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☆ Why are Brazil's Indigenous Yanomani being decimated by diseases, mining?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

BOA VISTA, Brazil — Severe malnutrition and disease, particularly malaria, are decimating the Yanomami population in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, and on Jan. 20 the federal government declared a public health emergency. An estimated 30,000 Yanomami people live in Brazil’s largest indigenous territory, which covers an area roughly the size of Portugal and stretches across Roraima and Amazonas states in the northwest corner of Brazil’s Amazon. Illegal gold miners were first present in Yanomami territory during the 1980s, but then were largely expelled. Their numbers surged to 20,000 during Bolsonaro’s administration, according to estimates from environmental and Indigenous rights groups. Miners destroy the habitat of animals that the Yanomami hunt, and occupy fertile land that the Yanomami use to farm.

Carminatti led as chief geologist the discovery in 2006 of one of the world's largest offsfhore oil deposits this century, the pre-salt. The salt barrier alone was more profound than any well that Petrobras, the world's leader in deep-water exploration, had drilled before. The pre-salt area is now responsible for more than 70% of Brazil's daily production of near 4 million barrels of oil and gas. Past CEOs have failed to convince him to take a post as head of a division in the company. Petrobras experts have compared the oil deposits in the region those of nearby Guyana.

Companies Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras FollowHOUSTON, Jan 27 (Reuters) - The new Chief Executive of Brazil's Petrobras, Jean Paul Prates, has picked geologist Mario Carminatti to head the oil company's exploration and production division, people with knowledge of the information said on Friday. Petrobras said in a securities filing it had not received official statements regarding the nomination of any executive. He won praise for the pre-salt discovery, pressing on with drilling though the salt barrier that alone was deeper than any well that Petrobras, the world's leader in deep-water exploration, had drilled before. The pre-salt area is now responsible for more than 70% of Brazil's daily production of near 4 million barrels of oil and gas. Carminatti is currently involved in an almost $3 billion exploration effort in a new frontier North of Brazil, the Equatorial Margin.

☆ Brazilian court orders seizure of emails of bankrupt retailer Americanas
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Tatiana Bautzer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAO PAULO, Jan 26 (Reuters) - A Brazilian court has ordered the seizure of all corporate emails of managers and board members from bankrupt retailer Americanas SA (AMER3.SA) sent and received over the last 10 years, according to documents seen by Reuters. Bradesco said it was seeking evidence for potential litigation against Americanas, its managers, and potentially its controlling shareholders over "abuse of power." Americanas' largest shareholders are the billionaire founders of 3G Capital, Jorge Paulo Lemann, Carlos Alberto Sicupira and Marcel Telles. The judge also ordered the seizure of all emails of employees in the finance and accounting division. Americanas is one of Brazil's largest retailers and has been in business for over 90 years.

☆ Brazil, Argentina to encourage trade, says Haddad; plays down common currency
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Lisandra Paraguassu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

His remarks came after Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Argentine leader Alberto Fernandez published a joint article saying their aim for greater economic integration included studies of a common South American currency. Haddad, who floated such a possibility in an article last year, said removing trade barriers between the two largest economies in South America could involve using a single currency for commerce, given a lack of U.S. dollars in Argentina. "Trade is really bad and the problem is precisely the foreign currency, right? Haddad noted Argentina was an important buyer of Brazilian industrial goods and that "several possibilities" were being floated to circumvent its currency problems, though no decision had been made. The Financial Times had previously reported, citing Argentina's Economy Minister Sergio Massa, that the neighboring nations would announce this week they were starting preparatory work on a common currency.

☆ Drag artist says George Santos was a left-wing Lula supporter in Brazil before going to the US and turning into 'this crazy thing'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Virginia Alves | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A drag artist who knew him in the mid-2000s told Insider Santos supported Brazil's left-wing president then. Rochard said Santos supported Lula and then "goes to the US and turns into this crazy thing there. They were all Lulistas and Anthony was too because he hung out with us," Rochard told Insider, using the name Rochard says Santos used in Brazil, "Anthony." Brazilian drag artist Eula Rochard holds a newspaper from 2008 that she says shows GOP Rep. George Santos in drag attire. Rochard met Santos when he was about 17 years old and said she used to catch Santos in "little white lies."

☆ Explainer: What Brazil and Argentina's 'currency union' really means
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Marcela Ayres | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRASILIA, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Brazil and Argentina sparked some excitement on Sunday over the possibility of a potential "currency union", though the two countries are unlikely to ditch the real or peso any time soon. That sparked off chatter about a European Union-style zonal currency for South America, though officials have since played that down and analysts say a full-on currency union is a distant prospect. Under the plan, the Brazilian real and Argentine peso would continue to exist, with the new tender targeted narrowly at trade. That is key for Argentina, which is grappling with low foreign currency reserves after years of debt crises. In 2019, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro touted plans for a currency union, which also never materialized.

