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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, April 11th 2026 - 08:11 UTC

Brazil

  • Wednesday, March 25th 2026 - 00:23 UTC

    Lula warns he will not allow others to seize Brazil's critical minerals

    Although Lula did not name any country, the remarks come during a week of heightened diplomatic tension over minerals.

    Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday he will not allow other countries to take the nation's rare earths and critical minerals, in remarks widely interpreted as a direct warning to the United States amid a growing dispute over control of these strategic resources.

  • Tuesday, March 24th 2026 - 01:58 UTC

    Dollar falls and São Paulo stock exchange surges after Trump's truce signal with Iran

    The Ibovespa index on the B3 exchange rose 3.24% to close at 181,931 points, recovering Friday's 2.25% loss. At its peak, the index approached 183,000 points.

    Brazilian financial markets posted one of their best sessions of the year on Monday after President Donald Trump announced a five-day postponement of strikes against Iran's energy infrastructure, citing “productive conversations” with Tehran.

  • Monday, March 23rd 2026 - 02:49 UTC

    Brazil to expand Antarctica activities with new polar vessel Comandante Saldanha

    The vessel has a displacement of 5.800 tons plus a hangar to host two helicopters, plus the landing platform.

    Brazil is expanding its Antarctica presence and activities with the introduction of a new polar vessel currently under construction in the county. The vessel “Almirante Saldanha” is considered an operational and scientific leap for the Brazilian Navy in the context of the strategic development of the Brazilian Antarctic Program.

  • Monday, March 23rd 2026 - 01:53 UTC

    Lula and Peña agree to accelerate Itaipú treaty review

    Annex C stipulates that both countries are entitled to 50% of the energy generated, but requires whichever party does not use its full share to sell the surplus to the other at preferential rates

    The presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Paraguay, Santiago Peña, agreed on Sunday in Campo Grande to intensify negotiations over Annex C of the Itaipú treaty, the instrument that governs the financial terms and energy sales of the binational hydroelectric dam, one of the largest in the world.

  • Sunday, March 22nd 2026 - 21:32 UTC

    Peña promotes Paraguay as investment destination at meeting with Brazilian business leaders

    We met with business leaders who already invest in Paraguay and want to expand, but also with new players who see a concrete opportunity in our country,” Peña said

    Paraguay's President Santiago Peña met on Sunday in Campo Grande, the capital of Brazil's Mato Grosso do Sul state, with business leaders from the state's Federation of Industries (FIEMS) to promote investment opportunities in his country. The meeting, organized at the association's request, brought together representatives from sectors including bioenergy, food, construction and logistics.

  • Wednesday, March 18th 2026 - 23:10 UTC

    Brazil promulgates Mercosur-EU deal, completing domestic ratification of trade pact

    During the formal session, Alcolumbre said trade “is the key to world peace” and argued that countries that do business with one another tend to have more to lose from war than to gain from it

    Brazil’s Congress on Tuesday promulgated the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, completing the final domestic step required for the treaty to take effect on the Brazilian side. The ceremony was led by Senate and Congress President Davi Alcolumbre, who framed the pact as a sign in favor of trade, stability and integration at a time of wars and commercial tensions.

  • Wednesday, March 18th 2026 - 22:44 UTC

    Brazil’s central bank starts easing cycle, cuts Selic rate to 14.75%

    The decision comes as Brazil combines softer inflation with signs of slower economic growth

    Brazil’s central bank on Wednesday cut the Selic benchmark rate from 15% to 14.75% a year, marking the first reduction since May 2024 and the formal start of an easing cycle that policymakers had already flagged. In its statement, the Monetary Policy Committee, or Copom, said the move was consistent with its strategy to bring inflation back to target and noted that the external environment had become “more uncertain” because of the intensification of geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East.

  • Saturday, March 14th 2026 - 16:07 UTC

    Experts say BR privatization weakened Brazil’s ability to contain fuel prices

    Petrobras lost control of BR Distribuidora in July 2019, and the full privatization was completed two years later under then president Jair Bolsonaro

    According to a report by Agência Brasil, industry specialists and oil-sector groups say what they describe as abusive fuel price increases in Brazil are not explained by international volatility alone. The report cites cases of gasoline being sold for R$9 a liter at some stations in São Paulo and links part of the distortion to the loss of state control over the distribution chain after the privatization of BR Distribuidora.

  • Saturday, March 14th 2026 - 03:45 UTC

    Bolsonaro moved to intensive care with bronchopneumonia as family renews house arrest plea

    Doctors have ruled out surgery for now and said Bolsonaro is expected to remain hospitalized for several days

    Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was admitted on Friday to the intensive care unit of Brasília’s DF Star hospital after being transferred from prison with high fever, low oxygen saturation, sweating and chills. The medical bulletin said tests confirmed bilateral bacterial bronchopneumonia and that the former president is receiving intravenous antibiotics and non-invasive clinical support.

  • Wednesday, March 11th 2026 - 03:55 UTC

    Lula withdraws from Kast inauguration amid presence of Flávio Bolsonaro

    The reversal came hours after it emerged that Flávio Bolsonaro, a likely challenger to Lula in October’s presidential election, would attend the event as a guest

    Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has canceled a planned trip to Chile to attend José Antonio Kast’s inauguration on Wednesday and will instead be represented at the ceremony by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira. Brazilian officials said the change was due to “scheduling reasons.”