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☆ Reuters journalist testifies to Brazil's Congress in capital riots probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Brazil’s Congress opened an inquiry into the matter, which will eventually produce a written report and may suggest that prosecutors bring criminal charges. The committee has called former Bolsonaro aides to testify about an alleged conspiracy to overturn electoral results which they have denied. Opposition lawmakers have sought to turn up evidence that the government was to blame for the rioting because it failed to provide adequate security in the capital. Some opposition lawmakers have focused on a portion of security footage showing him taking pictures to suggest the scenes were staged. “We’re here today at an anti-climax, listening to a working journalist who was taking photographs,” said pro-government lawmaker Rogerio Correia.

Persons: Jair Bolsonaro, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Adriano Machado, Machado, ” Machado, ”, Alexandre Ramagem, “, Rogerio Correia, you’re, Edward Tobin Organizations: REUTERS, Brazil’s, Reuters News, ” Reuters, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, Jan, Brazilian

☆ Brazil's Lula unveils $350 bln 'growth acceleration' plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Rodrigo Viga Gaier | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A general view of the Copa Cabana beach during Independence Day celebrations, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil September 7, 2022. Critics say it incurred excessive spending, exacerbating Brazil's fiscal crisis, while failing to bring fundamental advances in infrastructure. The government did not immediately detail the fiscal impact of the initiative, or give a specific time frame for the plan. Yet Lula is under pressure to deliver much-needed growth to poor, under-developed regions and he wants Petrobras to be an engine of growth. "We'll accelerate growth in our country and help stop degradation of our planet," Haddad said in a speech.

Persons: Ricardo Moraes, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Dilma Rousseff, Staff Rui Costa, Lula, Jair Bolsonaro, Fernando Haddad, Haddad, Rodrigo Viga Gaier, Gabriel Araujo, Steven Grattan, Anthony Boadle, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Copa Cabana, REUTERS, Staff, Petrobras, PETR4, Finance, Sao Paulo, Thomson Locations: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, JANEIRO, Sao

☆ Brazil launches 'growth acceleration' plan set to invest $350 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A general view of the Copa Cabana beach during Independence Day celebrations, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil September 7, 2022. But the government said its new version would be marked by a strong partnership between the public and private sectors, with more than 1.3 trillion reais estimated to be disbursed by 2026. According to a statement, 371 billion reais are set to be invested by the federal government, while state-owned firms such as oil giant Petrobras (PETR4.SA) would inject 343 billion. The private sector, it added, is seen investing a total 612 billion reais, added. Sao Paulo, the country's wealthiest and most populous state, comes second with an estimated 179.6 billion reais being invested in major infrastructure projects.

Persons: Ricardo Moraes, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Dilma Rousseff, Sao, Rodrigo Viga Gaier, Gabriel Araujo, Steven Grattan, Frances Kerry Organizations: Copa Cabana, REUTERS, Brazil's, Petrobras, PETR4, Sao Paulo, Paulo, Thomson Locations: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, JANEIRO

BELEM, Brazil, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Amazon rainforest nations emerged from a summit this week with a stronger hand to play at upcoming United Nations climate talks, despite the meeting's lackluster final agreement, according to environmental groups. Lula will take that message on the road this year at the G20, United Nations General Assembly and U.N. COP28 climate summit. But he also applauded the symbolism of the eight Amazon countries meeting together for the first time in 14 years and joining their voices with the world's other major rainforests. STRONGER VOICERainforest nations have a stronger unified voice after the meeting, at least on paper, said Luis Roman, a representative of nonprofit WWF Peru. Rainforest nations thus far have focused on past funding commitments.

Persons: It's, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, André Guimarães, Marcio Astrini, Astrini, Luis Roman, Susana Muhamad, Jake Spring, Oliver Griffin, Brad Haynes, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Democratic, United Nations General Assembly, Amazon Environmental Research Institute, Observatory, WWF, Colombia's, Thomson Locations: BELEM, Brazil, Nations, Indonesia, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, Venezuela, Lula, Bolivia, WWF Peru, European, Belem, Bogota

☆ Brazilian consumer prices seen virtually flat in July vs June
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Gabriel Burin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A customer looks at the prices at a supermarket in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 6, 2016. "Moreover, services and core services indexes also improved... although they will continue to be considerably above the inflation target," the analysts noted. Brazil is enjoying benign food inflation trends resulting from a record-breaking crop that may be repeated next season, provided the country's vast production of grains and oilseeds is spared from the impact of the El Nino climatic pattern. Apart from helping to open a window for much awaited interest rate cuts, stable food prices facilitate President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government initiative to raise fuel taxes again in a bid to strengthen Brazil's public accounts. Reporting and polling by Gabriel Burin; Editing by Ross Finley and Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nacho Doce, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Gabriel Burin, Ross Finley, Jan Harvey Organizations: REUTERS, Santander, El, Thomson Locations: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

