Brazil

• Monday, February 24th 2014 - 22:19 UTC

  Rousseff and Barroso optimistic about Mercosur/EU trade talks scheduled to begin 21 March

  

  Trade negotiations between the European Union and Mercosur could move quickly once a technical meeting next month has taken place, EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said after a meeting on Monday with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in Brussels and the European Council president Herman Van Rompuy.

• Monday, February 24th 2014 - 06:42 UTC

  Sao Paulo protest against World Cup and demand more hospitals and schools

  

  Brazilian police used tear gas and made an estimated 230 arrests on Saturday evening to disperse a protest in Sao Paulo ahead of the World Cup. Among those arrested in Brazil's business hub, which will host the opening match of the World Cup on June 12, were five journalists, O Estado de Sao Paulo daily reported.

• Monday, February 24th 2014 - 05:14 UTC

  Rousseff consolidates as favorite to win re-election in October

  

  Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff remains the favorite to win re-election in October with a comfortable lead over possible contenders, according to a poll published Sunday. The Datafolha polling institute said Rousseff has recovered much of the support she had lost in the wake of mass street protests in the middle of last year.

• Saturday, February 22nd 2014 - 06:06 UTC

  Dilma invites the pope to the World Cup and presents him with a 'verde-amarella' jersey

  

  Pope Francis received Friday in a private audience Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who formally invited the Argentine pontiff to visit her country during the World Cup soccer championship, which begins June 12.

• Friday, February 21st 2014 - 07:12 UTC

  Brazil announces budget spending cuts to meet primary budget surplus

  

  Brazil's government on Thursday announced 44 billion Reais (18.41 billion dollars) in spending cuts as it seeks to meet its primary budget surplus target for 2014. This year's cuts exceed the 38 billion Reais (some 15.9 billion) in budget reductions announced in 2013 and extend to all government departments except education, health, social development, and science and technology.

• Friday, February 21st 2014 - 06:46 UTC

  Argentina and Brazil fearful Venezuelan crowds in the streets could be contagious

  

  The current political crisis in Venezuela is rattling regional organizations, has two of the leading countries fearful of the crowds in the streets, while Latin American left wing populism believes there is a concerted right wing effort to destabilize the governments of Venezuela and Argentina, according to Argentine political analyst Rosendo Fraga.

• Thursday, February 20th 2014 - 10:27 UTC

  Scolari wants to banish the ghosts of the 1950 when Brazil was beaten by Uruguay

  

  Coach Luis Filipe Scolari says he wants Brazil to banish the ghosts of 1950, when his country last hosted the World Cup and lost the final in a defeat against neighboring Uruguay that has haunted them ever since.

• Wednesday, February 19th 2014 - 22:45 UTC

  Hague launches business and science programs to attract talented Brazilian students to UK

  

  The business-education partnership between Brazil and the UK will benefit hundreds of talented Brazilian students aiming to study in the UK, said Foreign Secretary William Hague who is on a three-day visit to Brazil.

• Wednesday, February 19th 2014 - 22:38 UTC

  Mercosur to meet 7 March to finalize the proposal to be presented to EU

  

  In early March Mercosur will have readied its proposal to liberate trade to be presented to the European Union, the basis for a wide-ranging cooperation and trade agreement between the two blocks, announced Rubens Barbosa, head of the Trade Council from the Sao Paulo State Industries Federation, FIESP.

• Wednesday, February 19th 2014 - 22:24 UTC

  Hague and Figuereido optimistic about outcome of the delayed Mercosur/EU trade pact

  

  Brazilian and UK foreign ministers Luiz Alberto Figuereido and William Hague said that Mercosur and the European Union are concluding the tariffs' reduction proposals which they plan to exchange as part of the process leading to a wide ranging cooperation and trade agreement between the two blocks.