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☆ Son retracts tweet announcing Bolsonaro's return to Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 7 (Reuters) - Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, on Tuesday wrote on Twitter his father would return to Brazil next week but deleted the post a few minutes later, saying the date was not confirmed. "I'm sorry for the previous post, I might be missing him a lot," Flavio said, adding the March 15 date he had previously announced for the former president's return was "likely but still unconfirmed". Bolsonaro has been in self-imposed exile in the United States since late December, having flown to Florida 48 hours before his opponent and successor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sworn in. Reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brazil to criticize Nicaragua, but wants door open to dialogue, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The concern will be presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, the sources who helped prepare the document told Reuters on Monday. Brazilian diplomats took part in the negotiation of the declaration criticizing Nicaragua, but chose not to endorse it because it did not leave a door open for negotiations. At the same time, however, the Lula government wants to keep an open door to be a possible channel for dialogue, emphasizing that Brazil is committed to democracy and wants to play a "constructive" role in solving the crisis in Nicaragua. The report by the council's experts points to Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, the president's wife, as those responsible for the abuses. Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasilia Writing by Anthony Boadle Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brazil's Finance Ministry has finalized proposal for new fiscal framework, says Haddad
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FILE PHOTO: Brazil's Finance Minister Fernando Haddad speaks during a news conference in Brasilia, Brazil February 28, 2023. REUTERS/Adriano MachadoBRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said on Monday that his ministry has finalized its contribution to the design of the country’s new fiscal framework, but highlighted that other ministries will still evaluate it before the president. “We have finalized the design of the fiscal framework internally and now I will discuss it with the economic team before presenting it to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, because it cannot be a Finance Ministry proposal,” Haddad told journalists at the ministry. Haddad also stated that Lula has commissioned the development of a system behind the so-called Desenrola program, aimed at refinancing consumer debt with government guarantees. According to Haddad, the program’s guarantee fund will have about 10 billion reais ($1.9 billion), an amount that will be sufficient to renegotiate 50 billion reais in debt from 37 million individuals.

☆ Brazil investigates undeclared $3 million jewelry gift to Bolsonaro
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, March 6 (Reuters) - Brazilian Justice Minister Flavio Dino on Monday ordered police to investigate an alleged attempt to bring in undeclared jewelry, a gift from Saudi Arabia valued at $3.2 million, to former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. The diamond necklace, ring, watch and earrings gifted to Bolsonaro and former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro by the Saudi government were seized by customs officials at Sao Paulo's international airport in October 2021. Bolsonaro's critics said gifts to president belong to the state and must go into a presidential collection. In his only public comment on the jewelry, Bolsonaro said he was being "crucified" for a gift he never asked for and never received. ($1 = 5.2093 reais)Reporting by Ricardo Brito; Writing by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Bolsonaro denies 'illegal acts' in bringing Saudi jewels to Brazil -report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAO PAULO, March 4 (Reuters) - Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro on Saturday denied committing "illegal acts" after local media reported he tried to bring into his country jewelry that the Saudi government allegedly gifted to him and his wife, according to CNN Brasil. "I'm being accused of a gift I neither asked for nor received," CNN quoted the former far-right leader as saying in an interview. The Saudi embassy in Brazil did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He is expected to meet former U.S. President Donald Trump, his political idol, at the event. ($1 = 0.9406 euros)Reporting by Paula Arend Laier; Writing by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brazil's Petrobras faces legal risks after halting asset sales -lawyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Marta Nogueira | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Lula appointee Petrobras Chief Executive Jean Paul Prates told reporters on Thursday "everything is halted for analysis." There is no stipulation for that," Alexandre Calmon, lead partner of law firm Campos Mello Advogados' energy area, told Reuters. "That would be a breach of contract," he said, adding if "Petrobras fails to do something that it is obligated to do, it can be held responsible." The lawyer also explained that sale processes already signed but not concluded are not under the control of the oil company. The sale halt marks a major shift from the stance taken by former President Jair Bolsonaro's administration, which oversaw a number of Petrobras assets sales, including oilfields and refineries.

