
Brazil’s Supreme Court delayed indefinitely a decision on whether former president Lula da Silva should be freed from prison, where he is serving a 12-term for corruption. One of the five justices called for the postponement to give more time to study the case after two of his colleagues decided against a release.

Brazil’s presence in the benchmark emerging-market stock index could rise again should incoming President Jair Bolsonaro deliver on his promises to shore up the finances of Latin America’s largest economy, according to MSCI Inc chief executive Henry Fernandez.

The Brazilian corruption probe known as Operation Carwash (Lava Jato) has placed three out of five living former presidents of Brazil as defendants. Michel Temer, the current president, and José Sarney so far have been only arraigned.

Brazil's jailed ex-president Lula da Silva's legal troubles mounted on Monday as he was accused by the Sao Paulo public prosecutor's office of money laundering in his dealings with Equatorial Guinea.

Brazil has opened criminal proceedings against former leaders Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff for allegedly receiving bribes with money diverted from state-owned oil giant Petrobras. The Workers Party (PT) of the two ex-presidents has strongly denied the charges, calling them a “scandalous maneuver” with partisan motives.

Brazil's incoming justice and security minister Sergio Moro announced on Tuesday he was recruiting part of his team from the massive “Car Wash” anti-corruption probe that snared former president Lula da Silva. Moro said he would be a “fool” not to work again with people he had worked with on the Car Wash investigation as they “have already proven their integrity and efficiency.”

Ex Brazilian president Lula da Silva has challenged his corruption conviction, arguing that the judge behind his conviction has “proven his bias” by accepting a cabinet post under a political rival. The petition filed on Monday with Brazil's highest court asks Lula, who is currently serving a 12-year sentence, to be freed and his conviction overturned.

Brazilian far-right President-elect Jair Bolsonaro has convinced crusading anti-graft Judge Sergio Moro to become his justice minister, the two said on Thursday, delighting supporters and enraging critics “by hiring the jurist who jailed Bolsonaro's chief political rival”.

Finally on Monday the Uruguayan government sent an official message congratulating the Brazilian people for their civic display on Sunday which elected president Jair Bolsonaro. Likewise the Uruguayan government confirmed its willingness to continue working and developing the bilateral relation with its large neighbor and strongest economy in Latin America.

Jair Bolsonaro, a nostalgic of the Brazilian military dictatorship, has been chosen as the new president of the largest economy in Latin America after one of the most divided and tense campaigns in the history of the country obtaining 55% of the votes after the scrutiny of more than 99% of the polls.