The US Embassy in Brazil has issued a travel advisory urging American citizens to exercise increased caution due to high crime rates, including violent crime and kidnappings. The note highlights risks associated with urban areas, slums (favelas), communities, and border regions.
Brazil has officially been recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health for the second straight year as free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination. The acknowledgment, granted during the organization’s 92nd General Session in Paris, reinforces Brazil’s commitment to livestock health and global trade.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced Thursday a R$ 844 million (US$ 148 million) investment to modernize and expand the Port of Itajaí in the southern State of Santa Catarina, under federal management since January 2025. The funds aim to enhance safety and logistical efficiency, increase port capacity to boost cargo handling, create jobs, and strengthen the local economy
A new outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in wild birds in Montenegro, in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul, specifically affecting the species joão-de-barro (Furnarius rufus) was confirmed Wednesday, while a suspected case in a commercial poultry slaughterhouse in Tocantins was ruled out.
Brazil's Azul Airlines, the country’s third-largest carrier, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a New York court on Tuesday to restructure R$ 31.35 billion (US$ 5.56 billion) in debt. The filing follows a 50.3% debt increase in Q1 2025, driven by currency volatility, high US interest rates, and supply-chain issues, including Pratt & Whitney engine recalls resulting in grounded aircraft. Additionally, partnerships with ACMI providers like EuroAtlantic faced legal challenges from Brazilian labor unions over foreign crew usage.
Peru has joined Brazil and China's transcontinental railroad project to connect the Pacific coast with the Atlantic Ocean across South America, offering an alternative trade route to the Panama Canal. This railway aims to facilitate the transport of Brazilian goods, such as soybeans and minerals, to China’s Shanghai port via Peru’s Chancay port, reducing maritime trade distance by about 10,000 km and easing reliance on Brazil’s congested Santos port.
Brazil's Agriculture Minister, Carlos Fávaro, announced Tuesday during a public hearing at the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Agrarian Reform that the bird flu outbreak in Montenegro, Rio Grande do Sul, has been successfully contained. The country's health system quickly implemented measures, including inspections of 540 nearby rural establishments and setting up sanitary barriers.
Brazil's Labor Ministry (MPT) has filed a public civil lawsuit against Chinese automaker Build Your Dreams (BYD) and two contractor companies, China JinJiang Construction Brazil and Tonghe Intelligent Equipment of Brazil (now Tecmonta), for slave labor and international human trafficking.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was admitted to the Sírio-Libanês Hospital in Brasília on Monday after feeling unwell and cancelling all engagements. The 79-year-old leader underwent a series of tests after which he was diagnosed with labyrinthitis and was released to rest at the presidential Alvorada Palace. This ailment in the hearing apparatus came after an intracranial hemorrhage in late 2024, raising concerns about his potential candidacy in the 2026 elections.
The Brazilian Government was represented by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira in a meeting on Sunday in Madrid, Spain, along with representatives from 19 other countries to review measures to support Gaza and pressure Israel to end the war, including potential sanctions. Vieira criticized the international community's inaction regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza in a meeting that also served as preparation for an upcoming conference on the Palestinian issue, scheduled for June in New York.