:00:28,361
[Isobel]   The number        
       of evangelicals in Brazil

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00:00:28,403 --> 00:00:30,030
has grown exponentially.

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00:00:30,071 --> 00:00:32,157
Since Bolsonaro's         
             been in power,

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00:00:32,198 --> 00:00:34,367
he's chipped away         
     at environmental protections.

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00:00:34,408 --> 00:00:36,703
Indigenous people here say

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00:00:36,745 --> 00:00:38,496
that missionaries         
       are changing the culture.

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00:00:38,538 --> 00:00:39,998
Oh, we know they have.

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00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:42,042
[person]   speaking Portuguese

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00:00:43,793 --> 00:00:45,211
[Isobel]   What would it       
              mean to you

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00:00:45,253 --> 00:00:47,088
if the missionaries        
              were allowed

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00:00:47,130 --> 00:00:48,173
to expand their footprint?

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00:00:51,551 --> 00:00:54,721
dramatic music

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00:01:04,731 --> 00:01:05,815
- Aah!

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[person yelling in native     
    language through loudspeaker]

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[crowd]   chanting          
               in Sinhala

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00:01:30,465 --> 00:01:31,591
We are in Central Colombo

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00:01:31,633 --> 00:01:32,926
where hundreds of these

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student protestors

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00:01:34,469 --> 00:01:36,638
are right now           
            making their way

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00:01:36,679 --> 00:01:38,931
towards President         
      Gotabaya Rajapaksa's house.

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00:01:38,972 --> 00:01:40,809
They blame the president

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and his whole family       
         that rule this country

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00:01:42,977 --> 00:01:45,939
for destroying its economy,    
            and they want to

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see them removed from power.

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Where are you going?

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00:01:49,317 --> 00:01:50,652
[Matthew]   But there's       
              many police.

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00:01:57,992 --> 00:01:59,953
[Matthew]   Sri Lanka,        
     an island nation in South Asia

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home to 22 million people

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00:02:01,955 --> 00:02:04,707
has long been divided       
          along ethnic lines.

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00:02:04,749 --> 00:02:06,251
After emerging from

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00:02:06,292 --> 00:02:08,962
a 26-year-long civil war     
                in 2009,

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00:02:09,003 --> 00:02:11,464
it became the region's      
        fastest-growing economy

43
00:02:11,506 --> 00:02:14,092
and a popular tourist       
              destination.

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00:02:14,134 --> 00:02:15,426
But corruption          
           and mismanagement

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00:02:15,468 --> 00:02:17,303
by the ruling family,       
            the Rajapaksas,

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00:02:17,345 --> 00:02:20,056
followed by the pandemic     
         and soaring inflation,

47
00:02:20,098 --> 00:02:22,642
have caused the country's     
      worst-ever financial crisis.

48
00:02:22,684 --> 00:02:24,727
We are presently          
             undergoing

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00:02:24,769 --> 00:02:27,772
a serial              
           economy crisis

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00:02:27,814 --> 00:02:30,150
that has profoundly        
         impacted the lives

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00:02:30,191 --> 00:02:32,944
of all Sri Lankans.

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00:02:32,986 --> 00:02:34,529
[Matthew]   The situation      
         has pushed Sri Lankans

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00:02:34,571 --> 00:02:36,156
to their breaking point

54
00:02:36,197 --> 00:02:37,824
and united people         
         from all walks of life

55
00:02:37,866 --> 00:02:39,826
against the Rajapaksas.

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00:02:39,868 --> 00:02:42,954
[crowd]   chanting in Sinhala

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00:02:42,996 --> 00:02:45,832
intense music

58
00:02:47,417 --> 00:02:49,502
[crowd cheering, whooping]

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00:02:49,544 --> 00:02:52,297
After the protestors        
          faced off with--

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00:02:52,338 --> 00:02:54,174
After the protestors came here

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00:02:54,215 --> 00:02:56,009
and faced off against       
            riot police,

62
00:02:56,049 --> 00:02:58,469
they were dispersed,        
     but they've since returned.

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00:02:58,511 --> 00:03:00,221
They're moving          
         the police barricades

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00:03:00,263 --> 00:03:02,182
and pushing the riot police    
                 back.

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00:03:02,348 --> 00:03:04,642
speaking Sinhala

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00:03:14,861 --> 00:03:16,362
[Matthew]   The Rajapaksas      
              have created

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00:03:16,404 --> 00:03:18,364
a controversial legacy      
           during their rule

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00:03:18,406 --> 00:03:20,033
for much of            
         the last two decades.

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00:03:20,073 --> 00:03:22,702
They first rose to power     
          during the Civil War

70
00:03:22,744 --> 00:03:24,204
when Mahinda,           
          the eldest brother,

71
00:03:24,245 --> 00:03:26,456
became president in 2005

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00:03:26,497 --> 00:03:29,334
when Gotabaya           
         was defense secretary.

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00:03:29,375 --> 00:03:31,044
They were accused of       
               committing

74
00:03:31,085 --> 00:03:33,463
wide-spread war crimes      
     as they crushed the rebellion

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00:03:33,504 --> 00:03:35,548
by ethnic Tamil Hindu       
              separatists.

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00:03:35,590 --> 00:03:38,176
But to the majority        
     Sinhalese Buddhist community,

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00:03:38,218 --> 00:03:39,886
they were heroes         
          for ending the war.

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00:03:39,928 --> 00:03:41,888
speaking Sinhala

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00:03:47,559 --> 00:03:49,896
[Matthew]   In 2015,         
             the Rajapaksas

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00:03:49,938 --> 00:03:52,065
were voted out,          
            amid allegations

81
00:03:52,106 --> 00:03:54,275
that they embezzled billions   
      into foreign bank accounts.

