Brazil

• Thursday, May 17th 2018 - 08:47 UTC

  Brazil leaves basic rate unchanged citing a more volatile world situation

  

  Brazil's central bank unexpectedly left its benchmark interest rate unchanged on Wednesday, citing a more challenging and volatile situation in world economies. The bank left its benchmark Selic rate at an all-time low of 6.5%, after signaling at its previous meeting it would cut at least once more.

• Saturday, May 12th 2018 - 09:18 UTC

  Military option in Brazil: hard-line ex general with presidential aspirations surfaces

  

  Antonio Hamilton Mourao, a reserve general in Brazil’s military, has joined the Brazilian Labour Party (PRTB) days before the deadline, which would allow him to run for president in the October’s general elections. His registration was made public Wednesday, shortly after presidential hopeful Joaquim Barbosa confirmed that he would not be a candidate in the election.

• Saturday, May 12th 2018 - 08:45 UTC

  Brazil becomes world's largest producer of soybeans for the first time

  

  Brazil will surpass the United States as the largest producer of soybeans this year, taking over the top ranking for the first time in history, oilseeds crusher group Abiove said on Friday. The U.S. is expected to harvest 116.48 million tons of soybeans later on in 2018, falling short of Brazil’s estimated collection of 117 million tons for its crop year that is just drawing to a close, Abiove said, citing United States Department of Agriculture figures released on Thursday.

• Saturday, May 12th 2018 - 08:40 UTC

  Brazilian military presidents authorized execution of “subversives”, claims CIA declassified documents

  

  The president under Brazil's military dictatorship in the 1970s personally authorized executions of “subversives,” according to a declassified CIA document published on Friday in the Brazilian media. President Ernesto Geisel ruled Brazil from 1974 to 1979, toward the end of the country's two decade long military dictatorship.

• Saturday, May 12th 2018 - 07:31 UTC

  Falklands' Premier Oil figures commissioning three FPSOs in next seven years, reports GlobalData

  

  South America, including the Falkland Islands, has the highest number of planned and announced floating production, storage, and offloading units (FPSOs) to be commissioned by 2025, according to a report by GlobalData. World wide 74 planned and announced FPSOs are set to become operational for the outlook period between 2018 and 2025.

• Friday, May 11th 2018 - 09:05 UTC

  Despite legal setbacks, Lula reiterates his intention to run for a third presidential term

  

  Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reiterated on Thursday his intention to run for a third presidential term. Lula was jailed on April 7 and is serving a sentence of 12 years and one month for corruption and money laundering.

• Friday, May 11th 2018 - 08:50 UTC

  Brazil inflation in April below official target; another interest rate cut expected

  

  Brazil's inflation rate unexpectedly slowed in April and kept far below the official target, suggesting a recent period of currency weakness is unlikely to keep the central bank from cutting interest rates next week.

• Friday, May 11th 2018 - 08:35 UTC

  Paraguay's president “soul brother” accused by Brazil of money laundering

  

  Paraguayan authorizes have issued an arrest warrant for a man President Horacio Cartes has described as his “soul brother” as part of a sweeping investigation into corruption in Latin America.

• Thursday, May 10th 2018 - 08:28 UTC

  Swedish PM to testify in corruption case involving sale of 36 fighter jets to Brazil

  

  Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has been summoned to testify next month as a witness in a Brazilian corruption case involving the purchase of fighter jets by Brazil, the Stockholm District Court said on Wednesday. Lofven will be asked in a Swedish court about his contacts with Brazil’s former presidents Dilma Rousseff and Lula da Silva regarding the country’s purchase of Saab Gripen fighters in a deal struck five years ago.

• Wednesday, May 9th 2018 - 08:44 UTC

  Brazilian ex chief Justice will not run for the presidency in October

  

  Joaquim Barbosa, a former chief justice on Brazil's Supreme Court with anti-corruption credentials, said on Tuesday he would not run for the presidency in October, despite a growing clamor for his candidacy. Barbosa, the first and only black member of the high court, had in recent weeks positioned himself as a potential center-left candidate. He was attractive to many because of his clean image and background as a judge who battled corruption.