Brazil

Wednesday, January 7th 2015 - 06:39 UTC
Land possession and peasants, the first strong clash in Rousseff's cabinet

Land possession has caused the first clashes in the newly named cabinet of President Dilma Rousseff with Agriculture minister Katia Abreu arguing there are no large estates ('latifundium') left in Brazil, while her Agrarian Development peer and a stalwart from the ruling party said a social approach was needed to the land and peasants issue.
Wednesday, January 7th 2015 - 06:20 UTC
Brazil sends foreign minister to China/Celac meeting in Beijing

Brazil's new foreign minister Mauro Vieira has left for Beijing to attend the first ministerial meeting between China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, CELAC, according to reports from Brasilia.
Tuesday, January 6th 2015 - 22:49 UTC
Aurelius hedge fund denies being part of lawsuit filed against Petrobras

Aurelius Capital Management, one of the main plaintiffs against Argentina in New York District Judge Thomas Griesa’s courtroom, has denied being part in a lawsuit filed against Brazilian state-owned oil company Petrobras, in response to accusations by Argentina’s Economy Minister Axel Kicillof.
Tuesday, January 6th 2015 - 07:50 UTC
Brazil posts first trade deficit since 2000: slower economy, fall in commodities' prices

Brazil registered its first annual trade deficit since 2000, according to official data released on Monday. Latin America's largest economy slowed down in 2014 and prices fell for iron ore, soybeans and other key commodities exports.
Tuesday, January 6th 2015 - 07:32 UTC
Brazil' finance minister pledges fiscal balance and cuts in spending

Brazil must focus on making difficult fiscal adjustments in order to get economic growth and investment back in gear, the country's new Finance Minister Joaquim Levy said on Monday. At his swearing-in ceremony in Brasilia, Levy said the process will require the participation of society as a whole and will involve changes to taxes and spending, without resorting to accounting shortcuts.
Saturday, January 3rd 2015 - 06:32 UTC
Mujica defends Brazilian leadership in the region and called for strong unity

Uruguayan president Jose Mujica defended Brazil's leadership in helping Latin America carve a place and advance in the world context, but at the same time underlined that even when Brazil seems large to its neighbors, together with the rest of the countries, the region is still small in global terms.
Saturday, January 3rd 2015 - 06:11 UTC
Maduro and Biden shake hands and meet briefly at Rousseff's inauguration

On the sidelines of the inauguration of Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff at the Planalto Palace seat of Brazil's Executive, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden met briefly with Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro in a hand-shake facilitated by Uruguay President Jose Mujica.
Thursday, January 1st 2015 - 05:24 UTC
Rousseff begins second term promising economic recovery and anti-corruption crusade

Brazil’s President, Dilma Rousseff, 67, began her second term Thursday, January first vowing to rein in government spending to curb inflation and pull Latin America’s largest economy out of a four-year slump.
Wednesday, December 31st 2014 - 05:42 UTC
Hedge fund targets 54bn dollars in Petrobras bonds governed by US law

Petrobras, Brazil's state-run oil company, could be declared in technical default on some of its foreign debt if bondholders pursue efforts to force it to speed up its assessment of losses in a giant corruption scandal, according to reports from Reuters.
Wednesday, December 31st 2014 - 05:31 UTC
Brazil limits social benefits; admits it will miss 2014 fiscal target by wide margin

The Brazilian government announced it will limit unemployment and pension benefits as part of its plans to shore up depleted finances and regain investor confidence. Likewise the Central bank said that following a fourth year of low growth, Brazil will miss its fiscal target for 2014 by a wide margin.