Brazil

• Monday, February 16th 2026 - 06:00 UTC

  Lula and other Brazilian presidents at the Sambadrome: tributes, satire and scandals

  

  The tribute paid on Sunday by samba school Acadêmicos de Niterói to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — a parade that traced his life story and political rise — has revived debate over the long-standing relationship between Rio’s carnival and political power. Lula is not the first Brazilian president to be featured on the Sambadrome, but he is the first to receive such an honor while alive and in office, according to an EFE account.

• Tuesday, February 10th 2026 - 20:57 UTC

  Brazil coffee exports fall 31% in January, Cecafé says

  

  Brazil, the world’s largest coffee producer, exported 2.78 million 60-kg bags in January, down 30.8% from the same month in 2025, according to the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafé), EFE reported on Tuesday.

• Monday, February 9th 2026 - 08:38 UTC

  Flávio Bolsonaro steps onto global far-right stage as Brazil presidential hopeful

  

  Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, has used an international tour in the Middle East to publicly cast himself as a contender for Brazil’s 2026 presidency, seeking visibility among transnational conservative networks as Brazil’s right tries to settle on a standard-bearer.

• Friday, February 6th 2026 - 17:37 UTC

  Tunnel under Montevideo’s historic district foils bank raid plot, raises regional crime links

  

  According to the Interior Ministry, the plot relied on a commercial premises leased in mid-2025, from which an access point was allegedly opened into the sewers to advance toward a nearby financial institution. The broader investigation began on September 11 with an anonymous tip about a suspected drug-selling point in Neptunia, in Canelones, and expanded as investigators tracked a network with logistical presence in Montevideo.

• Thursday, February 5th 2026 - 09:23 UTC

  Brazil: Lula leads first-round scenarios but faces tighter runoffs, poll suggests

  

  Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva remains the front-runner across all first-round matchups for Brazil’s 4 October presidential election, according to a new survey by Instituto Ideia published by digital outlet Canal Meio.

• Thursday, February 5th 2026 - 01:00 UTC

  Brazilian oil and gas production record in 2025, 4,987million boe/d

  

  Brazil daily production of oil and natural gas in 2025 reached the equivalent of 4,987 million boe/d, a new record, according to the country’s Petroleum National Agency, ANP.

• Monday, February 2nd 2026 - 02:48 UTC

  Over 60% of Brazilians are overweight as obesity doubles in 18 years, survey shows

  

  More than six in ten Brazilians are now overweight and obesity affects roughly one in four adults, according to official health data released this week and carried by Agência Brasil. The survey estimates that 62.6% of the population had excess weight in 2024, up from 42.6% in 2006, while obesity (BMI ≥ 30) doubled from 11.8% to 25.7% over the same period.

• Monday, February 2nd 2026 - 02:29 UTC

  Extratropical cyclone strengthens off southern Brazil, raising flood and wind risks in Santa Catarina

  

  An extratropical cyclone forecast to develop offshore in the South Atlantic is already driving growing instability across Santa Catarina, with officials warning that conditions could worsen between Monday, Feb. 2, and Wednesday, Feb. 4. The alerts were issued by Defesa Civil de Santa Catarina and reported by Agência Brasil.

• Friday, January 30th 2026 - 03:43 UTC

  Brazil’s Lula to undergo cataract surgery on left eye after Panama trip

  

  Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will undergo cataract surgery on his left eye on Friday, the presidential palace said after preoperative tests were conducted on Thursday in Brasília. The 80-year-old leader returned overnight from Panama, where he attended the International Economic Forum for Latin America and the Caribbean, and spent Thursday at the official Granja do Torto residence.

• Thursday, January 29th 2026 - 05:29 UTC

  Latin American presidents seek common ground as regional blocs weaken

  

  Seven sitting heads of government and one president-elect from Latin America and the Caribbean shared the stage in Panama on Wednesday to call for deeper regional integration, an increasingly rare show of cross-ideological alignment in a polarized region. The message was delivered at the International Economic Forum Latin America and the Caribbean, backed by CAF and designed as a high-level convening point for governments, business leaders and multilaterals.