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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, August 2nd 2025 - 14:03 UTC

Brazil

  • Friday, January 19th 2018 - 09:01 UTC

    Lula is no radical or a threat to stability: everyone won when he was president

    Lula is scheduled to stand trial on 24 January in Porto Alegre on charges of money laundering and corruption.

    The leader of Brazil's Workers' Party, PT, argued in an interview that former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is anything but radical and does not pose a threat to Brazilian financial stability. Brazilian senator Gleisi Hoffman told Bloomberg News that Lula is working on a second “letter to Brazilian people” (as he did in 2002) to reassure the markets about his commitment to fiscal responsibility.

  • Thursday, January 18th 2018 - 09:36 UTC

    Brazil willing to admit US ethanol, if US opens market to fresh beef exports

    Maggi implied that a decision on removing the ethanol import tariff could depend on resolving the dispute on beef exports.

    Brazil is studying the removal of a 20% tariff on ethanol imports from the United States, Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi said on Wednesday, in a decision that could depend on Washington lifting a ban on fresh beef exports from Brazil. Last year, Brazil imposed a 20% tax on ethanol imported from the U.S. that exceeds a 600 million liter annual quota to protect local producers as imports spiked.

  • Thursday, January 18th 2018 - 09:28 UTC

    Lula followers anticipate “killings” if the ex president is banned from running

    “To arrest Lula they will have first to arrest a lot of people, and I would go even further, they will have to kill people, many people”, said Gleisi Hoffmann

    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”.

  • Wednesday, January 17th 2018 - 09:29 UTC

    Brazilian stocks at an all time high, as optimism grows recession is over

    Demand for Brazilian assets has been underpinned by expectations that stronger economic growth lifts corporate earnings in 2018.

    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.

  • Tuesday, January 16th 2018 - 09:52 UTC

    Support for Lula's presidential bid despite his corruption conviction

    The petition titled “Election without Lula is a fraud”, comes ahead of a January 24 court ruling on his appeal of a nine-and-a-half-year jail sentence issued last July.

    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.

  • Tuesday, January 16th 2018 - 09:48 UTC

    Petrobras and Total confirm completion of Strategic Alliance involving US$ 1.9bn

    Petrobras has now transferred to Total 35% of rights, as well as the operatorship, of Lapa field in Block BM-S-9A in the Santos Basin pre-salt

    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.

  • Tuesday, January 16th 2018 - 09:44 UTC

    Meirelles brushes aside impact of S&P's lower rating: 'growth will continue'

    “The reaction to the rating is greater than the rating itself,” Meirelles said. “The question is, ‘Will this have an impact on growth?’, ‘No, growth will continue.'”

    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%.

  • Tuesday, January 16th 2018 - 09:34 UTC

    Economic activity in Brazil expands for third month running

    Brazil’s GDP likely grew 1% last year, snapping a two-year period of contraction as slow inflation and record low interest rates propped up consumer spending.

    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

  • Monday, January 15th 2018 - 10:33 UTC

    Brazil forecasts 110m tons of soybeans and 25m tons of corn in 2017/18 harvest

    Yields are now seen at 3,156 kg/ha, up from 3,123 kg/ha in December, but below the record of 3,364 kg/ha in 2016-17, when nearly perfect weather helped crops.

    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.

  • Friday, January 12th 2018 - 10:58 UTC

    S&P downgrades Brazil's credit rating; delay of pension system reform takes the blame

    The decision underscored concerns that a business-friendly reform agenda proposed by unpopular president Temer may stall this year

    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.