Brazil

• Monday, February 22nd 2021 - 08:10 UTC

  Fuel prices dispute, Petrobras CEO removal trigger fears of economic populism

  

  More changes are in the pipeline, announced Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, after replacing the CEO of the country's oil and gas giant Petrobras with a former general. The move had an immediate impact in markets given the confidence investors had in the removed University of Chicago educated economist, Roberto Castello Branco.

• Saturday, February 20th 2021 - 08:42 UTC

  Bolsonaro sacks Petrobras CEO over diesel prices dispute and truckers strike threat

  

  Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday sacked a market-friendly economist as CEO of Petrobras and named a retired general to replace him, following on disputes over diesel prices that threatened a major teamsters stoppage.

• Friday, February 19th 2021 - 08:58 UTC

  Brazilian police investigating “shots of air” instead of Covid-19 vaccines

  

  Rio de Janeiro's police launched an investigation into reports that doses of the coronavirus vaccine may have been diverted after images emerged of healthcare workers sticking needles into elderly people without injecting them.

• Friday, February 19th 2021 - 08:52 UTC

  Brazil surpasses 10 million Covid-19 cases, John Hopkins University

  

  Brazil surpassed 10 million confirmed coronavirus cases on Thursday, according to a running tally by US-based Johns Hopkins University. With 10,030,626 confirmed cases to date, the country has the third-highest number of infections after the US and India. Brazil recorded more than 49,000 new cases on Thursday.

• Wednesday, February 17th 2021 - 08:48 UTC

  Majority of Europeans favor protection of Brazilian Amazon, before EU ratifies Mercosur trade deal

  

  A new poll shows that the grand majority of Europe’s people favors implementing effective protections of the Brazilian Amazon, ending deforestation there, before the EU agrees to ratify the free trade agreement with Mercosur (composed of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay).

• Wednesday, February 17th 2021 - 08:48 UTC

  Re-wilding Project: the Jaguar has returned to South America wetlands after 70 years

  

  The largest predator in South America, the jaguar, has returned to the Iberá wetlands in Argentina 70 years after the species was driven to local extinction through hunting and habitat loss. Currently, only about 200 jaguars remain in Argentina.

• Wednesday, February 17th 2021 - 08:42 UTC

  Brazilian city suspends vaccination campaign because of insufficient doses

  

  Rio de Janeiro suspends Covid-19 vaccination campaign until next week because the Brazilian city has run out of doses, Mayor Eduardo Paes announced. “I have been informed that the new doses did not arrive. We will have to interrupt our campaign from Tuesday,” Paes wrote on Twitter.

• Wednesday, February 17th 2021 - 08:42 UTC

  Bolsonaro seeks Israeli developed nasal spray against Covid-19, recommended by his “good friend” Netanyahu

  

  President Jair Bolsonaro said the Brazilian government would seek emergency use authorization for an Israeli-developed nasal spray against Covid-19 that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a “miracle” treatment.

• Monday, February 15th 2021 - 08:42 UTC

  Brazil confirms cases of UK variant of the coronavirus in two states

  

  Brazil's health ministry confirmed on Sunday cases of the UK variant of the novel coronavirus in two states and in the federal district of Brasília. However, the government said it has not yet confirmed cases of the South African variant.

• Saturday, February 13th 2021 - 08:38 UTC

  Bolsonaro has congress support to extend pandemic emergency payments for another four months

  

  The leaders of Brazilian congress two chambers announced on Friday priority will be given to reviving pandemic emergency payments to the vulnerable population, which are expected to be granted in four months, from March to June.