Brazil

• 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.

• Saturday, June 4th 2016 - 08:34 UTC

  Lula da Silva blasts media for trying to hide the “coup” against Rousseff

  

  Former Brazilian president Lula da Silva accused the media conglomerate Globo, the country’s largest, of censoring suspended president, Dilma Rousseff, adding that the interim government of Michel Temer is seeking to take away social rights and is “delivering” the nation’s oil for exploitation by foreign interests.

• Friday, June 3rd 2016 - 09:13 UTC

  Temer's administration confident of congressional support for its economic plans

  

  President Michel Temer's will press ahead with ambitious plans to balance the budget, reform pensions and draw private money into the energy sector despite the loss of two ministers to a corruption scandal, his chief of staff said on Thursday.

• Friday, June 3rd 2016 - 08:41 UTC

  Brazil wants Venezuela out of the Mercosur rotating chair

  

  Brazilian government would like to block Venezuela from taking the rotating presidency of Mercosur later this month, a move to further debilitate Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro's power, according to Planalto sources close to interim president Michel Temer, who admitted the proposal has yet to be discussed with other members.

• Thursday, June 2nd 2016 - 09:11 UTC

  Temer's home in Sao Paulo is fenced off to keep protestors away

  

  Brazil's acting president, Michel Temer, put a fence around his home in Sao Paulo to prevent protesters gathered in the vicinity from harassing his family. The measure, authorities said, was taken to “strengthen” the security surrounding the family of the interim president after on May 22 riot police dispersed a demonstration before his house.