Brazil's federal police have arrested a congressman on corruption charges at Sao Paulo's international airport, saying they feared he could try to escape to Paraguay. A panel of the country's top court this week ordered the arrest of Congressman Joao Rodrigues after his corruption conviction was upheld by a federal court.
The Brazilian unit of ArcelorMittal expects to conclude in the second quarter the takeover of rival Votorantim Siderurgia SA to become the country’s largest long steel producer, a senior company executive said. Jefferson de Paula, ArcelorMittal executive vice president, said that ArcelorMittal’s long steel capacity in Brazil would reach up to 6 million tons per year after the tie-up.
Among the many possible contenders for Brazil’s next president are an ex-army captain, a TV presenter and a former head of state who may be in jail by the time of the election. Now, another eye-catching candidate has thrown his hat into the ring: Fernando Collor de Mello, Brazil’s president from 1990-1992, when he resigned shortly before being impeached on corruption charges.
Brazil’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate on Wednesday to a new low of 6.75%, but hinted it was now done with a historic easing cycle. The bank lowered the Selic rate by 0.25 percentage point, its 11th consecutive cut aimed at helping Latin America’s largest economy emerge from a stifling two-year recession.
Banco Bradesco SA, Brazil's second-largest private-sector lender, appointed a new chief executive who told journalists that demand for credit has already improved in the first month of 2018. Octavio Lazari, 54, head of Bradesco's insurance unit, was appointed as the bank's next CEO amid a broader management shakeup with younger executives joining the board and upper management ranks to tackle increasing competition from all-digital banks.
With Brazil’s unpopular government battling to hold together a congressional coalition, President Michel Temer has been unlucky with his pick of cabinet ministers. Seven quit or were fired in his first year in office, four of them following allegations of wrongdoing. Among them, Geddel Vieira Lima, who was eventually arrested after police identified his fingerprints in an apartment filled with US$16 million in cash.
Brazil’s government has won a court decision allowing the export of live cattle, overturning an injunction obtained by an animal rights group, the Agriculture Ministry said on Monday.
A total of 55 planned and announced floating production, storage, and offloading units (FPSOs) are expected to begin operations by 2022 worldwide, according to a report by GlobalData. In the South American list Brazil figures with 24 FPSOs, plus the Falkland Islands and Guyana with one each.
A Brazilian federal judge ruled on Friday that authorities must return the passport of former President Lula da Silva, seized last week on the order of another court after his conviction for corruption was upheld on appeal. Lawyers for Lula, who governed from 2003-2011, handed over the passport to Brazil’s Federal Police on Jan. 26.
Brazilian Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles said on Monday that although there may be differences in strategy between president Michel Temer and the speaker of the House of Representatives, Rodrigo Maia, everyone's goal is to ensure the approval of the pension reform.