Brazil's Dilma Rousseff tried to get ahead of the storm of scandal bearing down on her presidency on Wednesday, unveiling a raft of anti-corruption measures she hopes will appease her critics.
Uruguay's Economy minister Danilo Astori warned about the new regional and international context, not so favorable to his country's interests as in recent years, and underlined that Mercosur is going through one of its worst moments since foundation in 1991.
Following a request from Venezuela, the Brazilian government has acted alongside Brazilian companies to guarantee supply of basic products during Venezuela's economic crisis, according to diplomatic sources. The request was made by President Nicolas Maduro in at least two meetings with President Dilma Rousseff, in December 2014 and the day after Rousseff began her second term, on January 2.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff pledged to hold talks with her growing number of critics and said her embattled government needed to show humility, after the Sunday massive protests erupted across the country.
Brazilian prosecutors have formally charged the treasurer of the ruling Workers' Party and 26 others with corruption linked to state-run Petrobras, in the latest blow to President Dilma Rousseff from the widening scandal.
Brazilian police arrested a former Petrobras executive on Monday, in a broad kickback and money laundering investigation that has rattled some of the nation's biggest companies and political parties.
Over one million demonstrators marched in cities and towns across Brazil to protest a sluggish economy, rising prices and corruption, and some even calling for the impeachment of populist President Dilma Rousseff. The marches on Sunday come as Brazil struggles to overcome economic and political malaise and pick up the pieces of a boom that crumbled once Rousseff took office in 2011.
Argentina’s central bank governor Alejandro Vanoli said that despite the continued erosion of the Brazilian currency against the US dollar, which ended the week trading at 3.28 Real to the greenback, monetary policy will continue to manage the foreign exchange to avoid volatility and ensure economic growth.
Pro-government labor unions, student organizations and social activists staged demonstrations across Brazil on Friday in support of President Dilma Rousseff, two days before mass protests planned against her administration.
Brazilian meats giant JBS SA plans to focus on Australia, U.S. pork operations and its processed foods division under a 2015 strategy focused on organic expansion rather than acquisitions, CEO Wesley Batista said on Thursday, and estimated that between 2.5 billion to 3 billion reais (806 million/967 million dollars) in capital investment will be needed this year to support the strategy.