Brazil

Tuesday, December 22nd 2015 - 14:37 UTC
Rousseff's impeachment support score almost a tie, but 60% prepared to remove speaker Cunha

An estimated 42% of Brazilian Lower House lawmakers (513) are prepared to support the impeachment of president Dilma Rousseff, which is equivalent to 215 votes. But the impeachment motion requires at least 342 votes, two thirds of the total number, which means supporters are still 127 votes short. These numbers belong to a Congress members survey from Datafolha, which was taken between December 7 and 18.
Tuesday, December 22nd 2015 - 14:31 UTC
Brazil welcomes and supports Macri's policies regarding the dollar and trade

The Brazilian government has welcomed Argentina's realistic foreign exchange policy unifying the Argentine peso exchange rate, saying the latest economic measures taken by the Mauricio Macri administration will be “very positive” for the commercial relationship between the two countries.
Saturday, December 19th 2015 - 06:39 UTC
Rousseff picks Barbosa as finance minister, a strong critic of Levy and austerity

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on Friday picked her close aide Nelson Barbosa, a left-leaning economist, to take over the finance ministry from Joaquim Levy who is leaving after a series of disagreements over economic policy.
Saturday, December 19th 2015 - 02:40 UTC
Close friend of Lula da Silva formally charged in the Petrobras corruption case

The sprawling Petrobras corruption scandal web is again close to former president Lula da Silva, this landowner Jose Carlos Bumlai, arrested during Operation Lava Jato, was charged with corruption, money laundering and fraud.
Friday, December 18th 2015 - 08:40 UTC
Relief for Rousseff: Justices' ruling delays impeachment procedures

Brazil's Supreme Court gave a relief to embattled President Dilma Rousseff two victories on Thursday in rulings that improve her chances of blocking an impeachment bid by opponents seeking to oust the unpopular leader.
Friday, December 18th 2015 - 08:31 UTC
Judge lifts suspension of Whatsapp and makes 100 million Brazilians happy

The day after a Brazilian judge ordered the suspension of the Whatsapp cell-phone chat and voice service for 48 hours, cutting off millions of users from one of the country’s most popular communication services, another judge overturned the ban.
Friday, December 18th 2015 - 08:01 UTC
Brazil's budget targets ignored by Congress; Finance minister could resign

Brazil’s Congress on Thursday approved a 2016 budget with surplus targets lower than what Finance Minister Joaquim Levy wanted, a day after the country lost an investment-grade credit rating on concerns about fiscal restraint.
Friday, December 18th 2015 - 07:44 UTC
A good one for Brazil: trade surplus has reached US$15.8bn

Brazil accumulated a trade surplus of US$15.8 billion between January and the second week of December, its biggest for that period since posting a US$17.15 billion trade surplus for the first 11 months of 2012, according to Development, Industry and Foreign Trade Ministry figures.
Thursday, December 17th 2015 - 08:02 UTC
Brazil's prosecutor asks Justices to strip Lower House speaker of his seat

Brazil's attorney general went to the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking to strip the leader of the House of Deputies of his seat. House Speaker Eduardo Cunha is the nemesis of embattled and unpopular President Dilma Rousseff — and earlier this month opened the door to begin impeachment proceedings against her.
Thursday, December 17th 2015 - 07:56 UTC
Fitch downgrades Brazilian bonds to junk; investors could dispose of 20bn in debt

Fitch Ratings downgraded Brazil government bonds to junk on Wednesday, citing rising concerns about an economic and political crisis that threatens to push President Dilma Rousseff from office and scuttle efforts to close a gaping fiscal deficit.