Vitória Barreto

Welcome to my portfolio! I’m Vitória Barreto, a Master’s student at Sciences Po in Paris and currently freelancing at France 24’s English website. During my Bachelor's I worked with my university paper, Veja magazine and AFP.

Featured Work

Explore a selection of my work at AFP, VEJA, and FRANCE 24 below.

France 24 •

How Brazil's innovative 'Pix' payment system is angering Trump and Zuckerberg

In the streets of Rio de Janeiro one can find street vendors selling anything from popcorn to cigarettes to electronics, like charging cables and earphones. If you ask to pay with cash or a credit card, the response will most likely be, “Do you have Pix?”   Brazil’s instant payment system works much like US payment apps like Zelle, but instead of being ruled by a consortium of banks it is controlled by the Brazilian Central Bank. To access the payment system, one only needs to have a Brazilian b...
France 24 •

'Number 3': Bolsonaro’s son Eduardo pushes for US pressure on Brazil

Eduardo Bolsonaro is causing more commotion than he initially planned. The third son of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has been living in the United States since February while under investigation in Brazil for allegedly meddling in his father’s coup-related case. Nicknamed "Number 3" by his father in a military-like manner, the 41-year-old has been in close contact with the White House, successfully lobbying for sanctions against a justice of Brazil's Supreme Court, Alexandre de Mora...
France 24 •

Stocamine: French toxic waste site threatens Europe's key water source

For more than 25 years, thousands of tonnes of toxic waste have lain buried beneath the old industrial town of Wittelsheim in France’s northeastern region of Alsace.  Some 42,000 tonnes of toxic waste currently lie buried 500 metres below the site, which contains 125km of tunnels. On June 17, a Strasbourg court ruled that there was not sufficient time to remove toxic waste safely from the former potash mine, known as Stocamine, at the site. The court argued that the risk that the galleries could...
France 24 •

Parisians take their first plunge into the Seine in more than a century

It is a historic moment for Paris residents but perhaps a dubious one as well, after several swimmers got sick after competing in the open-water races at the 2024 Paris Olympics – although it is not clear if this was due to the water itself, and the World Aquatics governing body said the Seine met necessary thresholds.     A century ago it became illegal to bathe in the waters of the French capital due to severe pollution. In the late 18th and throughout the 19th century, human waste was used fo...
France 24 •

In pictures: Parisians take their first dips in the Seine in more than 100 years

After a century-long ban and an Olympics-inspired cleanup project, Parisians are taking their first dips in the Seine as three new swimming sites opened to the public on Saturday. Here’s a look at the courageous swimmers taking a historic dip.

After a century-long ban and an Olympics-inspired cleanup project, Parisians are taking their first dips in the Seine as three new swimming sites opened to the public on Saturday. Here’s a look at the courageous swimmers taking a historic dip.
France 24 •

‘Mystery of Cleopatra’ exhibit in Paris pushes back against clichés

Cleopatra has become an icon throughout the centuries, depicted in both classical art and pop culture as a strategic seductress who had relationships with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, overshadowing her role as a head of state. “The Mystery of Cleopatra” exhibit at the Institut du monde arabe in Paris, on view until January 11, 2026, aims to push back on these clichés. It opens with archaeological and historical information about her reign, then shifts to explore how the myth of her was constru...
France 24 •

Zohran Mamdani: NYC's young mayoral hopeful rattles the Democratic establishment

He was a relative unknown in New York City establishment circles, dismissed for his popularity on social media and lack of experience in the tough world of Big Apple politics. That was until Tuesday night when Zohran Mamdani, 33, closed in on victory in the city’s Democratic mayoral primary, stunning his opponent, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, in what appears to be the liberal city's rebuke of the party’s veteran moderates. Watch moreUpstart socialist Mamdani stuns political veteran Cuo...
France 24 •

What is Fête de La Musique, France’s annual solstice celebration?

The Summer Solstice of June 21 – the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere – also heralds France’s beloved music festival, the Fête de la Musique, which is marking its 44th year.  Amid the heat, streets, bars, restaurants, gardens, museums and even libraries across France will host thousands of concerts for one night only. From classical to techno to jazz and rap, the line-up features a mix of renowned artists and bands, including La Femme, Romain Pissenem, Major Lazer Sound System,...
France 24 •

Challenging the cowboy myth: Paris show revisits Richard Avedon's iconic 'In the American West'

Housewives, oil workers, miners, motel maids and prisoners are among the protagonists of a retrospective that celebrates 40 years of the late Richard Avedon’s iconic exhibit “In the American West”, now on view at Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris. Between 1979 and 1984, Avedon took black-and-white pictures of working-class Westerners posing against a stark-white, unchanging backdrop to create powerful portraits that challenged the myth of the cowboy. Shown in Europe for the first time, th...
France 24 •

War in Ukraine: What’s in the Russian memorandum?

The short peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul on Monday lasted about an hour and ended with the announcement of a new exchange of prisoners and the return of the bodies of soldiers who died at the front.However, Moscow did release the memorandum that Russian diplomats had been discussing for several weeks. This document publicly sets out Russia's conditions for ending its military offensive and provides an insight into the Kremlin's war aims as its "special operatio...
AFP English •

Will it be possible to swim in the Seine River after the Paris Olympics? | AFP

Taking a dip in the Seine on a hot summer day has been a dream for many Parisians since swimming in the river was banned a century ago. But floating with the Eiffel Tower in the background could soon become a reality, thanks to the Paris Olympic Games. If all goes well, people will be able to swim in the Seine as soon as next summer. Around 1.4 billion euros have been spent on public works to combat pollution.
Load More