Brazil

• Monday, June 13th 2016 - 07:44 UTC

  Brazil's fiscal accounts “worse than ever imagined” confesses Temer

  

  Brazil's fiscal accounts were in worse shape than initially thought after the suspension of Dilma Rousseff, underscoring the challenge facing the country's new economic team, acting President Michel Temer said.

• Monday, June 13th 2016 - 06:54 UTC

  Rousseff called as a defense witness over the Petrobras corruption scandal

  

  Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, suspended from office pending her impeachment trial, has been called as a defense witness for a key figure in the Petrobras corruption scandal, court documents show. The case involves Marcelo Odebrecht, the former head of a family-owned construction company who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the mammoth corruption scandal centered on the state oil giant.

• Saturday, June 11th 2016 - 07:38 UTC

  Rousseff calls for a referendum on holding early elections

  

  Brazil's suspended president Dilma Rousseff said she would call a referendum on holding early elections if she is reinstated as president, an offer analysts saw as a bid to sway undecided senators to help clear her in an impeachment trial.

• Friday, June 10th 2016 - 09:54 UTC

  Brazil and Paraguay 'deeply' concerned with the economic and human rights condition in Venezuela

  

  Brazil and Paraguay foreign ministers Jose Serra and Eladio Loizaga expressed “deep concern” with the Venezuela crisis situation, particularly the “economic and human rights continued deterioration”, and reiterated their two countries willingness to cooperate and promote dialogue.

• Thursday, June 9th 2016 - 09:27 UTC

  Brazilians want fresh elections; 62% believe Rousseff's impeachment was the right decision

  

  The government of Interim President Michel Temer has a low approval rating among Brazilians and a majority of the country wants new elections to be held this year, according to a poll released on Wednesday.

• Thursday, June 9th 2016 - 09:06 UTC

  Brazil's central bank leaves interest rate unchanged at 14.25%

  

  Brazil held interest rates steady for the seventh straight time on Wednesday, resisting pressure to slash borrowing costs amid a recession as inflation remains near double digits. In a unanimous vote, the central bank's monetary policy committee, Copom, decided at its last meeting led by governor Alexandre Tombini to keep its benchmark Selic rate at 14.25%, the highest in nearly a decade.

• Wednesday, June 8th 2016 - 07:31 UTC

  Brazilian prosecution asks for the arrest of senior figures of Temer's government

  

  Brazil's political crisis heated up Tuesday, as authorities reportedly sought the arrests of senior figures behind the push to impeach suspended president Dilma Rousseff, accusing them of obstructing a corruption probe, according to the country's leading newspapers. This happens less than two months to go before Rio de Janeiro hosts the Summer Olympics.

• Tuesday, June 7th 2016 - 08:46 UTC

  Temer's Tourism minister might have to 'advance holidays' because of Petrobras

  

  Brazil's prosecutor general found evidence linking the tourism minister of interim President Michel Temer to the corruption scheme at Petrobras, newspaper Folha de S. Paulo reported on Monday. Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot included intercepted phone messages in a request to the Supreme Court for a formal investigation of Tourism Minister Henrique Eduardo Alves, Folha reported in publishing excerpts of the messages.

• Monday, June 6th 2016 - 10:51 UTC

  Brazil's Lower House approves salary raises for military and civil servants

  

  The lower house of Brazil's Congress approved last week salary raises for military and civil servants that will cost about 4 billion reais (US$1.12 billion) this year, the lower house said through its official news agency.

• Monday, June 6th 2016 - 10:46 UTC

  Petrobras will have full independence to set domestic fuel prices

  

  Brazil's energy ministry said on Saturday it backed full independence for Petrobras to set domestic fuel prices, blaming past controls for saddling the state-controlled oil company with crippling debt that is the oil industry's largest.