82
00:03:54,317 --> 00:03:55,902
But four years later,

83
00:03:55,944 --> 00:03:57,737
after attacks           
          by the Islamic state

84
00:03:57,779 --> 00:04:00,240
killed more than 300 people,   
      Gotabaya won the presidency,

85
00:04:00,281 --> 00:04:02,742
promising to restore security   
            to the country.

86
00:04:02,784 --> 00:04:04,327
His presidential immunity

87
00:04:04,369 --> 00:04:06,329
meant corruption charges     
       against him were dropped,

88
00:04:06,371 --> 00:04:08,456
and he promised          
         to stop investigations

89
00:04:08,498 --> 00:04:09,749
into allegations         
             of war crimes.

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00:04:18,383 --> 00:04:20,551
[Matthew]   He appointed       
     Mahinda as his prime minister

91
00:04:20,593 --> 00:04:23,096
and other relatives        
       to key cabinet positions,

92
00:04:23,137 --> 00:04:25,139
returning the dynasty       
               to power.

93
00:04:27,475 --> 00:04:29,102
Since then, their policies

94
00:04:29,143 --> 00:04:30,853
have bankrupted the country.

95
00:04:30,895 --> 00:04:32,939
They introduced          
            massive tax cuts

96
00:04:32,981 --> 00:04:35,358
while Sri Lanka owed billions   
          to foreign lenders.

97
00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:38,611
Soon after, the country's     
        central bank went broke

98
00:04:38,653 --> 00:04:40,947
[Rajapaksa]   speaking Sinhala

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00:04:52,542 --> 00:04:54,794
When Sri Lanka ran out of     
      foreign reserves in May,

100
00:04:54,836 --> 00:04:56,754
it became really difficult     
          for this country

101
00:04:56,796 --> 00:04:59,173
to import basic goods       
          like cooking gas,

102
00:04:59,215 --> 00:05:01,092
medicine, and fuel.

103
00:05:01,134 --> 00:05:03,177
So now what you're seeing     
          are lines like this

104
00:05:03,219 --> 00:05:05,471
at gas stations          
         all across the country

105
00:05:05,513 --> 00:05:07,098
where people have been      
             waiting hours,

106
00:05:07,140 --> 00:05:09,350
some even days,          
            just to fill up.

107
00:05:09,392 --> 00:05:11,436
What are these guys--       
          they're pushing.

108
00:05:13,187 --> 00:05:15,148
They don't have any petrol.

109
00:05:16,357 --> 00:05:18,109
[Matthew]   Mohammed Imran,     
           a father of four,

110
00:05:18,151 --> 00:05:19,485
drives his own tuk-tuk,

111
00:05:19,527 --> 00:05:21,153
the three-wheeled taxi

112
00:05:21,195 --> 00:05:22,947
that many Sri Lankans       
       rely on to make a living.

113
00:05:22,989 --> 00:05:25,366
[Mohammed]   speaking Sinhala

114
00:05:32,874 --> 00:05:35,293
What are you gonna do       
     if you can't get fuel today

115
00:05:35,335 --> 00:05:36,919
for your tuk-tuk?

116
00:05:54,354 --> 00:05:56,356
[Matthew]   Even once staunch    
      supporters of the Rajapaksas

117
00:05:56,397 --> 00:05:58,691
are turning against them.

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00:05:59,734 --> 00:06:01,569
M.A. Mahinda           
          is an army veteran.

119
00:06:01,611 --> 00:06:03,403
He lost a leg           
     fighting under the Rajapaksas

120
00:06:03,446 --> 00:06:05,031
in the Civil War.

121
00:06:05,073 --> 00:06:06,324
Now he wants to see them go.

122
00:06:06,366 --> 00:06:08,701
speaking Sinhala

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00:06:26,094 --> 00:06:27,637
[Matthew] As you said,       
           the politicians

124
00:06:27,677 --> 00:06:29,555
have divided this country.

125
00:06:29,597 --> 00:06:31,849
Do you think that Sri Lankans   
        need to come together

126
00:06:31,891 --> 00:06:33,726
in order to fix the problems?

127
00:06:46,447 --> 00:06:48,074
[chanting continues]

128
00:06:48,116 --> 00:06:49,242
[Matthew]   The veterans       
       are part of an encampment

129
00:06:49,283 --> 00:06:50,576
that was set up in April

130
00:06:50,618 --> 00:06:52,078
outside of the president's    
                office,

131
00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:54,705
calling on Rajapaksa       
               to resign.

132
00:06:54,747 --> 00:06:56,416
Swasthika Arulingam        
        is a human rights lawyer

133
00:06:56,457 --> 00:06:58,584
and activist who's become     
           a prominent figure

134
00:06:58,626 --> 00:07:00,294
in the protest movement.

135
00:07:00,336 --> 00:07:02,296
[Swasthika]            
         This is unprecedented,

136
00:07:02,338 --> 00:07:03,881
several classes          
          coming together,

137
00:07:03,923 --> 00:07:05,633
calling for a particular      
           regime change.

138
00:07:05,675 --> 00:07:07,343
That can only come about

139
00:07:07,385 --> 00:07:09,302
if there's a deep         
            economy crisis.

140
00:07:09,345 --> 00:07:11,180
[Matthew]   There's been       
             this narrative

141
00:07:11,222 --> 00:07:13,516
that Sri Lanka's problems     
          are all the fault

142
00:07:13,558 --> 00:07:15,059
of the Rajapaksas         
        and their government.

143
00:07:15,101 --> 00:07:16,936
Would you say that's accurate?

