FLORIANÓPOLIS, SANTA CATARINA—in some ways, this large island on the Atlantic coast is the opposite of what people imagine when they think of Brazil. Sure, it has white sand beaches and clear waters, but it is largely free of the crime and chaos found in big Brazilian cities—a low-key vacation respite for the nation’s elite. But having been invited here to speak at a conference and assigned a driver for the week, I ask him if there’s another side of Florianópolis that doesn’t show up on brochures.
“Oh, do I have a
