Brazilian Senator and president of the Workers Party, PT, Gleisi Hoffmann said that jailing ex president Lula da Silva, indicted on corruption charges, once the final ruling is known will mean killing many people.
Brazilian stocks on Tuesday edged up to an all-time high as optimism over the nation's economic prospects kept an early-year rally alive. The benchmark Bovespa stock index rose 0.3% to 79,951, nearing the 80,000 milestone for the first-time ever.
Four South American ex-presidents are among more than 170,000 people who signed a petition supporting former president Lula da Silva bid for another term as Brazil's president, despite his corruption conviction. US film-maker Oliver Stone also signed the online petition supporting Lula, whose electoral aspirations are at risk of being blocked.
Petrobras has completed the previously announced sale of shares in several Brazilian fields to France’s Total for US$1.95 billion it was confirmed. The deal was announced as part of the two companies’ Strategic Alliance, signed in March 2017.
Brazilian Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles said that a recent decision by Standard & Poor’s to cut the nation’s credit rating will not affect 2018 economic growth. Speaking to journalists in Rio de Janeiro, Meirelles added that he was expecting close to 2.5 million jobs to be created in Brazil this year and GDP growth of around 3%.
Economic activity in Brazil expanded for a third straight month in November, the longest stretch of gains since 2014, suggesting strong momentum at the end of the year. The central bank’s economic activity index rose 0.49% from October after seasonal adjustments
Brazilian official crop agency Conab has raised its crop estimates for soybeans and corn in 2017-18, as improved weather boosts yields and planted areas are revised higher.
Conab said in a monthly report that the current soybean crop, which was already planted and is under development, will reach 110.44 million tons, up from 109.18 million tons in December but still below the record of 114.08 million tons in 2016-17.
Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s cut Brazil’s credit rating further below investment grade on Thursday as doubts grew about a presidential election in October and a push to trim its costly pension system, seen as vital to closing a huge fiscal deficit. S&P lowered its long-term rating for Brazil sovereign debt to BB- from BB previously, with a stable outlook, citing less timely and effective policymaking. S&P also cited a risk of greater policy uncertainty after this year’s elections.
The annual inflation rate in Brazil increased to 2.95% in December, from 2.50% in November, rising above economists' projections of 2.80%, but ending the year below the bottom of the central bank's target for 2017, which ranged from 3% to 6%.
Brazil is the latest country to unveil plans to censor the Internet, following in the footsteps of Germany, France, and other European countries. Earlier this week the country’s official Twitter account for the Federal Police, (equivalent to FBI), announced efforts to “punish” anyone who disseminates political content it deems “false.” The federal government of Brazil is extending its ability to enforce regulation and control of its sector of the Internet.