144
00:07:16,978 --> 00:07:19,647
[Swasthika]   The Rajapaksa     
      government used the problems

145
00:07:19,689 --> 00:07:21,441
which already existed       
       in our economic system

146
00:07:21,482 --> 00:07:22,859
to enrich their family,

147
00:07:22,900 --> 00:07:25,194
which is almost like        
          a monarch system

148
00:07:25,236 --> 00:07:26,821
where you pay the king       
             some money

149
00:07:26,863 --> 00:07:28,448
in order to get something     
        done in the country.

150
00:07:28,489 --> 00:07:31,325
So what happened that brought   
          all these people

151
00:07:31,367 --> 00:07:33,786
out here to the streets      
          to protest them?

152
00:07:33,828 --> 00:07:35,705
[Swasthika]   It's this deep     
            material crisis,

153
00:07:35,746 --> 00:07:37,457
the crisis of existence,

154
00:07:37,498 --> 00:07:39,417
which actually brought      
       so many people to Colombo

155
00:07:39,459 --> 00:07:40,918
because they have         
            nothing to lose.

156
00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:42,462
They're starving,         
        they're on the streets,

157
00:07:42,503 --> 00:07:43,963
so what do you have to lose?

158
00:07:44,005 --> 00:07:45,548
So you come and          
       push for a regime change.

159
00:07:45,590 --> 00:07:47,300
[overlapping shouting]

160
00:07:47,341 --> 00:07:50,052
[Matthew]   But that push      
     for change has come at a cost.

161
00:07:50,094 --> 00:07:52,138
In May,              
         Rajapaksa supporters,

162
00:07:52,180 --> 00:07:54,223
many bused in from        
            the countryside,

163
00:07:54,265 --> 00:07:57,226
attacked a protestors' camp,   
        destroying their tents.

164
00:07:57,268 --> 00:07:59,479
In response,           
         anti-government crowds

165
00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:01,230
torched properties belonging   
           to the Rajapaksas

166
00:08:01,272 --> 00:08:02,815
and their allies.

167
00:08:02,856 --> 00:08:04,442
Nine people died         
            in the violence.

168
00:08:04,484 --> 00:08:06,652
Prime Minister Mahinda

169
00:08:06,694 --> 00:08:07,778
and other Rajapaksas resigned,

170
00:08:07,820 --> 00:08:09,322
but the president stayed on

171
00:08:09,363 --> 00:08:12,742
as protests against him grew.

172
00:08:12,783 --> 00:08:14,827
They reached their peak      
              on July 9th,

173
00:08:14,869 --> 00:08:17,455
when demonstrators stormed    
     several government buildings,

174
00:08:17,497 --> 00:08:19,624
including the president's     
            home and office.

175
00:08:19,665 --> 00:08:22,043
[crowd]   chanting in Sinhala

176
00:08:24,003 --> 00:08:26,047
They even went for        
           a dip in his pool.

177
00:08:28,007 --> 00:08:30,176
Imran, the tuk-tuk driver     
         we met weeks earlier.

178
00:08:30,218 --> 00:08:32,303
was part of the crowd.

179
00:08:34,222 --> 00:08:36,182
[Matthew] It's beautiful, huh?

180
00:08:37,975 --> 00:08:39,352
What is this space?

181
00:08:40,895 --> 00:08:42,772
speaking Sinhala

182
00:08:49,570 --> 00:08:51,364
[Matthew]             
       It was Gotabaya's seat.

183
00:08:52,406 --> 00:08:53,533
[both chuckle]

184
00:08:55,076 --> 00:08:56,244
[Imran]   speaking Sinhala

185
00:09:20,309 --> 00:09:22,228
[Matthew]   The occupations     
         of his home and office

186
00:09:22,270 --> 00:09:25,106
forced President Rajapaksa    
          to flee the country.

187
00:09:25,147 --> 00:09:27,984
From exile in Singapore,     
     he submitted his resignation,

188
00:09:28,025 --> 00:09:30,695
leaving Parliament,        
       which is still controlled

189
00:09:30,736 --> 00:09:32,113
by the Rajapaksas'        
            political party

190
00:09:32,154 --> 00:09:34,073
in charge of deciding       
             his successor.

191
00:09:34,115 --> 00:09:36,450
dramatic music

192
00:09:36,492 --> 00:09:39,328
Premnath Dolawatte began as    
      a lawyer for the Rajapaksas

193
00:09:39,370 --> 00:09:41,455
and now represents        
       their party in Parliament.

194
00:09:41,497 --> 00:09:43,207
When you learned          
      that he fled the country,

195
00:09:43,249 --> 00:09:44,834
how did you feel?

196
00:09:44,875 --> 00:09:46,335
Now I feel very sorry for him.

197
00:09:46,377 --> 00:09:48,754
I-I think if

198
00:09:48,796 --> 00:09:51,173
these, uh, violent people     
          had catched him,

199
00:09:51,215 --> 00:09:53,426
if they--             
        it'll be like Libya.

200
00:09:53,467 --> 00:09:55,386
So is that why you think      
        he fled the country,

201
00:09:55,428 --> 00:09:57,430
'cause he was scared        
            for his life?

202
00:09:57,471 --> 00:10:00,099
Yes, of course.

203
00:10:00,141 --> 00:10:02,351
I-I'm ashamed of our people.

204
00:10:02,393 --> 00:10:04,186
There's a lot of people      
           in this country

205
00:10:04,228 --> 00:10:06,439
who say that            
       Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled

206
00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:09,775
because he was escaping      
     prosecution for his crimes

207
00:10:09,817 --> 00:10:11,569
like corruption.

208
00:10:11,611 --> 00:10:13,112
-No.                
      -What do you say to that?