☆ Israel urges Brazil to undock Iranian warships
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, March 2 (Reuters) - Israel on Thursday criticised Brazil's decision to grant berth to two Iranian warships in the face of U.S. pressure, and urged President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government to send them away. Reuters reported that Brazil had declined to admit them in January, in a goodwill gesture from Lula as he flew to Washington to meet U.S. President Joe Biden. Lior Haiat, spokesperson for Israel's Foreign Ministry, called the Brazilian berth for the warships "a dangerous and regretful development," accusing the Iranian navy of cooperating with sanctioned entities in Tehran. In a Feb. 15 press conference, the U.S. ambassador to Brazil had urged it not to allow the ships to dock. A Feb. 23 notice in a Brazilian gazette said the warships had been given permission to dock between Feb. 26 and March 4.

☆ Column: Latin America on track to harness solar power potential
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

LITTLETON, Colorado, March 2 (Reuters) - Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have the largest solar power development pipeline outside Eastern Asia and North America, making the bloc a key renewable hot spot to track over the coming decade. Solar power currently generates only 3%-4% of the electricity produced across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), according to data from think tank Ember. But with nearly 250 projects constructing 19,429 megawatts (MW) of solar power capacity, the region's solar power supply potential is primed to jump by at least 70% from current levels once projects are completed, GEM data shows. Collectively, those five countries account for over 88% of current installed solar capacity and about 97% of planned capacity additions that are already in construction. That compares to $0.07/kWh for China, $0.10/kWh for the United States, and $0.07/kWH for India, the top three global solar producers.

☆ Brazil's Haddad says high interest rate is country's main issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, March 1 (Reuters) - Brazil's Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said on Wednesday that the country's high interest rate is the primary obstacle to economic growth, adding that recent government measures such as reinstating fuel taxes would pave the way to monetary easing. In an interview with news portal UOL, he said he believed this was the correct path to follow, rather than changing the central bank's inflation targets. Brazil's benchmark interest rate is currently at a six-year high of 13.75%, which Haddad said was causing a "credit problem" although he did not give further details. "We will recover the public budget from the perspective of revenue and expenditure to quickly create space for reducing interest rates," he said. "The inflation target will not be what causes the interest rate to fall."

[1/3] John Kerry, U.S. Special Envoy for Climate, talks with Brazil's Environment Minister Marina Silva during a meeting in Brasilia, Brazil February 28, 2023. Lula and U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to work together on climate change in a meeting at the White House earlier this month. Protecting the Amazon is vital to curbing climate change because of the vast quantity of greenhouse gas its trees absorb. He said that the United States was still considering how much to give to the Amazon Fund. Silva said she discussed with Kerry the possibility of opening up the United States to more sustainable sourced products from Brazil.

☆ Brazil's public sector gross debt down to 73.1% of GDP in January
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Brazil's gross debt continued its downward trajectory in January, while the consolidated public sector recorded a strong primary surplus, showed central bank data on Tuesday. In January, the Brazilian public sector recorded a primary surplus of 99 billion reais ($19 billion), surpassing the 90 billion reais surplus expected by economists polled by Reuters. However, the figure was lower than the 101.8 billion reais surplus in the same month last year. The performance was mainly driven by the 79.4 billion reais surplus from the central government, helped by record revenues for the month. States and municipalities recorded a primary surplus of 21.8 billion reais, while state-owned companies had a deficit of 2.2 billion reais, said the central bank.

☆ Brazil's central govt tops expectations with record January budget surplus
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Brazil's central government posted a better-than-expected primary budget surplus in January on the back of record tax revenues, Treasury data showed on Monday, although the outlook for the year is for a large deficit. The central government, comprised of the Treasury, central bank and social security, reported a primary budget surplus of 78.3 billion reais ($15 billion) in January, above the median forecast of a 60.9 billion reais surplus in a Reuters poll. After pushing its benchmark rate from a record-low of 2% in March 2021, the central bank paused its tightening cycle in September, holding it at 13.75%. Although the central government's primary surplus reached 54.5 billion reais in 12 months, the primary deficit in this year's budget, the first under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, had been forecast at 231.6 billion reais after Congress approval for a multi-billion spending package to increase expenses and meet campaign promises. ($1 = 5.2054 reais)Reporting by Marcela Ayres; Editing by Mark Porter and Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brazil govt to resume fuel taxes -ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - The Brazilian government is set to resume the collection of federal taxes on fuels this week, the Finance Ministry said on Monday. According to the ministry, the tax revenues from fuels will be 100% recovered with the end of the waiver. The measure to exempt federal taxes levied on fuel was launched by former President Jair Bolsonaro last year as he sought to boost his popularity by lowering prices ahead of a re-election bid. With the return of the taxes on gasoline and ethanol, Haddad's team will have a reinforcement of approximately 29 billion reais ($5.59 billion) in federal revenues this year. The end of the waiver is seen positively by the ethanol industry, since without taxes the biofuel loses competitiveness against gasoline.

