Brazil

• Friday, March 20th 2020 - 09:47 UTC

  Brazil closing all land borders except with Uruguay, and banning entry from EU and Pacific countries

  

  Brazil on Thursday announced it was closing land borders and prohibiting entry to people from European and many Pacific Asian countries to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, as Mexico and Peru reported their first virus deaths.

• Thursday, March 19th 2020 - 08:57 UTC

  Pots and pans protest against Bolsonaro; Brazilian markets crash and Congress approves national emergency

  

  The coronavirus outbreak hammered Brazil on Wednesday, crushing local markets, infecting more members of the country’s political elite and prompting loud protests against President Jair Bolsonaro, whose son waded into a diplomatic spat with China.

• Thursday, March 19th 2020 - 08:40 UTC

  Brazilian government security advisor, a minister and the head of the Senate, self isolated with coronavirus

  

  Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has so far escaped coronavirus contagion but his national security advisor, his mines and energy minister plus the Senate chief haven't been so lucky.

• Thursday, March 19th 2020 - 08:25 UTC

  Brazil central bank cuts benchmark rate 50 points to a record low of 3.75%

  

  Brazil’s central bank on Wednesday cut its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to a record-low 3.75% to cushion the economic blow of the coronavirus pandemic but signaled no rush to cut again and emphasized the need for more economic reforms.

• Wednesday, March 18th 2020 - 08:58 UTC

  Covid 19: Mercosur countries isolated from the world and among themselves

  

  The number of Coronavirus cases tested positive are increasing significantly, in the exponential leg of the process, in Mercosur country members and in Chile. Brazil reported the first death, a 62 year old man in Sao Paulo with a medical record of high pressure and diabetes.

• Wednesday, March 18th 2020 - 07:30 UTC

  Bolsonaro asks Congress to declare state of emergency to free federal funds from spending caps

  

  Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday his second coronavirus test was negative and his government asked Congress to authorize a state of emergency that would allow it to scrap fiscal targets and free up funds to combat the virus’ spread.

• Wednesday, March 18th 2020 - 07:12 UTC

  Brazilian meatpackers considering suspending operations because of China

  

  Brazilian meatpackers JBS and Minerva Foods are considering suspending operations at some slaughterhouses in Brazil due to supply chain issues from China, JBS and sources close to Minerva said this week.

• Wednesday, March 18th 2020 - 06:14 UTC

  Meatpacker Marfrig has a new CEO; plans to buy back shares

  

  Brazilian meatpacker Marfrig has elected a new chief executive officer and plans to buy back up to 5.91 million of its own shares, it said in two separate securities filings.

• Tuesday, March 17th 2020 - 08:21 UTC

  Several officials tested coronavirus positive after Trump/Bolsonaro meeting in Mar-a-Lago resort

  

  Brazilian Foreign Trade Secretary Marcos Troyjo, who was part of the Brazilian delegation that recently visited Florida, has tested positive for the coronavirus, his office said in a statement on Monday.

• Tuesday, March 17th 2020 - 08:19 UTC

  Rio do Janeiro authorities order people out of the beaches and closed Christ the Redeemer statue

  

  Anyone hoping to escape wall-to-wall coronavirus coverage with a day at the beach can forget about it in Rio de Janeiro, where authorities armed with megaphones blared out messages on Monday ordering everyone home.