209
00:10:13,154 --> 00:10:14,947
No, I don't agree, because     
       anybody can be accused

210
00:10:14,989 --> 00:10:16,115
for any accusation.

211
00:10:16,157 --> 00:10:18,075
It should be proven

212
00:10:18,117 --> 00:10:20,745
until they prove guilty      
            the actions.

213
00:10:20,786 --> 00:10:23,748
But do Mahinda           
        or Gotabaya Rajapaksa

214
00:10:23,789 --> 00:10:25,916
or their immediate relatives,

215
00:10:25,958 --> 00:10:27,793
do they have millions

216
00:10:27,835 --> 00:10:31,172
-in overseas accounts?       
           -I'm not aware.

217
00:10:31,213 --> 00:10:32,632
-You're not aware.         
           -I'm not aware.

218
00:10:32,673 --> 00:10:34,133
You're the--            
        you're their lawyer.

219
00:10:34,175 --> 00:10:36,802
-[laughing]            
         -No one is probably

220
00:10:36,844 --> 00:10:38,471
-better aware than you.      
           -I don't know.

221
00:10:38,512 --> 00:10:39,972
-You don't know.          
           -I don't know.

222
00:10:41,182 --> 00:10:42,808
moody music

223
00:10:42,850 --> 00:10:44,644
[Matthew]   Even if allies      
           of the Rajapaksas

224
00:10:44,685 --> 00:10:46,437
are adamant there's no proof   
             of wrongdoing,

225
00:10:46,479 --> 00:10:48,314
economists say          
         that as long as people

226
00:10:48,356 --> 00:10:49,857
feel their leaders        
              are corrupt,

227
00:10:49,899 --> 00:10:52,818
it'll be hard to get       
       the country back on track.

228
00:10:52,860 --> 00:10:55,404
We'll have to make         
        lot of hard choices.

229
00:10:55,446 --> 00:10:58,824
You know, a lot of choices     
   that are politically unpopular.

230
00:10:58,866 --> 00:11:00,368
What kinds of things        
        are we talking about?

231
00:11:00,409 --> 00:11:01,911
[Umesh] So to start with,     
     we'll have to significantly

232
00:11:01,952 --> 00:11:03,329
increase the taxes.

233
00:11:03,371 --> 00:11:05,665
I tell people, "If you want    
         to fix the country,

234
00:11:05,706 --> 00:11:07,458
you need to pay tax."

235
00:11:07,500 --> 00:11:10,461
And then the answer I get     
            very often is

236
00:11:10,503 --> 00:11:12,338
that if I pay taxes,

237
00:11:12,380 --> 00:11:13,756
Rajapaksas             
      and all these politicians

238
00:11:13,798 --> 00:11:15,424
will steal our money.

239
00:11:15,466 --> 00:11:16,801
They're gonna fatten        
       their pockets with it.

240
00:11:16,842 --> 00:11:19,929
[Umesh] Yes. So there has     
       to be some action taken

241
00:11:19,970 --> 00:11:23,182
against these people        
      who engage in corruption

242
00:11:23,224 --> 00:11:26,394
so that people have more faith   
           in the system.

243
00:11:26,435 --> 00:11:29,021
[Matthew]   Despite the urgent    
      need to restore confidence,

244
00:11:29,063 --> 00:11:32,191
on July 20th, Parliament     
         held an emergency vote

245
00:11:32,233 --> 00:11:34,819
and elected as president     
         Ranil Wickremesinghe,

246
00:11:34,860 --> 00:11:37,530
a six-time prime minister     
      and ally of the Rajapaksas.

247
00:11:37,571 --> 00:11:39,657
speaking Sinhala

248
00:11:45,746 --> 00:11:47,039
[Matthew]             
         While the ruling party

249
00:11:47,081 --> 00:11:48,374
patted themselves         
              on the back,

250
00:11:48,416 --> 00:11:50,376
demonstrators were furious.

251
00:11:50,418 --> 00:11:52,503
They see Wickremesinghe      
           as a continuation

252
00:11:52,545 --> 00:11:53,879
of the regime           
         they'd hoped to topple

253
00:11:53,921 --> 00:11:56,340
and a leader           
      who won't tolerate dissent.

254
00:12:16,277 --> 00:12:18,988
[crowd repeating]

255
00:12:21,365 --> 00:12:23,075
[Matthew]   That violence      
            came hours after

256
00:12:23,117 --> 00:12:25,161
Wickremesinghe was sworn in.

257
00:12:25,202 --> 00:12:26,746
Under the cover of darkness,

258
00:12:26,787 --> 00:12:28,873
the new president         
        ordered security forces

259
00:12:28,914 --> 00:12:31,083
to beat back protestors      
            from his office.

260
00:12:31,125 --> 00:12:34,211
[crowd chatter]

261
00:12:34,503 --> 00:12:36,589
Police stopped us         
       from getting to the scene,

262
00:12:36,630 --> 00:12:37,965
but we managed to get through   
             to an activist

263
00:12:38,007 --> 00:12:39,258
who was still there.

264
00:12:43,637 --> 00:12:44,889
Why do you think the police    
            and the army

265
00:12:44,930 --> 00:12:45,931
are doing this now?

266
00:12:58,152 --> 00:12:59,862
[Matthew]   Are you going      
             to stay there?

267
00:13:03,324 --> 00:13:05,326
speaking Sinhala

268
00:13:08,788 --> 00:13:10,748
moody music

269
00:13:10,790 --> 00:13:12,208
[Matthew]             
        More than 50 protestors

270
00:13:12,249 --> 00:13:13,959
were injured that night,

271
00:13:14,001 --> 00:13:16,378
and the next morning,       
     riot police lined the streets.

