Brazil went through Friday's general strike, the second of its kind called for by labour unions against the economic reforms President Michel Temer intends to bring about, with business nearly unaffected in major cities, Brasilia excluded. Temer's personal involvement in alleged cases of corruption seemed to have had little or no impact on the workers' decision.
Brazil wants a more flexible dynamic Mercosur which allows member countries to reach autonomous agreements with third parties, that can help overcome the de-industrialization process suffered by recent “populist governments”, said Brazilian foreign minister in a speech to the Sao Paulo State Federation of Industries, FIESP.
Uruguay's ruling coalition, Broad Front, came out strongly in support of Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff and condemned the coup which is being instrumented against the head of state who was supported by 54 million votes in free, open democratic elections.
The all powerful Sao Paulo Federation of Industries, FIESP, formalized on Tuesday its support to the impeachment process against Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, thus becoming the first business corporation to publicly express such stance that could end with the removal of the head of state of Latin America's largest economy.
Mercosur and the Pacific Alliance are not contradictory competing blocks, and can advance towards a mutually beneficial convergence, said Chile's Economy minister Luis Felipe Cespedes during a trade and investment promotion seminar in Brazil.
The powerful manufacturers lobby, Sao Paulo’s Industry Federation, Fiesp believes a free trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union is very much needed so that Latam’s largest economy climbs out from the “commercial isolation” in which it currently stands.
Brazilian corporations with strong interests in Venezuela have expressed concern about the future of the country and its impact on Mercosur if the political transition, because of President Hugo Chavez health condition, does not follow the constitutional process