☆ The Offshore Oil Business Is Gushing Again
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Bob Henderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The $1.2 billion Deepwater Titan sat idle in a Singaporean shipyard for five years, looking like an abandoned cruise ship with a derrick attached to its deck. Soon this vessel that spans nearly three football fields will depart for the deepest waters of the Gulf of Mexico, where its crew will be able to drill 8 miles below the seafloor in search of oil for Chevron Corp. The hunt for offshore petroleum is on again, fueled by a surge in global demand for energy, supply disruptions triggered by the war in Ukraine and crude prices that remain above prepandemic levels. Other giant rigs such as Titan that were dormant near the end of the last decade are also now operating in deep waters along the coast of Brazil, while rigs lacking propulsion are mining shallower waters in the Middle East after hitching rides to that part of the world on tugboats.

Embattled Republican Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., said claims that he performed as a drag queen are “categorically false.” His denial comes shortly after a Brazilian drag performer shared on social media an image of herself and another person in drag, whom she identified as the newly elected congressman. “The most recent obsession from the media claiming that I am a drag Queen or ‘performed’ as a drag Queen is categorically false,” Santos, who has been the subject of international headlines for weeks for fabricating parts of his résumé, tweeted Thursday morning. Rochard, who is identified as Eula Rorard in the photo, claims the other person in drag went by the stage name Kitara Ravache and is, in fact, Santos. As of Thursday afternoon, the images had been widely circulated on social media and news websites. A lawyer for Santos did not return NBC News’ request for comment regarding the congressman’s stance on the proposed policies related to drag performances.

☆ Facebook approved ads promoting violence in wake of Brazil riots, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Ueslei MarcelinoLONDON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Facebook approved a series of online ads promoting violence in Brazil, days after protesters ransacked government buildings, according to a new report. However, four days after the uprising, human rights organisation Global Witness found Facebook was still allowing ads containing death threats and other calls to violence on its platform. Using fake accounts, the group submitted 16 bogus ads to run on the platform, 14 of which were approved for publication. Global Witness said it withdrew the ads from Facebook before any other users could see them. “In the aftermath of the violence in Brasilia, Facebook said they were ‘actively monitoring’ the situation and removing content in violation of their policies.

☆ Brazilians work to restore relics damaged in Congress riot
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Adriano MachadoBRASILIA, Jan 18 (Reuters) - A restorer in Brazil's capital gently scrapes off dirt from an ornate vase, just one of the relics damaged earlier this month when right-wing rioters stormed the country's most important institutional headquarters. Supporters of Brazilian far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro invaded and defaced the country's Congress, presidential palace and Supreme Court on Jan. 8. Rioters threw furniture through the smashed windows of the presidential palace, flooded parts of Congress with a sprinkler system, and ransacked ceremonial rooms in the Supreme Court. As soon as Sa's team was able to enter the buildings, they collected whatever they could to put some of the relics back together. "Assets inside the (presidential) palace are the history of Brazilian art itself, the history of Brazil."

☆ Brazil presents charges against Jan. 8 pro-Bolsonaro riot participants
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, Brazil — The office of Brazil’s prosecutor-general has presented its first charges against some of the thousands of people who authorities say stormed government buildings in an effort to overturn former President Jair Bolsonaro’s loss in the October election. More than a thousand people were arrested on the day of the Jan. 8 riot, which bore strong similarities to the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Congress by mobs who wanted to overturn former President Donald Trump’s loss in November’s election. “The ultimate objective of the attack ... was the installation of an alternative government regime.”Supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro rifle through papers on a desk after storming the Planalto Palace in Brasilia on Jan. 8. Eraldo Peres / APThe attackers were not charged with terrorism because under Brazilian law such a charge must involve xenophobia or prejudice based on race, ethnicity or religion. The prosecutor-general’s office sent its charges to the Supreme Court after the Senate’s president, Rodrigo Pacheco, last week provided a list of people accused of rampaging through Congress.

Brazil’s corn exports should wind down in the coming months, inviting the possibility that China turns to the U.S. market. SHRINKING SHIPMENTSThe 2022 U.S. corn crop was smaller than expected and lighter than in the two prior years, curbing export potential. 2 shipper Brazil has the United States in serious jeopardy of losing its corn crown, something many believed could not happen this soon. For context, Brazil’s corn exports first topped 10 million tonnes in the 2010-11 trade year, and they broke 26 million tonnes two years later. Brazil’s 2022-23 corn crop is seen at a record 125 million tonnes, nearly a quarter larger than the recent average.