272
00:13:16,420 --> 00:13:17,797
Arulingam             
        and the other activists

273
00:13:17,838 --> 00:13:19,256
were still coming to terms

274
00:13:19,298 --> 00:13:21,133
with how far their movement    
               had come,

275
00:13:21,175 --> 00:13:23,469
only to find themselves      
        back where they started.

276
00:13:23,510 --> 00:13:25,888
Colombo this morning        
        looks a lot different

277
00:13:25,930 --> 00:13:27,640
than it did yesterday.

278
00:13:27,681 --> 00:13:30,267
We expected            
        Ranil Wickremesinghe

279
00:13:30,309 --> 00:13:32,102
to crack down on protestors,   
       but we did not expect him

280
00:13:32,144 --> 00:13:33,813
to act so quickly,

281
00:13:33,854 --> 00:13:36,148
within 24 hours          
          of him taking oath.

282
00:13:36,190 --> 00:13:39,318
How do you feel, looking back   
      at the last hundred days

283
00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:41,362
and where you've ended up,     
             now, today?

284
00:13:41,403 --> 00:13:43,322
[Swasthika]   It's like we take   
           ten steps forward,

285
00:13:43,364 --> 00:13:45,533
and then we fall         
            20 steps behind.

286
00:13:45,574 --> 00:13:47,493
-Go, Ranil!            
          -[crowd] Go home!

287
00:13:47,535 --> 00:13:48,994
[Swasthika]            
       We have called Parliament

288
00:13:49,036 --> 00:13:51,997
to not vote him into power     
          as the president,

289
00:13:52,039 --> 00:13:53,332
and they did            
         the exact opposite.

290
00:13:53,374 --> 00:13:55,376
The issue at stake here      
            is democracy,

291
00:13:55,417 --> 00:13:57,628
and without democracy,       
        we cannot come out of

292
00:13:57,670 --> 00:13:59,213
this economy crisis.

293
00:13:59,255 --> 00:14:01,173
If we don't go for        
     a general election right now,

294
00:14:01,215 --> 00:14:02,800
this economy crisis        
             will continue,

295
00:14:02,842 --> 00:14:05,553
this instability will continue, 
    and more people are going to

296
00:14:05,594 --> 00:14:07,346
go into further          
      and further desperation,

297
00:14:07,388 --> 00:14:08,973
and more people          
          are going to die.

298
00:14:09,014 --> 00:14:12,017
heavy music

299
00:14:18,816 --> 00:14:21,026
[people chanting indistinctly]

300
00:14:29,493 --> 00:14:32,037
[Bruno]   speaking Portuguese

301
00:14:36,250 --> 00:14:38,085
[congregation responding]

302
00:14:45,801 --> 00:14:47,177
[Isobel]   Every week,

303
00:14:47,219 --> 00:14:49,430
evangelical pastor        
              Bruno Brito

304
00:14:49,471 --> 00:14:52,057
preaches to thousands       
      in his Sao Paulo megachurch

305
00:14:52,099 --> 00:14:53,893
and online.

306
00:14:53,934 --> 00:14:55,728
[congregation]           
          speaking Portuguese

307
00:15:01,108 --> 00:15:02,735
[applause]

308
00:15:02,776 --> 00:15:04,028
[Isobel]   Evangelicalism

309
00:15:04,069 --> 00:15:06,280
is growing fast in Brazil,

310
00:15:06,322 --> 00:15:08,657
accounting for about       
       a third of the population,

311
00:15:08,699 --> 00:15:10,743
and on track           
        to overtake Catholicism

312
00:15:10,784 --> 00:15:13,120
as the dominant religion     
          in the next decade.

313
00:15:13,162 --> 00:15:15,581
And evangelicals vote.

314
00:15:15,623 --> 00:15:18,208
That means celebrity churches   
               like these

315
00:15:18,250 --> 00:15:20,252
can wield immense         
          political influence,

316
00:15:20,294 --> 00:15:22,087
especially in an election year

317
00:15:22,129 --> 00:15:23,672
when both presidential      
               candidates

318
00:15:23,714 --> 00:15:25,257
are looking for endorsements,

319
00:15:25,299 --> 00:15:27,009
if not from God himself,

320
00:15:27,051 --> 00:15:28,928
then the next best thing.

321
00:15:28,969 --> 00:15:31,180
[congregation whooping]

322
00:15:31,221 --> 00:15:32,932
[chanting]

323
00:15:32,973 --> 00:15:35,059
Current right wing president   
             Jair Bolsonaro

324
00:15:35,100 --> 00:15:37,728
came to power on the votes    
            of evangelicals.

325
00:15:37,770 --> 00:15:39,939
He's since repaid that favor.

326
00:15:39,980 --> 00:15:42,107
He's appointed          
         evangelical ministers

327
00:15:42,149 --> 00:15:44,693
to the Supreme Court       
     and other positions of power,

328
00:15:44,735 --> 00:15:46,862
and he's looking         
        to the evangelical block

329
00:15:46,904 --> 00:15:48,989
to secure a second term.

330
00:15:49,031 --> 00:15:50,616
But this year,          
          he'll be challenged

331
00:15:50,658 --> 00:15:53,953
by leftist icon          
       Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

332
00:15:53,994 --> 00:15:56,622
who's appealing directly     
          to the working poor,

333
00:15:56,664 --> 00:15:59,792
many of whom are also       
              evangelical.

334
00:15:59,833 --> 00:16:01,961
[person]   speaking Portuguese

335
00:16:06,924 --> 00:16:08,550
Do you think            
       the evangelical church

336
00:16:08,592 --> 00:16:11,345
has been able to grow       
             and expand

337
00:16:11,387 --> 00:16:13,472
because of the support       
         of the government?

