Brazil

Friday, May 10th 2019 - 09:57 UTC
Brazil confident of a Mercosur/EU trade accord in coming weeks

The European Union and Mercosur will likely close a trade agreement in the near future, Brazil’s Foreign Trade Secretary Lucas Ferraz said in an interview with Bloomberg. “We’ve never been so close,” Ferraz said adding, “we’ve advanced more in four months than in 20 years”.
Friday, May 10th 2019 - 09:57 UTC
Developers rush to supply electricity to Brazilian state that depends on Venezuelan power

Developers have presented more than 150 proposals for power plants ahead of an auction this month to supply electricity to the Brazilian state of Roraima, which has struggled with a rash of blackouts due to reliance on the shaky Venezuelan power grid.
Friday, May 10th 2019 - 09:54 UTC
Brazilian Lower House committee challenges Bolsonaro and Justice Minister Moro

Brazilian lawmakers dealt a blow to the country's graft-busting Justice Minister Sergio Moro on Thursday, when a congressional committee voted to transfer a key tool for monitoring financial transactions to the recently formed Economy Ministry.
Friday, May 10th 2019 - 09:11 UTC
Shell to invest US$ 2bn annually in Brazil until 2025

Shell plans to invest as much as US$2 billion annually in its Brazilian operations by 2025, Shell’s chief executive officer Ben van Beurden told Brazilian business daily Valor Economico in an exclusive interview published on Thursday.
Friday, May 10th 2019 - 08:44 UTC
Bolsonaro will finally be honored at a foreign affairs event in Texas on 16 May

Brazil’s right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro will speak at a foreign affairs event in Texas next week, organizers said, after he cancelled a heavily criticized visit to New York City.
Thursday, May 9th 2019 - 12:56 UTC
Ex Brazilian environment ministers blast Bolsonaro's forestry and water policies

Eight former Brazilian environment ministers blasted new right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro and his administration in a letter on Wednesday, saying it is dismantling the country's environmental protections.
Thursday, May 9th 2019 - 12:28 UTC
Brazil central bank leaves interest rates unchanged at 6.5%

Brazil's central bank held fire on interest rates on Wednesday despite lackluster growth in Latin America's biggest economy and uncertainty over President Jair Bolsonaro's ability to push through a much-needed pension reform.
Thursday, May 9th 2019 - 09:58 UTC
Former Brazilian president Temer ordered to return to jail

Former President Michel Temer was ordered to return to jail by a federal judge on Wednesday while he is investigated in several cases of alleged corruption. Temer’s lawyer, Eduardo Carnelos, told Globo Television that he could only “lament” the court’s decision. He said Temer would have to present himself to authorities Thursday.
Thursday, May 9th 2019 - 09:55 UTC
Bolsonaro denies he's a racist and that racism is a problem in Brazil

Racism is an insignificant problem in Brazil, according to President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been accused of not just racist but also homophobic and sexist comments in the past. Bolsonaro spoke to Rede TV in an interview broadcast on Tuesday night, in which he defended his record on a number of controversial subjects.
Thursday, May 9th 2019 - 09:09 UTC
Brazilian F1 Grand Prix will move from Sao Paulo to Rio do Janeiro in 2020

The Brazilian Grand Prix will move next year to a new purpose-built circuit in Rio de Janeiro that could be named after Ayrton Senna, the country’s president revealed on Wednesday. Amid uncertainty over the long term future of the current event in Interlagos is Sao Paulo, Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro said that a switch of venues would happen in 2020 when the event moves to Rio.