The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) honoured Brazilian President Lula da Silva for his leadership in the fight against hunger and inadequate nutrition in his country and across the world.
French resistance to the resumption of Mercosur European Union trade talks caused great disappointment among the block’s members, but Brazil believes it has a strong bargaining chip for a greater opening of the European agriculture market: the several billions US dollars fighter planes contract for the Brazilian Air Force.
Leading Brazilian presidential candidate José Serra said it was “very good” for his campaign that Venezuela’s leader Hugo Chávez should openly support his main competitor incumbent hopeful Dilma Rousseff and again warned about the shortcomings of Mercosur.
Brazilian government managed oil and gas corporation Petrobras (SAO:PETR3) set a monthly record for oil production in April with 2.033 million barrels per day topping the previous record of 2.004 million bpd from September 2009, the company said Friday.
Brazil’s Bovespa stock index fell for a second day on Friday closing with the biggest weekly decline since February 2009, on concern that Europe’s debt crisis is worsening and rescue packages could have to be extended to Portugal and Spain.
Farmers in Brazil have teamed up to drill an area the size of New York for phosphate-based fertilizers, seeking to cut dependency on producers including Vale S.A. (NYSE:VALE) and Mosaic Co. (NYSE:MOS) after prices surged.
The current sugar harvest is Cuba’s worst since 1905, according to Communist Party daily Granma. The news comes two days after President Raúl Castro fired the minister responsible for the area amid increasing rumours that foreign investors will be invited to take over the industry.
Brazilian Senate president José Sarney said there are serious risks of a “Colombianization” of Paraguay given the recent actions of an armed group self proclaimed the Paraguayan People’s Army, EPP, and called for strong support for President Fernando Lugo.
Honduran president Porfirio Lobo will not attend the LAC-EU summit in Spain later this month, after South American leaders who do not recognize him as his country's legitimate leader threatened to pull out. However, he will attend the EU/Central America meeting, which will be held a day later.
Brazil’s Bovespa stock index plunged Thursday to a three-month low, extending its drop in the past month to 12%, and the Real tumbled as concern Europe’s debt crisis will spread prompted investors to sell higher-yielding assets.