338
00:16:34,034 --> 00:16:36,495
How much more can it grow?

339
00:16:36,537 --> 00:16:39,164
speaking Portuguese

340
00:16:39,498 --> 00:16:42,835
[Isobel]   Missionary work      
       is central to evangelicals

341
00:16:42,876 --> 00:16:44,962
who take seriously        
         the Bible's directive

342
00:16:45,004 --> 00:16:47,172
to make disciples         
            of all nations.

343
00:16:47,213 --> 00:16:49,967
The ultimate place        
       to recruit new Christians

344
00:16:50,009 --> 00:16:52,594
is the Amazon,          
     and many of the people coming

345
00:16:52,635 --> 00:16:54,847
are from the U.S.

346
00:16:56,222 --> 00:16:58,642
[narrator]   How do you plant    
     a church among tribal people?

347
00:16:58,684 --> 00:17:01,770
How do you reach         
            the unreachable?

348
00:17:01,812 --> 00:17:03,480
[missionary]   We do as much     
              as we can do

349
00:17:03,522 --> 00:17:05,315
until we're told to stop.

350
00:17:05,357 --> 00:17:09,153
We get out there on the edge   
      and we keep trying to push.

351
00:17:09,194 --> 00:17:11,447
[Isobel]   These missionaries    
     are compelled by the prospect

352
00:17:11,488 --> 00:17:13,490
of reaching the last       
            isolated people

353
00:17:13,532 --> 00:17:15,784
on earth,             
        so the same evangelicals

354
00:17:15,826 --> 00:17:17,619
who have an outsized impact

355
00:17:17,661 --> 00:17:19,455
on conservative politics     
              in the U.S.

356
00:17:19,496 --> 00:17:22,332
are now influencing politics   
             far from home.

357
00:17:22,374 --> 00:17:25,169
dramatic chords

358
00:17:29,089 --> 00:17:31,675
We're just heading towards     
          the Javari Valley

359
00:17:31,717 --> 00:17:33,552
where there are          
      the largest concentration

360
00:17:33,594 --> 00:17:35,846
of uncontacted tribes       
            in the world.

361
00:17:35,888 --> 00:17:37,890
These people have obviously    
      never heard of the Bible.

362
00:17:37,931 --> 00:17:40,017
Some of them have never      
       heard of Jesus Christ,

363
00:17:40,059 --> 00:17:42,144
which makes this area       
        very, very appealing

364
00:17:42,186 --> 00:17:43,979
to Christian evangelical      
            missionaries.

365
00:17:45,606 --> 00:17:48,025
The Javari Valley is one     
         of the most dangerous

366
00:17:48,067 --> 00:17:50,235
and endangered areas       
               in Brazil.

367
00:17:50,277 --> 00:17:53,405
It's home to thousands      
          of Indigenous people

368
00:17:53,447 --> 00:17:54,740
and at least ten tribes

369
00:17:54,782 --> 00:17:56,241
who are still completely     
              uncontacted

370
00:17:56,283 --> 00:17:58,243
by the outside world.

371
00:17:58,285 --> 00:18:00,245
For decades,           
        Brazil's official policy

372
00:18:00,287 --> 00:18:03,540
has been to leave these      
       uncontacted tribes alone.

373
00:18:03,582 --> 00:18:06,376
But some missionaries       
          were still trying to

374
00:18:06,418 --> 00:18:09,713
make contact, even as COVID    
          ravaged the Amazon,

375
00:18:09,755 --> 00:18:12,508
causing death rates        
            250 times higher

376
00:18:12,549 --> 00:18:14,885
than the rest of         
            the population.

377
00:18:14,927 --> 00:18:17,930
Indigenous groups sued      
      to get the missionaries out,

378
00:18:17,971 --> 00:18:19,473
and they won.

379
00:18:19,515 --> 00:18:21,850
The victory was historic,

380
00:18:21,892 --> 00:18:23,602
but now that COVID        
             is subsiding,

381
00:18:23,644 --> 00:18:26,605
the worry is that missionaries 
       will be allowed to return.

382
00:18:26,647 --> 00:18:30,651
[group humming, chanting]

383
00:18:33,987 --> 00:18:35,906
Eliésio Marubo          
         grew up in the valley.

384
00:18:35,948 --> 00:18:37,616
He's now a lawyer,

385
00:18:37,658 --> 00:18:40,619
and argued the case on      
      behalf of Indigenous groups.

386
00:18:40,661 --> 00:18:44,581
He wants the missionaries     
             gone for good.

387
00:18:44,623 --> 00:18:46,125
We met him            
         having just undergone

388
00:18:46,166 --> 00:18:47,960
an ayahuasca ceremony,

389
00:18:48,001 --> 00:18:49,461
a spiritual cleansing,      
                he said,

390
00:18:49,503 --> 00:18:51,547
to prepare him          
          for his next fight.

391
00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:54,842
[Eliésio]   speaking Portuguese

392
00:19:25,831 --> 00:19:28,792
How much of a threat do you    
      see American missionaries

393
00:19:28,834 --> 00:19:29,835
as being?

394
00:19:42,723 --> 00:19:45,100
[Isobel]   Over the decades,     
              missionaries

395
00:19:45,142 --> 00:19:46,685
have promised tribes       
             a better life

396
00:19:46,727 --> 00:19:49,354
through schooling,        
     healthcare, and Christianity.

397
00:19:49,396 --> 00:19:51,940
[missionary]            
          speaking Portuguese

398
00:19:59,072 --> 00:20:01,658
[Isobel]   But to tribes       
        with no natural immunity

399
00:20:01,700 --> 00:20:05,704
against disease,         
       contact meant devastation.

