Brazil

• Monday, August 6th 2012 - 08:07 UTC

  Ex-president says inclusion of Venezuela in Mercosur is “favourable for Uruguay”

  

  Former president Jorge Batlle (2000/2005) said that the inclusion of Venezuela in Mercosur “is favourable for Uruguay” but at the same time insisted it was “wrongly done” for not having taken into account Paraguay’s opposition currently suspended as member of the regional block.

• Monday, August 6th 2012 - 07:29 UTC

  Petrobras posts loss in second quarter; blames depreciation of the Real

  

  Brazil state-controlled oil company Petrobras reported a net loss of 1.35 billion Reais (some 633 million dollars at the current exchange rate) in the second quarter, attributing the result to the depreciation of the Real relative to the dollar.

• Saturday, August 4th 2012 - 03:14 UTC

  Venezuela accession to Mercosur “by the back door”, according to The Economist

  

  Under the heading of “In by the back door” referred to the expansion of Mercosur, The Economist says “bringing Venezuela certainly was smart, in the sense of cunning rather than wise”, but it was done ignoring the block’s rules which call for unanimity in admitting new members.

• Saturday, August 4th 2012 - 02:18 UTC

  Paraguayan senators challenge Chavez version of attempted bribes to favour Venezuela

  

  An international controversy has surfaced between President Hugo Chavez and Paraguayan senators as to who really tried to bribe whom regarding failed attempts to have Venezuela incorporated to Mercosur.

• Friday, August 3rd 2012 - 22:34 UTC

  Brazilians trust in future of their country, their jobs and President Rousseff

  

  President Dilma Rousseff continues to enjoy high popularity as Brazilian consumers sound very optimistic about the future of their country and trust they can hold on to their jobs despite the recent economic slowdown.

• Friday, August 3rd 2012 - 07:01 UTC

  Petrobras and BP discover oil in deep-water at the northeast basin off Ceara

  

  Brazil’s government controlled oil and gas corporation Petrobras and Britain’s BP announced the discovery of oil in a deep-water offshore well in a new area for exploration off Brazil's northeast coast, according to a securities filing on Thursday.

• Friday, August 3rd 2012 - 00:11 UTC

  Trial of the century takes off in Brazil; at stake Lula da Silva’s legacy

  

  Seven years after a corruption scandal rattled the government of former President Lula da Silva, Brazil's Supreme Court began on Thursday a landmark trial that could mar the wildly popular leader's legacy.

• Thursday, August 2nd 2012 - 07:20 UTC

  IMF praise for Brazil’s financial system but warns of home-grown risks

  

  Thanks to sound policies and built-in cushions, Brazil’s financial system weathered the global crisis that began in 2008 remarkably well, but now policymakers need to monitor for signs of home-grown financial trouble, the IMF said in its later report.

• Thursday, August 2nd 2012 - 06:53 UTC

  Brazilian government to the rescue of pork farmers; excess production

  

  The Brazilian government will spend 30.4 million Reais (15.05 million dollars) to buy 76,000 metric tons of excess live swine, through a minimum-price plan created to help Brazilian producers get out from under a national oversupply of pork, the Ministry of Agriculture announced.

• Wednesday, August 1st 2012 - 08:08 UTC

  Dilma welcomes President Chavez to the world’s fifth economy

  

  Brazilian president DIlma Rousseff said that with the incorporation of Venezuela, Mercosur has become a global power in food and energy and becomes the fifth world economy with a GDP of 3.3tn dollars.