Brazil

Friday, November 21st 2014 - 08:50 UTC
Petrobras case revealing the extent of corruption in Brazil's political system

The lawyer of the Brazilian lobbyist Fernando Baiano, who was finally arrested in an ongoing investigation into corruption at state oil company Petrobras, has said that “no public work is done in Brazil without a bribe” and that the people who deny allegation of corruption “ignore the country’s history.”
Thursday, November 20th 2014 - 05:05 UTC
Former Brazilian minister blames Argentina for lack of EU/Mercosur trade accord

A former Brazilian Development minister and currently member of the board of BRF, one of the world's leading food corporations, Luiz Fernando Furlan said Brazil is far away from world trade agreements and urgently needs to review policies in this area, including participation in Mercosur.
Wednesday, November 19th 2014 - 08:06 UTC
Brazil's economy growth forecast could have reached a positive inflection point

Private sector analysts raised their 2014 growth forecast for Brazil's economy to 0.21% from 0.20% last week, the Central Bank said on Monday. But analysts left their 2015 gross domestic product (GDP) growth estimate unchanged at 0.80%, the Central Bank said. However it is expected the latest forecast could mean the beginning of the end to the sustained several years slide and an inflection point.
Wednesday, November 19th 2014 - 06:57 UTC
Petrobras corruption: plea bargains with the return of 165m dollars with five accused

Five people accused in a corruption scandal at Brazil's state oil giant Petrobras have agreed to return 165 million dollars to the public purse in plea bargains with prosecutors, a newspaper reported Tuesday.
Tuesday, November 18th 2014 - 11:19 UTC
Bolivia confident Mercosur incorporation process will be ironed out at the next summit

Bolivia trusts that at the coming Mercosur summit in Argentina it can advance in solving the “technical-legal” difficulties that are delaying the country's full membership of the trade and political group. Allegedly one of the main differences rests in neighboring Paraguay and how it would accept Bolivia's incorporation.
Tuesday, November 18th 2014 - 08:22 UTC
Rousseff pledges that Petrobras corruption case “will change the country forever”

Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff said investigations into corruption at the state-owned oil company, Petrobras, could change the country forever. This was the first time she spoke since the arrest on Friday of 23 people suspected of corruption and money-laundering.
Tuesday, November 18th 2014 - 06:12 UTC
China and Brazil confirm closer trade and investment ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping met his Brazilian counterpart Dilma Rousseff in Australia on the sidelines of the G20 summit, calling for substantial progress in China-Brazil railway cooperation and further expanding trade and investment.
Tuesday, November 18th 2014 - 06:02 UTC
Rousseff wants to improve ties with Washington, but hurdles and attitudes persist

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who cancelled a White House trip last year in anger over U.S. spying revelations, now wants to improve ties and reschedule the state visit - but some U.S. officials warn it might not be that easy.
Saturday, November 15th 2014 - 08:12 UTC
Brazilian police kill an average of six people per day, says public safety group

Brazilian police killed more than 11,000 people between 2009 and 2013 with an average of six a day, a public safety group has said. The study by the Sao Paulo-based Brazilian Forum on Public Safety said police nationwide had killed 11,197 people over the past five years, while law enforcement agents in the US had killed 11,090 in the past 30 years.
Saturday, November 15th 2014 - 08:04 UTC
Stats bash Roussef: Brazil lost jobs in October for the first time since 1999

Brazil lost jobs in October for the first time in at least 15 years, revealing the delicate state of the economy ahead of potential tax hikes and government austerity. Labor Ministry data showed on Friday that Latin America's largest economy unexpectedly trimmed 30,283 net payroll jobs in the tenth month of the year, the worst reading for the month since the data series began in 1999.