400
00:20:05,746 --> 00:20:08,540
After this tribe is contacted   
           by the Americans,

401
00:20:08,582 --> 00:20:11,877
a quarter of their members    
       died from flu and malaria.

402
00:20:11,919 --> 00:20:14,379
Missionaries did bring      
              medical aid,

403
00:20:14,421 --> 00:20:17,883
but that aid came         
        with preaching attached.

404
00:20:17,925 --> 00:20:20,886
[Aldair]   speaking Kanamari

405
00:20:51,458 --> 00:20:53,252
[Isobel]   What would it       
             mean to you if

406
00:20:53,293 --> 00:20:55,295
all these Indigenous        
             communities

407
00:20:55,337 --> 00:20:58,298
were converted           
     and the missionaries stayed

408
00:20:58,340 --> 00:21:01,176
and were allowed to expand     
          their footprint?

409
00:21:01,218 --> 00:21:02,636
speaking Portuguese

410
00:21:14,982 --> 00:21:17,859
[Isobel]   But that's not      
       how Bolsonaro sees things.

411
00:21:17,901 --> 00:21:19,611
[person shouting          
        through loudspeaker]

412
00:21:19,653 --> 00:21:22,447
His disdain for Indigenous    
           groups is evident.

413
00:21:22,489 --> 00:21:24,408
On one occasion,         
              when arguing

414
00:21:24,449 --> 00:21:26,618
that tribal people should     
        become more integrated,

415
00:21:26,660 --> 00:21:28,954
he said they were becoming    
              more human.

416
00:21:28,996 --> 00:21:31,581
speaking Portuguese

417
00:21:31,623 --> 00:21:33,625
[Isobel]   And it's not       
              just words.

418
00:21:33,667 --> 00:21:36,503
Bolsonaro has opened up      
               the Amazon

419
00:21:36,545 --> 00:21:40,090
to mining and ranching,      
     causing deforestation to soar

420
00:21:40,132 --> 00:21:43,093
while enforcement of criminal   
         activity has dropped.

421
00:21:43,135 --> 00:21:45,512
A major casualty         
            of this approach

422
00:21:45,554 --> 00:21:47,472
is the government agency     
                 FUNAI.

423
00:21:47,514 --> 00:21:49,308
Tasked with protecting      
           Indigenous groups,

424
00:21:49,349 --> 00:21:51,143
it should be responsible

425
00:21:51,184 --> 00:21:53,395
for enforcing the ban       
            on missionaries.

426
00:21:53,437 --> 00:21:56,481
but Bolsonaro has gutted it.

427
00:21:56,523 --> 00:21:59,693
FUNAI declined our official    
       request for an interview,

428
00:21:59,735 --> 00:22:02,237
but a current employee agreed   
        to speak with us anyway,

429
00:22:02,279 --> 00:22:04,072
even though            
         criticizing Bolsonaro

430
00:22:04,114 --> 00:22:06,241
meant putting his job at risk.

431
00:22:06,283 --> 00:22:07,993
[laughter, chatter]

432
00:22:08,035 --> 00:22:09,953
[Paul]   Right when he took     
              over office,

433
00:22:09,995 --> 00:22:12,456
a lot of the things        
             he said...

434
00:22:12,497 --> 00:22:15,000
have made people

435
00:22:15,042 --> 00:22:17,252
more tenacious, right?

436
00:22:17,294 --> 00:22:19,504
More--more and feeling       
            more entitled

437
00:22:19,546 --> 00:22:21,340
to go into indigenous lands

438
00:22:21,381 --> 00:22:23,592
and take whatever they want.

439
00:22:23,633 --> 00:22:25,510
Why is it, do you think,

440
00:22:25,552 --> 00:22:28,472
that the Brazilian state      
    is not putting the resources

441
00:22:28,513 --> 00:22:30,140
into the FUNAI agency

442
00:22:30,182 --> 00:22:32,517
in order to protect        
      these Indigenous people?

443
00:22:32,559 --> 00:22:34,061
I think the Brazilian state

444
00:22:34,102 --> 00:22:36,355
does what it's interested     
              in doing.

445
00:22:36,396 --> 00:22:38,523
And it is not news to anybody

446
00:22:38,565 --> 00:22:41,401
that this government        
       has a wide support base

447
00:22:41,443 --> 00:22:43,195
within these evangelicals.

448
00:22:43,236 --> 00:22:45,030
And over the last few years,    
               I mean,

449
00:22:45,072 --> 00:22:47,366
have you seen any evidence

450
00:22:47,407 --> 00:22:49,659
that these missionaries      
        are trying to go in--

451
00:22:49,701 --> 00:22:51,661
or have gone into         
         the Javari Valley?

452
00:22:51,703 --> 00:22:53,413
Oh, we know they have.

453
00:22:53,455 --> 00:22:55,540
[Isobel]   For missionaries,     
             there's money

454
00:22:55,582 --> 00:22:57,709
as well as souls         
             at stake here.

455
00:22:57,751 --> 00:23:00,253
International missions      
            receive billions

456
00:23:00,295 --> 00:23:03,715
from evangelical churches     
         and donors every year

457
00:23:03,757 --> 00:23:05,550
Many of these missionaries    
            base themselves

458
00:23:05,592 --> 00:23:07,219
in Atalaia do Norte,

459
00:23:07,260 --> 00:23:08,804
the final frontier town

460
00:23:08,845 --> 00:23:11,515
on the border           
         of the valley itself.