☆ Davos 2023: Brazil lacking world aid to fight climate change, Silva says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

She said Brazil has regained the trust of the European Parliament with regards to resistance to the EU trade deal with South America's Mercosur bloc. Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF), Silva said Brazil's new government that took office on Jan. 1, was rebuilding Brazil's environmental agencies and policies that were "completely dismantled" by the previous administration. Silva said President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had offered to hold the COP30 climate summit in the Amazon region in 2025 to show its commitment towards curbing in climate change. Silva and Finance Minister Fernando Haddad represented Brazil at the WEF and discussed the country's economic, social and environmental roadmap in a panel. Reporting by Alessandra Galloni in Davos, Anthony Boadle and Eduardo Simoes in Brazil; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

SAO PAULO, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Brazilian lenders BTG Pactual, Bradesco and Santander Brasil are among those most exposed to debt of Americanas SA (AMER3.SA), analysts' estimates showed on Monday, after the retailer obtained an injunction protecting it from creditors. Analysts at JPMorgan and Citi said in research notes that Banco Bradesco SA (BBDC4.SA) had the largest nominal exposure to the firm, while Banco BTG Pactual SA topped exposure as a proportion of loans. Considering JPMorgan's and Citi's estimates, BTG had a 1.9 billion-real exposure to Americanas, which was seen accounting for roughly 1.5% of its loans, while Bradesco had exposure of 4.7 billion reais, or 0.5% of loans. Banco Santander Brasil SA , the local unit of Spain's Banco Santander (SAN.MC), had 3.7 billion reais in exposure, or about 0.6% of loans. Sergio Rial, the outgoing Americanas chief executive who uncovered the accounting inconsistencies, is a former head of Santander Brasil, where he still serves as chairman of the board.

[1/5] Supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro demonstrate against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as security forces operate, outside Brazil?s National Congress in Brasilia, Brazil, January 8, 2023. Launched in November 2020 and run by Brazil's central bank, Pix is free of charge for individuals, allowing them to instantly transfer money to others via online banking apps. Since its launch, over 133 million Brazilians and almost 12 million companies have made or received Pix transfers, according to the central bank. INVESTIGATIVE TRAILPolice, money-laundering experts and central bank officials said Pix donations will be central to investigators' efforts to uncover who orchestrated the insurrection. Pix transfers are covered by bank secrecy laws, and police can only access a suspect's transaction history with judicial authorization.

☆ Founders growing meat in labs raised a huge $600 million in 2022. Check out the pitch deck used by Multus to raise $9.5 million to make slaughter-free growth serum.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Lab-grown or cultivated meat is real meat grown from the cells of an animal in a controlled environment, as opposed to rearing and slaughtering said animals. It is now honing in on specific use cases to help cultivated meat manufacturers nail the taste and texture of their products. It expects to bring a range of products to market in 2023, including a growth media specifically for beef. The end goal is to also provide growth media for lab-grown dairy and leather. As well as off-the-shelf products, Multus takes advantage of data and automation to discover new growth media ingredients and formulations.

☆ Top Brazilian court authorizes investigation into whether Bolsonaro incited riot
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

RIO DE JANEIRO — A Brazilian Supreme Court justice on Friday authorized an investigation of whether former president Jair Bolsonaro incited the Jan. 8 riot in the nation’s capital, as part of a broader crackdown to hold responsible parties to account. The video claimed Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wasn’t voted into office, but rather was chosen by the Supreme Court and Brazil’s electoral authority. Security forces arrest supporters of Brazilian former President Jair Bolsonaro after retaking control of Planalto Presidential Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on Jan. 8. Dino told reporters Friday morning that no connection has yet been established between the capital riot and Bolsonaro. The federal district’s former governor and former military police chief are also targets of the Supreme Court investigation made public Friday.

☆ Brazil’s Supreme Court Authorizes Probe of Former President Bolsonaro Over Riots
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Luciana Magalhaes | Samantha Pearson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro used the example of the U.S. Capitol attack to argue for getting rid of Brazil’s electronic voting system. BRASÍLIA—Brazil’s Supreme Court authorized Friday an investigation into former President Jair Bolsonaro over accusations he incited last weekend’s riots by asserting the election that removed him from office was rigged. Before the Oct. 30 vote won by leftist candidateLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva , Mr. Bolsonaro, a conservative, warned about the potential for voter fraud and some of his supporters say they don’t believe Mr. da Silva is the country’s legitimate president. Mr. Bolsonaro hasn’t conceded defeat.

