Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff met with Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja on Saturday to discuss boosting trade and investment between the two countries, particularly in the energy sector and cooperation in several other fields. The brief visit was sufficient for the two presidents to sign an ambitious memorandum of understanding.
Brazil's 2014 election season got off last week with the unofficial launch of President Dilma Rousseff's re-election campaign by her mentor and predecessor Lula da Silva during the celebration of the ruling Workers Party tenth year in power.
Brazil and Russia signed several agreements in different fields geared to increase trade and to advance in defense, energy and agriculture cooperation, including the purchase of Russian anti aircraft missile batteries on condition that Moscow agrees to transfer technology.
Brazil failed to reach its primary budget surplus goal last year posting a primary surplus of 104.951 billion Reais (53 billion dollars), the equivalent of 2.38% of GDP, according to central bank data released this week, which was below the annual target of 139.8 billion Reais, approx 3.1% of GDP.
North-east Brazil is suffering its worst drought in decades, threatening hydro-power supplies in an area prone to blackouts and potentially slowing economic growth in one of the country's emerging agricultural frontiers.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who survived lymphoma cancer in 2009, was pronounced healthy by doctors after a routine exam. Rousseff's health was within normal levels, according to a statement released by her office following the check-up at the Sirio-Libanes Hospital in Sao Paulo, one of South America's leading cancer treatment centers.
Brazil's government announced on Monday it would raise the statutory monthly minimum wage by an above-inflation 9% to 678 Reais (330 US dollars) a month, a rise that comes at the end of a year of tepid economic growth.
Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff is planning to visit Mexico in early 2013 taking advantage of the good chemistry with the new leader Enrique Peña Nieto, and with the purpose of re-launching the deteriorated relations between the two main economies of Latinamerica.
Brazil said on Tuesday its armed forces would launch a large-scale anti-crime border operation next year ahead of the Confederations Cup and the World Cup in 2014.
Brazil's president, Dilma Rousseff, told reporters in Paris her government intends to build approximately 800 regional airports in Brazil. The project considers that each city with over 100.000 inhabitants should have an airport within a 60-kilometer range.