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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, February 9th 2026 - 18:56 UTC

Brazil

  • Tuesday, December 23rd 2025 - 11:33 UTC

    Brazil: General Augusto Heleno granted house arrest

    De Moraes warned that the general would return to a detention facility should he break the conditions for his house arrest

    Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Alexandre de Moraes granted house arrest to General Augusto Heleno, the Minister of Institutional Security (GSI) under former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was among those convicted for the Jan. 8, 2023, coup attempt.

  • Monday, December 22nd 2025 - 10:55 UTC

    Paraguay handed over Mercosur pro-tempore presidency

    There was no joint communiqué, but a 41-point declaration was agreed upon

    The 67th Southern Common Market (Mercosur) Summit concluded on Saturday in Foz do Iguaçu, with Paraguay officially assuming the bloc's pro-tempore presidency from host Brazil. Amid a backdrop of geopolitical friction and trade delays, Paraguayan President Santiago Peña outlined a pragmatic six-month agenda focused on economic openness and regional connectivity.

  • Monday, December 22nd 2025 - 10:38 UTC

    Umbanda and Candomblé marriages legally valid in Rio de Janeiro

    Rio de Janeiro was the first state in the country to pass a law on the subject, Átila Nunes stressed

    Marriages celebrated under Umbanda and Candomblé religious rites are now officially recognized in the Brazilian State of Rio de Janeiro as per Law 11.058/25, penned by legislator Átila Nunes of the PSD and passed by the Rio Legislative Assembly (Alerj). These unions are now convertible into civil following existing legislation.

  • Saturday, December 20th 2025 - 10:32 UTC

    Mercosur leaders shift to “constructive patience” after EU FTA delay

    Ramírez Lezcano warned that these delays would not result in any renegotiation of terms already finalized in late 2024

    Following decades of negotiations and a high-stakes “now or never” deadline set for this week, the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) bloc has officially adopted a stance of cautious optimism after the European Union (EU) failed to secure the necessary internal mandate to sign the historic Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on Saturday.

  • Saturday, December 20th 2025 - 09:58 UTC

    De Moraes okays Bolsonaro's surgery, but not at home recuperation time

    Bolsonaro's past actions render him a flight risk, De Moraes found

    Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) Justice Alexandre De Moraes on Friday authorized former President Jair Bolsonaro to temporarily leave prison to undergo surgery. However, the magistrate flatly denied a request for the former president to serve the remainder of his sentence under humanitarian house arrest, citing a history of non-compliance and a high flight risk.

  • Saturday, December 20th 2025 - 09:46 UTC

    Integration Bridge between Paraguay and Brazil opened to traffic

    Lula presided over the ceremony as Peña was kept in Asunción due to personal issues

    The Brazil-Paraguay Integration Bridge was officially opened to vehicle traffic on Friday during a ceremony attended by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. His Paraguayan counterpart, Santiago Peña, intends to hold a separate event on Saturday on his country's side of the structure linking Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil) to Presidente Franco (Paraguay).

  • Friday, December 19th 2025 - 21:34 UTC

    Superflu makes it to Argentina and Brazil

    The primary concern for health officials remains low vaccination uptake

    Health authorities across South America are on high alert following the confirmed detection of the Influenza A (H3N2) “K subclade” in Argentina and Brazil. The variant, which has already triggered emergency protocols in Chile and Bolivia, is characterized by genetic mutations that may increase transmissibility, though experts emphasize it does not currently appear to be more lethal than standard flu strains.

  • Thursday, December 18th 2025 - 10:55 UTC

    Lula issues ultimatum as Meloni and Macron stall EU-Mercosur FTA

    Brazil will no longer move a finger as long as Lula is president if the FTA is not signed by Saturday

    Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva issued a sharp ultimatum to European leaders on Wednesday, declaring that if the long-awaited EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is not signed this Saturday, he will abandon negotiations for the remainder of his presidency.

  • Thursday, December 18th 2025 - 10:30 UTC

    Brazil: Senate passes bill slashing sentences for Jan 8 convicts

    Former President Bolsonaro could be eligible for parole or house arrest way sooner

    In a decisive 48-25 vote on Wednesday, the Brazilian Senate approved the controversial “Dosimetry Bill” (PL 2162/2023), a measure that drastically reduces prison sentences for those convicted in the January 8, 2023, riots and the alleged coup plot.

  • Wednesday, December 17th 2025 - 14:06 UTC

    No end in sight for São Paulo's water crisis

    If reservoir levels do not stabilize by January, the system will enter the “most critical forecast”

    São Paulo, Latin America's most populous metropolitan area, is facing a historic hydrological crisis as three consecutive years of drought have pushed critical reservoirs to near-depletion. With the Jaguari-Jacareí dam —the primary source for nine million residents— dropping below 18% capacity, authorities have escalated contingency measures to prevent a total system failure.