461
00:23:11,556 --> 00:23:14,059
Josiah McIntyre          
        has lived here for years

462
00:23:14,101 --> 00:23:16,019
with his wife and children.

463
00:23:16,061 --> 00:23:18,522
He was born and raised      
              in Alabama,

464
00:23:18,563 --> 00:23:20,732
and still goes back        
               to preach.

465
00:23:20,774 --> 00:23:22,317
My prayer was, "Lord,       
        just bring everything

466
00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:23,402
to the surface, to the light."

467
00:23:23,443 --> 00:23:25,404
It says nothing's         
          gonna be hidden.

468
00:23:25,445 --> 00:23:27,406
But you have the lying      
          tongue of the media

469
00:23:27,447 --> 00:23:29,908
trying to cover things up,    
      and people are believing it.

470
00:23:29,950 --> 00:23:32,244
[Isobel]   McIntyre         
     was one of three missionaries

471
00:23:32,285 --> 00:23:34,413
named in Marubo's lawsuit,

472
00:23:34,454 --> 00:23:37,541
accused of plotting to reach   
         an uncontacted tribe.

473
00:23:37,582 --> 00:23:39,376
He denies the allegations

474
00:23:39,418 --> 00:23:42,421
and insists he's just there    
           to help local kids

475
00:23:42,462 --> 00:23:44,798
while teaching them        
             about Christ.

476
00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:47,926
You know, there are        
         Indigenous people here

477
00:23:47,968 --> 00:23:51,763
who say that missionaries     
   don't benefit their community.

478
00:23:51,805 --> 00:23:53,890
Is there any truth to that?    
          I mean, that you are

479
00:23:53,932 --> 00:23:56,268
changing the culture,       
              that you are

480
00:23:56,309 --> 00:23:58,145
manipulating people to       
       think a different way,

481
00:23:58,186 --> 00:23:59,229
to, you know...          
                - No.

482
00:23:59,271 --> 00:24:00,272
...what their culture is?

483
00:24:00,313 --> 00:24:01,815
If that's the case,

484
00:24:01,857 --> 00:24:03,817
then teaching them         
        two plus two's wrong.

485
00:24:03,859 --> 00:24:05,610
Because it's better        
           just for them--

486
00:24:05,652 --> 00:24:07,279
'cause I just changed       
           their culture,

487
00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:08,572
I've taught them          
            mathematics.

488
00:24:08,613 --> 00:24:10,449
I've never pushed anything

489
00:24:10,490 --> 00:24:12,742
to try to change         
             their culture.

490
00:24:12,784 --> 00:24:15,454
Here, alcoholism         
       shoved down their throats,

491
00:24:15,495 --> 00:24:18,790
and then all the drugs       
     that they're becomin' into.

492
00:24:18,832 --> 00:24:20,917
And then they're starting     
     to turn into homosexuality

493
00:24:20,959 --> 00:24:22,294
and all this kinda stuff.

494
00:24:22,335 --> 00:24:24,546
I mean, it's gonna         
           destroy things.

495
00:24:24,588 --> 00:24:26,465
Does this kind of pushback,    
               though,

496
00:24:26,506 --> 00:24:28,467
from, you know, the local     
        Indigenous community

497
00:24:28,508 --> 00:24:30,886
make you think about        
     whether you should be here

498
00:24:30,927 --> 00:24:32,471
or not or whether         
       you're welcome or not?

499
00:24:32,512 --> 00:24:34,723
No, because they know--      
      they know it's not true.

500
00:24:34,764 --> 00:24:38,351
A lot of it, I'm sure,       
        is political, just...

501
00:24:38,393 --> 00:24:41,646
I guess I'm part of that      
          political target.

502
00:24:41,688 --> 00:24:44,149
[Isobel]   Missionaries       
          have been successful

503
00:24:44,191 --> 00:24:46,443
in converting           
           Indigenous people,

504
00:24:46,485 --> 00:24:48,195
Only now, some converts

505
00:24:48,236 --> 00:24:50,447
also want             
       foreign missionaries out.

506
00:24:50,489 --> 00:24:55,202
Nakwa Mayorun was converted    
     in this church ten years ago.

507
00:24:55,243 --> 00:24:57,537
[Nakwa]   speaking Portuguese

508
00:25:08,548 --> 00:25:10,800
[Isobel]   What did your life    
               look like

509
00:25:10,842 --> 00:25:12,844
before you found God?

510
00:25:40,163 --> 00:25:41,998
[Isobel]   Nakwa knows        
            that his people

511
00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:44,042
are under threat,         
              but to him,

512
00:25:44,084 --> 00:25:47,212
the answer is more        
        Christianity, not less,

513
00:25:47,254 --> 00:25:49,923
and he wants to be        
         the one to spread it.

514
00:25:49,965 --> 00:25:51,758
Are you worried at all about

515
00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:54,135
the erosion of           
         Indigenous culture?

516
00:26:35,302 --> 00:26:37,095
[Isobel]   Whether Bolsonaro     
           wins a second term

517
00:26:37,137 --> 00:26:38,763
or is voted out,

518
00:26:38,805 --> 00:26:41,850
it will be evangelicals      
              who decide.

519
00:26:41,891 --> 00:26:43,935
Whether they know it or not,   
           they'll be voting

520
00:26:43,977 --> 00:26:45,729
not only for their country,

521
00:26:45,770 --> 00:26:48,064
but also for the future      
             of the Amazon

522
00:26:48,106 --> 00:26:50,442
and those who call it home.

523
00:26:51,484 --> 00:26:53,445
speaking Portuguese

524
00:27:00,702 --> 00:27:03,288
[dramatic musical sting]

525
00:27:03,622 --> 00:27:06,750
dramatic music