☆ Brazil bank lending down for the first time in a year in January
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Outstanding loans in Brazil decreased by 0.3% in January, according to central bank data on Monday, marking the first decline in a year. The result suggests a slowdown that is likely to gain momentum in a scenario of high borrowing costs following the aggressive monetary tightening implemented by the central bank to curb inflation. Bank loans in Latin America's largest economy have decelerated amid more expensive credit, as the country's benchmark interest rate stands at 13.75% from a record low of 2% in March 2021. The central bank has left interest rates unchanged since September, but data from the central bank shows that average interest rates on non-earmarked loans have increased to 43.5% per year from 41.7% in December. Bank lending spreads also grew from 28.7 points the month before to 30.6 percentage points, while a broad measure of Brazilian consumer and business default ratios increased to 4.5% from 4.2% in December.

[1/2] Iranian military ship Iris Makran navigates on the coast of Rio de Janeiro as a Brazilian flag flutters in Copacabana Beach, Brazil, February 27, 2023. REUTERS/Ricardo MoraesRIO DE JANEIRO, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Two Iranian warships docked in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday after Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government granted permission despite pressure from the United States to bar them. "In the past, those ships facilitated illegal trade and terrorist activities, and have also been sanctioned by the United States. Brazil is a sovereign nation, but we firmly believe those ships should not dock anywhere," she said. He traveled to Tehran to meet then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2010 as he sought to broker a nuclear deal between Iran and the United States.

☆ Death toll from Brazil floods, landslides reaches 57
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The death toll from heavy rains that devastated coastal areas of Brazil's southeastern Sao Paulo state reached 57 people on Friday, official figures showed. Massive downpours have caused landslides and flooding in coastal towns of Brazil's richest state since last weekend. The city of Sao Sebastiao bore the brunt of the human toll, with 56 of the reported deaths. The Sao Paulo state government said in a statement that more rains were expected on Friday while search and rescue efforts continued with dozens still missing. On Thursday a Brazilian Navy ship arrived in Sao Sebastiao to help rescue victims.

☆ Debate grows among Lula's team over Brazil fuel tax policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Former far-right Jair Bolsonaro unveiled the fuel tax cut last year as he sought to ease inflation and win over voters ahead of the election which he eventually lost to Lula. Since Lula's victory, debate has raged within his Workers Party (PT) over what to do with the costly and popular measure. Tensions are now mounting over whether to extend further the gasoline and ethanol tax waiver. In a series of Twitter posts, Congresswoman Gleisi Hoffmann, president of Lula's Workers Party (PT), said fuel taxes should only resume once state-run oil giant Petrobras (PETR4.SA) defines a new pricing policy. Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin said on Friday the government had not yet made a decision on fuel taxes.

☆ Death toll from devastating Brazil downpours rises to 44
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The death toll from heavy rains that devastated coastal areas of Brazil's southeastern Sao Paulo state rose to 44 people, according to a state government statement on Tuesday. The city of Sao Sebastiao bore the brunt of the human toll, with 43 reported deaths. [1/5] Firefighters work to find victims in one of the landslides sites after severe rainfall at Barra do Sahy in Sao Sebastiao, Brazil, February 21, 2023. Sao Paulo state Governor Tarcisio de Freitas said the Navy would build a field hospital for victims starting Thursday. The deluge happened as tourists thronged to Brazil's beaches during the annual Carnival holiday, likely making the human toll much worse.

SAO SEBASTIAO, Brazil, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The death toll from devastating rainfall in southeastern Brazil rose to 40 on Monday, official figures showed, as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visited the region and said homes should no longer be built in areas at risk of landslides and major floods. Lula flew over the coastal town of Sao Sebastiao alongside Cabinet ministers and pledged to help rebuild the town of some 91,000 people by constructing new houses in safer places. "Sometimes nature takes us by surprise, but sometimes we also tempt nature," Lula said in a speech after meeting with Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas and Sao Sebastiao Mayor Felipe Augusto to coordinate their response to the disaster. "I express my solidarity with the people of Sao Sebastiao and I hope this never happens again." [1/4] Landslides are seen after severe rainfall in Sao Sebastiao, Brazil, February 20, 2023.