☆ Brazilian Prosecutors Call for Probe of Former President Bolsonaro Over Riots
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Luciana Magalhaes | Samantha Pearson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro used the example of the U.S. Capitol attack to argue for getting rid of Brazil’s electronic voting system. BRASÍLIA—Brazilian prosecutors on Friday accused former President Jair Bolsonaro of inciting last weekend’s riots by asserting the election that removed him from office was rigged, and asked the country’s Supreme Court to authorize an investigation of him. Before the Oct. 30 vote won by leftist candidateLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva , Mr. Bolsonaro, a conservative, warned about the potential for voter fraud and some of his supporters say they don’t believe Mr. da Silva is the country’s legitimate president. Mr. Bolsonaro hasn’t conceded defeat.

☆ Brazil top court to investigate Bolsonaro role in Brasilia riots
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Security forces operate as supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro demonstrate against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, outside Brazil’s National Congress in Brasilia, Brazil, January 8, 2023. Brazil's Supreme Court agreed on Friday to open an investigation into former President Jair Bolsonaro for allegedly encouraging anti-democratic protests that ended in the storming of government buildings by his supporters in Brasilia. The Supreme Court had already ordered the arrest of Bolsonaro's former justice minister, Anderson Torres, for allowing the protests to take place in the Brazilian capital after he assumed responsibility for Brasilia's public security. Torres, who like Bolsonaro is in Florida, has said he plans to return to Brazil to turn himself in. Bolsonaro said on social media he will move forward his return to Brazil.

☆ Fact Check-Behind-the-scenes filming of Brazilian TV show miscaptioned following capture of Ovidio Guzmán in Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The clip opens with a group of three people slowly advancing down an ally, hunched over, and appearing to hold firearms. A further two people can subsequently be seen hunched around a corner, shooting toward the first group. Instead, it shows behind-the-scenes footage from a Brazilian TV show, Arcanjo Renegado, which was released in 2020 via the platform Globoplay (the streaming service owned by the Grupo Globo conglomerate). Reuters previously addressed another miscaptioned behind-the-scenes video of Arcanjo Renegado which can be seen here: (here). The clip shows behind-the-scenes filming of the Brazilian TV series, Arcanjo Renegado.

☆ Lula's changes at Brazil farm ministry draw cries from food security agency
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Ana Mano | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The ministry did not comment on the changes, which are part of broader efforts by the new administration to cut government spending. In the memo, signed by a group of civil servants opposing the changes, they urge that the reshuffle be reconsidered "in the name of public health." The union ANFFA, which represents federal auditors who inspect food plants in the world's biggest chicken exporter, denounced the overhaul. "The federal laboratories network has struggled against drastic budget reduction and critical staff shortages for years," said ANFFA in a statement to Reuters. Reporting by Ana Mano in Sao Paulo Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Minority shareholders denounce Brazil's Americanas for 'multi-billion fraud'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Rodrigo Viga Gaier | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

RIO DE JANEIRO/SAO PAULO, Jan 13 (Reuters) - A group representing minority shareholders on Friday filed a complaint with Brazil's securities regulator against Americanas SA (AMER3.SA) after the retailer uncovered "accounting inconsistencies" totaling 20 billion reais ($3.89 billion). The Abradin association said it was denouncing Americanas for what it called a "multi-billion fraud," while also asking regulator CVM to investigate the retailer's auditor, PwC. Shares in Americanas plummeted more than 75% on Thursday, wiping out 8.4 billion reais in market value, after the company's chief executive Sergio Rial resigned, citing the discovery of inconsistencies. It's not easy to hide 20 billion reais," said Eric Barreto, a professor at Sao Paulo's Insper. Americanas has long been controlled by three Brazilian billionaires who founded 3G Capital.

☆ Brazil making 'atypical' soy sales to Argentina, Anec says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Ana Mano | Roberto Samora | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAO PAULO (Reuters) -A Brazilian trade group representing global grain merchants on Thursday confirmed “atypical” sales of Brazilian soybeans to Argentina after rumors about unusual cargos being booked at this time of the year. FILE PHOTO: Soybeans are harvested at a farm in Porto Nacional, Tocantins state, Brazil March 24, 2018. Fernando Muraro, an analyst with AgRural, estimates Brazilian soy sales of 200,000 to 300,000 tonnes to Argentina for delivery in February and March. “They went up.”Crushing margins in Argentina rose by $10 per tonne in the beginning of January, to $30, making soy imports from Brazil an attractive option during the peak of Argentina’s soy inter-harvest period, Muraro added. Last year, the first Brazilian soy shipments to Argentina were recorded in April, for a batch of almost 49,000 tonnes, Brazil trade data show.

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