Brazil

• Saturday, December 2nd 2023 - 11:55 UTC

  Brazil wants to hand Mercosur chair next week with a raft of milestones

  

  Brazil who is handing the Mercosur rotating chair to Paraguay during a ceremony and regional summit in Rio do Janeiro next 7 December´, is working overtime to finalize important milestones for the trade block during its presidency, among which discussions with UAE, closing a deal with Singapore, making official Bolivia's incorporation and equally outstanding even possibly signing the definitive agreement with the European Union.

• Friday, December 1st 2023 - 22:45 UTC

  Brazil joining OPEC+ as of next year

  

  Effective Jan. 1, 2024, South America's largest country will join the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Brazil's Minister of Mines and Energy Alexandre Silveira announced this week after participating virtually in a meeting with other colleagues from the bloc.

• Friday, December 1st 2023 - 10:17 UTC

  Will Maduro attempt to take over Guyana's Esequibo? Brazil sends troops to the area

  

  Brazil announced “intensified defensive actions” along its northern border fearing a possible invasion of Guyana by the dictatorial regime of President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. This Friday the UN International Court is expected to halt a referendum, on a disputed area between the two neighbors, which is seen as “an exercise in forced annexation” by Venezuela.

• Thursday, November 30th 2023 - 10:39 UTC

  Brazil: Does STF's last ruling dent freedom of expression?

  

  Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) Wednesday issued a ruling opening the door to criminalizing journalistic work, it was reported in Brasilia. As per the new rationale, the media can be held legally responsible for the publication of interviews with people who falsely attribute crimes to third parties and such a doctrine is to be used by lower courts to hold news outlets accountable.

• Wednesday, November 29th 2023 - 10:35 UTC

  Bolivia's full Mercosur membership greenlighted

  

  Brazil's Senate Tuesday greenlighted Bolivia's accession to the South American Common Market (Mercosur) as a full member of the bloc. Once President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva enacts the bill, the regional alliance will once again consist of five full members -in addition to Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay- as it once happened when Venezuela was admitted but later suspended in 2017 for its undemocratic practices.

• Tuesday, November 28th 2023 - 16:31 UTC

  Lula picks Justice Minister for Supreme Court vacancy

  

  Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced Monday that he would nominate Justice Minister Flávio Dino to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Federal Court (STF) left by then-Chief Justice Rosa Weber, who reached mandatory retirement age last month.

• Monday, November 27th 2023 - 08:40 UTC

  Scioli to remain Argentina's Ambassador to Brazil under Milei?

  

  Argentina's Ambassador to Brasilia Daniel Scioli might stay on his job after Javier Milei's Dec. 10 presidential inauguration, it was rumored this weekend in Buenos Aires.

• Monday, November 27th 2023 - 08:32 UTC

  Mondino brings letter from Milei to Lula

  

  Argentina's future top diplomat Diana Mondino met Sunday in Brasilia with Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and Ambassador Daniel Scioli to hand over a personal letter from Javier Milei inviting President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to his Dec. 10 inauguration in Buenos Aires.

• Monday, November 27th 2023 - 08:07 UTC

  Brazilian drug gang goes global, The Economist reports

  

  According to an article in The Economist last week, Brazil's largest drug gang now has links throughout Europe. The First Capital Command (PCC), a gang officially born after a deadly football match between prison inmates in São Paulo in August 1993, has grown to some 40,000 life members and another 60,000 “contractors,” which would make it one of the world's largest criminal groups.

• Saturday, November 25th 2023 - 10:50 UTC

  Brazilian Football Confederation to take action against hate speech

  

  Following this week's loss to Argentina at the Maracana Stadium in a World Cup qualifying match, Brazilian players of African ethnicity were called “monkeys” on the social network Instagram while Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) President Ednaldo Rodrigues was dubbed an “Indian” due to his native lineage. In this scenario, the CBF announced Friday it would take legal action.