Brazil

• Tuesday, March 23rd 2021 - 10:42 UTC

  Uruguayan government to debate measures amid record Covid-19 cases and political pressures

  

  The Uruguayan government will discuss this Tuesday a radical reduction of mobility in the midst of a new wave of Covid-19 cases. This Monday, the highest number of new cases was detected, with almost 2,700 confirmed cases and a positivity rate of 18%, and the community spread of the Brazillian P-1 variant of the virus was confirmed.

• Sunday, March 21st 2021 - 20:32 UTC

  Quarantined Cinema: Top 10 Movies of 2020

  

  By Nicolás Medina (*) – Talking about the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic would be a bit too repetitive at this point, apart from being quite depressing if we want to talk about entertainment. And if we talk about entertainment, we can assure that the film industry was one of the most affected by the consequences of the virus worldwide.

• Saturday, March 20th 2021 - 09:17 UTC

  Rio beaches closed for the weekend and no tourists allowed into the city

  

  Rio de Janeiro closed its famed beaches on Friday in a bid to contain a surge of COVID-19, a move criticized by anti-lockdown President Jair Bolsonaro, who said sun-deprived citizens risked a lack of vitamin D.

• Saturday, March 20th 2021 - 09:07 UTC

  VW closing down production in four plants in Brazil because of the pandemic

  

  Germany's Volkswagen said on Friday that it will suspend production at its four plants in Brazil owing to a surge in coronavirus infections in the country. The Wolfsburg-based firm said it will stop factories from March 24 for a 12-day period “to protect the health of its employees and their families.”

• Friday, March 19th 2021 - 09:10 UTC

  Banco do Brasil CEO resigns after clashing with Bolsonaro over an austerity plan to close 200 branches

  

  Brazil’s largest state bank CEO quit on Thursday after crashing earlier this year with President Jair Bolsonaro over an austerity drive. Andre Brandao resigned as chief executive officer of Banco do Brasil SA, the nation’s second-biggest bank by assets, the company said in a regulatory filing.

• Friday, March 19th 2021 - 08:46 UTC

  New Brazilian health minister pledges to continue with Bolsonaro's policies

  

  Brazil reported a record number of COVID-19 deaths just as the country's new health minister nominee pledged to continue the controversial policies of president Jair Bolsonaro, who has downplayed the severity of the disease.

• Thursday, March 18th 2021 - 08:53 UTC

  Fearing a spike in inflation, Brazil hikes interest rate 75 basis points for the first time since 2015

  

  Brazil's central bank on Wednesday announced a first interest rate hike since 2015, a surprising 75 basis point increase to 2.75% and anticipated a similar increase in May to fight inflation even as the economy struggles during the pandemic.

• Thursday, March 18th 2021 - 08:35 UTC

  Brazil with record contagions and deaths, and a deal to purchase 100 million Pfizer doses

  

  Brazil has reported a single-day record of 90,303 new cases of COVID-19, as the country continues to grapple with mounting coronavirus infections and deaths.

• Wednesday, March 17th 2021 - 09:50 UTC

  Brazil: record 2,841 Covid-19 related deaths; Sao Paulo demands a national lockdown

  

  Health officials in Sao Paulo, have called on the new health minister to consider imposing a national lockdown as coronavirus deaths continue to rise. On Tuesday Brazil recorded 2,841 Covid-related deaths - its highest ever daily total.

• Wednesday, March 17th 2021 - 09:09 UTC

  Bolsonaro concerned with Bolivian ex-president Añez arrest and the overall situation

  

  Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday that the arrest of former interim Bolivian President Jeanine Áñez over the weekend seemed unreasonable, adding he sees the situation in Bolivia as a cause for concern.