
Uruguayan Foreign Minister Francisco Bustillo Monday told his Mercosur colleagues in Puerto Iguazú that “from the first day we warned that Mercosur had been won over by immobility” and insisted no progress regarding deals with other countries or blocs had been achieved during Argentina's pro tempore presidency of the alliance ending Tuesday.

Presidents of all four Mercosur members (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay) will convene Monday in Puerto Iguazu in the Argentine northeastern province of Misiones for the 62nd bloc summit, also attended by dignitaries of the bloc's associate members.

Trade relations between Brazil and Argentina are improving with an overall volume of US$12.5 billion in the first five months of this year. Brazil exported US$7.5 billion worth of goods and imported US$ 5 billion from Argentina, according to the Comexstat portal of the Brazilian Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Services.

Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) Friday reached a decisive majority against the legitimate defense of honor argument filed by numerous counselors in femicides, it was reported. This rationale was particularly frequent in cases tried by a jury.

Brazilian magistrate Carmen Lúcia Antunes from the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) has found former President Jair Bolsonaro guilty of abuse of power. This decision adds to the majority opinion in favor of stripping Bolsonaro of all his political rights for a period of eight years, effectively barring him from running for any elected office or holding positions in the public administration.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was one vote short of disenfranchisement when the Superior Electoral Court adjourned Thursday's session with a score of 3-1 with three magistrates still to vote when the trial for abuse of power resumes Friday, Agencia Brasil reported.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Wednesday downplayed the magnitude of the Jan. 8 events in Brasilia when some of his followers tried to seize the headquarters of all three branches of government and compared the situation with recent events in Russia.

Brazil's population in 2022 was determined to be 203,062,512 people, the Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) announced Wednesday after the results of last year's census were published. The new figures showed an increase of 12.3 million since the 2010 census, Agencia Brasil noted.

The Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries (Abiove) reported that the soybean harvest in Brazil, already completed in 2023, exceeded expectations, leading to an upward revision in export forecasts for soybean grain, meal, and oil this year. Soy remains Brazil’s primary export product.

Brazilian president Lula da Silva has increased subsidized farm loans as part of a national agriculture funding plan as he aims to strengthen ties with the sector, which has been driving the economic activity of the country.