The Mercosur controversy has moved to New York far away from the spotlights of regional media, since the presidents of the four founding members are scheduled to address the UN General Assembly this week, and are expected to hold a series of meetings on the sidelines of the major global event.
The current critical situation of Mercosur is an opportunity to strengthen and advance trade negotiations, which could include the long delayed accord with the European Union by the end of 2017, according to Argentina's Secretary of Commerce, Miguel Braun.
Brazil's former president Lula da Silva defended himself against corruption charges Thursday, saying the case against him was an attempt to destroy him politically ahead of elections in 2018.Speaking a day after prosecutors accused him of masterminding a massive corruption scheme at state oil company Petrobras, the popular leader launched a wide-ranging defense of his career and legacy.
Brazil on Tuesday launched a multibillion-dollar plan to auction off oil, power rights and infrastructure concessions, in an attempt by the new government to bolster private investment in a moribund economy. The government will sell operating licenses for airports in the cities of Porto Alegre, Salvador, Florianopolis and Fortaleza by the first quarter of 2017. It also plans to sell rights to operate federal roads in the center-west and south regions later next year.
Two weeks after the removal of Dilma Rousseff as Brazil's president, the lower house of Congress on Monday expelled the lawmaker who engineered her impeachment for lying about secret bank accounts in Switzerland. The once powerful former speaker Eduardo Cunha, who has been charged with corruption by the Supreme Court, was banned from politics for eight years and faces arrest now he has lost his congressional prerogatives.
Brazil's new government is trying to stifle a corruption investigation targeting politicians and major parties, the former attorney general said in a magazine interview a day after being replaced by President Michel Temer. The former official, Fabio Medina Osorio, told weekly magazine Veja that he was fired because he tried to deepen the so-called “Car Wash” corruption probe into the country's oil company Petrobras.
Brazilian police say they want to speak to International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach about an alleged scheme to resell tickets during last month's Rio Olympics. The police pointed out that Mr. Bach is being treated as a witness, not a suspect.
Brazil's new president, Michel Temer, was booed at an annual military parade in the capital Brasilia on Wednesday, his first public outing since taking power last week. Out with Temer! shouted protesters at the heavily policed ceremony. Supporters of Temer applauded the new leader.
The Brazilian central bank said on Tuesday that future interest rate cuts will not depend on any single factor, signaling that policymakers are ready to ease monetary policy as inflation expectations improve. In the minutes of its last rate-setting meeting, the bank said all members were satisfied with the progress of disinflation, but remained cautious about high inflation expectations for 2017.
Brazil's removed president Dilma Rousseff left the capital on Tuesday to return to her adopted hometown of Porto Alegre, capital of Rio Grande do Sul, neighboring with Uruguay. A few dozen supporters were waiting outside as Rousseff abandoned Alvorada palace, the presidential residence, which she continued to occupy during the Senate trial that ended last Wednesday with her removal from office.