When a poor man steals, he ends in jail; when a rich man steals he is named minister, the phrase belongs to Lula da Silva back in 1998 when he was leading the opposition, and it is now being repeated in social networks. In effect, on Wednesday Lula was named chief of staff by president Dilma Rousseff, who also phoned him to tell him she would be sending him the official decree on his nomination, so that he make use of it if necessary.
Protests erupted in Brazilian cities on Wednesday after President Dilma Rousseff named her predecessor Lula da Silva chief of staff and a taped telephone conversation fed opposition claims the appointment was meant to shield Lula from prosecution.
Brazil's ex-president Lula da Silva will accept a position in his successor's cabinet, according to a leading national newspaper, in order to protect himself from prosecution in a corruption case involving the state-run oil company, Petrobras. Rio-based O Globo newspaper reported on Tuesday that Lula had told several close advisers that he would rejoin the cabinet, citing no sources. Brazilian markets and currency collapsed on the news.
Former Brazilian leader Lula da Silva has accepted a key ministerial role in President Dilma Rousseff's government, leading media in Sao Paulo have reported. Members of the governing Workers' Party say his appointment will strengthen her beleaguered administration. In becoming a minister, Lula will also have some legal protection. Allegedly the two are to meet on Tuesday in Brasilia.
Mercosur and the European Union will exchange trade proposals in April, a key step for the long delayed trade and cooperation agreement between the two blocks and which has gained strength since the change of administration in Argentina with president Mauricio Macri.
More than a million people have poured onto the streets of Brazil to demand the removal of the country's president Dilma Rousseff. The president is struggling to hold on to power in the face of a massive corruption scandal and the worst recession in decades.
Brazil's largest political party and decisive member of the ruling coalition said on Saturday it will take 30 days to decide whether to break with President Dilma Rousseff as she faces an impeachment battle. Calls within the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, PMDB, to ditch the coalition have been growing as Rousseff faces a bruising recession, a spiraling corruption scandal and a probe of alleged electoral violations, as well as possible impeachment.
After expressing support for former president Lula da Silva, the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) met with main opposition leaders who are demanding President Dilma Rousseff be impeached. President of the Senate and member of the PMDB Renán Calheiros held extensive talks with the strongest opposition force, the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), led by Aécio Neves, and agreed a joint strategy to face the crisis.
The Odebrecht group of companies, whose top officials have been sentenced to prison for involvement in the corruption scheme of Brazil's largest company Petrobras, has come under strong pressure from its creditors to use the crown jewel, the petrochemical company Braskem as collateral to avoid filing for bankruptcy.
Brazil’s consumer-price index slowed in February, providing relief for the country’s central bank amid its efforts to curb inflationary pressures. The consumer-price index, IPCA, rose 0.90% in February, compared with an increase of 1.27% in January, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, or IBGE, said.