Brazil

• Saturday, January 5th 2019 - 08:59 UTC

  New Brazilian administration prepared to open concentrated banking to foreign competition

  

  The fast pace of Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro continued on Friday, with current central bank Governor Ilan Goldfajn telling newspaper Valor Economico that the new administration is likely to empower the central bank to approve the entrance of new foreign lenders into Brazil.

• Saturday, January 5th 2019 - 08:54 UTC

  Markets disappointed with Bolsonaro's watered down pensions reform

  

  Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday called for minimum retirement ages significantly lower than those proposed by his predecessor, sparking concerns among investors that he will back watered-down pension reform legislation.

• Thursday, January 3rd 2019 - 07:29 UTC

  Bolsonaro effect on Brazilian markets and currency

  

  A record high for Brazil shares and a more than 2% gain in the Real, spurred by positive policy moves by the country's new government, helped Latin American markets make a strong start to the New Year and buck gloom in global markets on Wednesday.

• Wednesday, January 2nd 2019 - 04:55 UTC

  President Bolsonaro vows to tackle corruption, crime and economic mismanagement

  

  Brazil’s newly inaugurated President Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday his election had freed the country from “socialism and political correctness,” and he vowed to tackle corruption, crime and economic mismanagement in Latin America’s largest nation.

• Saturday, December 29th 2018 - 22:00 UTC

  Massive security preparations for Bolsonaro's inauguration

  

  Authorities in Brazil say they are making massive security preparations for the inauguration of President-elect Jair Bolsonaro on Jan. 1. Security around the future president has been high since he was stabbed with a knife on Sept. 6, causing a ruptured intestine.

• Saturday, December 29th 2018 - 10:30 UTC

  Bolsonaro presents Netanyahu with Brazil's highest decoration for visitors

  

  Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Friday in Rio de Janeiro and sealed an alliance between the two countries, although moving the embasy to Jerusalem was reportedly not on the table. Bolsonaro presented Netanyahu with the highest national decoration for visitors in Brazil, granted in the past to former US President Dwight Eisenhower and Queen Elizabeth.

• Saturday, December 29th 2018 - 07:44 UTC

  Petrobras announces hedging program for diesel prices

  

  Brazil’s Petrobras has approved a hedging program for diesel prices in a bid to boost pricing flexibility, the state-run oil firm said in a filing on Friday. While Petrobras did not detail how its diesel hedging program would be structured, it said the move was similar to a measure taken in September, when the company introduced a hedging program for gasoline.

• Friday, December 28th 2018 - 09:17 UTC

  Jerusalem controversy: Arab ministerial delegation plans to visit Bolsonaro in January

  

  An Arab ministerial delegation plans to travel to Brazil in January to convince the incoming Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, not to relocate his country’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, an official Palestinian source said on Thursday. Bolsonaro announced in November that he intends to relocate the Brazilian Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

• Friday, December 28th 2018 - 09:12 UTC

  Netanyahu will visit president elect Bolsonaro this Friday in Rio

  

  Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has left on a historic six-day trip to Brazil, the first ever visit the largest Latin American country made by a sitting premier of the Jewish state. Besides boosting diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries, Netanyahu is scheduled to hold a one-to-one meeting with president-elect Jair Bolsonaro this Friday in Rio de Janeiro.

• Thursday, December 27th 2018 - 09:20 UTC

  Brazil opens 100% ownership of Brazilian airlines to foreign investors

  

  Outgoing President Michel Temer issued an executive order that allows foreign groups to own 100% of a Brazilian airline. Previously, non-Brazilians were limited to 20% of shares. The decision occurs in the midst of a bankruptcy proceeding filed by Avianca Brasil.