☆ Two dozen dead after Brazil rains cause calamity
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Ana Mano | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Sao Paulo state government confirmed 19 deaths and 566 dislodged or homeless persons after rains of more than 600 millimeters (23.62 inches) pounded the coast of Brazil's richest state. [1/3] An aerial view shows the damage caused by severe rainfall in Ilhabela, Brazil, February 19, 2023, in this picture obtained from social media. Sao Paulo state declared a 180-day state of calamity for six cities after what experts described as an unprecedented, extreme weather event. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on his social media account he will visit the main affected areas on Monday. Reporting by Ana Mano in São Paulo and Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasília; Editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brazil's vaccine-skeptic Bolsonaro got the shot, document indicates
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, Feb 17 (Reuters) - A health ministry record indicates that former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a vocal skeptic of COVID-19 vaccines who vowed to never get the jab, may have received one in 2021, the country's comptroller general's office said on Friday. The office said it was examining a vaccine card provided by the health ministry recording the far-right former president's vaccination, though in a statement it cautioned that the card could have been altered. It said it had sought information about Bolsonaro's vaccination record from the health ministry following last month's inauguration of new leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. "The record exists, that's as much as we know," comptroller general's office head Vinicius Carvalho said during an interview with CNN Brazil. Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Will DunhamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brazil’s Right Eagerly Awaits Former President Jair Bolsonaro’s Return
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Luciana Magalhaes | Samantha Pearson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SÃO PAULO—Conservative Brazilian lawmakers welcomed former President Jair Bolsonaro ’s announcement that he plans to end his self-exile in Florida and return home, saying they hope the right-wing leader can marshal opposition to the leftist government’s plans to raise taxes, toughen gun laws and increase the state’s role in the economy. “He has the confidence of 58 million people, it’s undeniable that he’s influential and a political force,” said a prominent congressman, Deltan Dallagnol, referring to the number of votes cast for Mr. Bolsonaro in his losing reelection effort in October against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva .

☆ Brazil's Lula to meet China's Xi on March 28 in Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during the celebrations marking the 43rd anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party, in Brasilia, Brazil February 13, 2023. REUTERS/Adriano MachadoBRASILIA, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Brazil's new President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping on March 28 on Lula's first trip of his current term to his country's largest trading partner, official sources told Reuters. Lula, who visited China twice during his earlier government 2003-2010, will stay in Beijing for four days for talks on trade, investments and the war in Ukraine. I want to talk about it with President Xi Jinping. The growing economic relationship between the two countries became clear in 2004 when Lula first visited China with a large delegation that included 450 Brazilian business representatives.

☆ No 'witch-hunt' in Brazil's Jan. 8 probes, vows top military prosecutor
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Ricardo Brito | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, Feb 17 (Reuters) - There will be no "witch-hunt" to root out members of Brazil's military who may have potentially been involved in the Jan. 8 Brasilia riots, the country's top military prosecutor said in an interview, pledging to follow due process to mete out justice. For months ahead of the Oct. 30 Brazilian presidential election, far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro sought to enlist military support for his baseless claims of electoral fraud. There has been mounting public pressure for anyone in Brazil's military accused of involvement in the riots to be tried in civil courts. However, Brazil's army brass are unhappy about efforts for military wrongdoing to be tried by the Supreme Court, and want to keep litigation in military courts, according to sources familiar with the matter. Fifteen military investigations related to Jan. 8 have been opened, according to the military attorney general's office.

☆ Exclusive: Guyana aims to reclaim, offer 20% of Exxon oil block
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Sabrina Valle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The group's contract allows Guyana to reclaim unexplored portions this year, Jagdeo said in an interview from the country's capital. Guyana is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to lessen the consortium's grip on the country's oil resources, Jagdeo said, and spur new oil production. The decision to reclaim existing Exxon blocks signals urgency to speed development. Guyana also has development areas outside the soon-to-be-auctioned 14 blocks, and is prepared to offer them to "these countries on a bilateral level." The PSA draft will go through public consultation through March 8 and is expected to be finalized before an April 14 auction, Jagdeo said.

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