BELEM, Brazil, Aug 9 (Reuters) - A dozen rainforest countries formed a pact on Wednesday at a summit in Brazil to demand developed countries pay to help poorer nations combat climate change and preserve biodiversity. In the joint statement, the dozen countries called for financing mechanisms to be developed for the world to pay for the critical services provided by forests. They also expressed concerns that richer nations have not delivered on a promise to provide $100 billion in climate financing annually to developing countries. Additionally, they called on developed nations to meet an existing commitment to provide $200 billion per year for biodiversity preservation. At last year's climate summit, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia agreed to form an alliance to pressure rich countries to pay for conservation.

Persons: Saint Vincent, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Jake Spring, Steven Grattan, Miral Fahmy, Deepa Babington Organizations: Our, Democratic, United Nations, Thomson Locations: BELEM, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Guyana, Indonesia, Peru, Republic of Congo, Grenadines, Suriname, Venezuela, Congo, Southeast Asia, United, Republic

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been advocating for a common regional policy to end deforestation by 2030, promising his country will reach zero deforestation. However, the failure to agree on a common policy to end deforestation in the Amazon is concerning, as the fate of the rainforest is critical to the health of the planet. It is home to a unique array of animal and plant life, and is crucial to maintaining a global climate balance because it stores a huge amount of carbon and strongly influences global weather patterns. According to CNN affiliate CNN Brasil, Guyana, Suriname and Bolivia left the meeting refusing to agree on a goal. On Monday, Colombia backed an indigenous-led global pact to protect 80% of the Amazon by 2025.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula da Silva’s, Jair Bolsonaro, haven’t, ” Lula da Silva, Evaristo Sa, Susana Muhamad Organizations: CNN, Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, Brazilian Amazon, Peoples of, Getty, Amazon Alliance, CNN Brasil, Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, Colombian Locations: Brazil, Brazilian, Belém, Para State, AFP, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Amazonia

BELEM, Brazil, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Eight Amazon nations agreed to a list of unified environmental policies and measures to bolster regional cooperation at a major rainforest summit in Brazil on Tuesday, but failed to agree on a common goal for ending deforestation. The failure of the eight Amazon countries to agree on a pact to protect their own forests points to the larger, global difficulties of forging an agreement to combat climate change. Bolivia and Venezuela are the only Amazon countries not to sign onto a 2021 agreement among more than 100 countries to work toward halting deforestation by 2030. But tensions emerged in the lead up to the summit around diverging positions on deforestation and oil development. Fellow Amazon countries also rebuffed Colombia's leftist President Gustavo Petro's ongoing campaign to end new oil development in the Amazon.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Marcio Astrini, Lula, Luis Arce, Mauro Vieira, Ricardo Stuckert, Gustavo Petro's, Petro, Alexandre Silveira, Silveira, Jake Spring, Steven Grattan, Brad Haynes, Rosalba O'Brien, Jason Neely, Peter Graff, Aurora Ellis, Richard Chang Organizations: Climate, Reuters, Bolivian, Brazil's, Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, REUTERS, Amazon, Brazil's Energy, United Nations, Thomson Locations: BELEM, Brazil, Brazilian, Belem, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela

[1/2] A general view shows the water conditions of the Piraiba river before a summit of Amazon rainforest nations, in Belem, Para state, Brazil August 5, 2023. Leaders are expected to announce the final agreement, known as the Belem Declaration, late on Tuesday afternoon. Presidents from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Peru and Venezuela will attend, while Ecuador and Suriname will send other representatives. ACTO Executive Director Carlos Lazary said the final agreement may include Brazil's plans for a regional center in Manaus where Amazon countries can coordinate police operations. Norway and Germany, which have funded Amazon preservation, and France, which controls the Amazon territory of French Guiana, will also participate.

Persons: Ueslei Marcelino, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Jair Bolsonaro, Carlos Lazary, Jake Spring, Brad Haynes, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Ueslei, Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, CNN Brasil, European Union, Thomson Locations: Belem , Para, Brazil, Ueslei Marcelino BELEM, Brazilian, Belem, Belem Declaration, Bolivia, Colombia, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Suriname, policymaking, Manaus, Congo, DRC, Indonesia, Norway, Germany, France, French Guiana

On Tuesday, the leaders of eight countries that are home to the Amazon River basin agreed to work together to conserve the world’s largest rainforest at a groundbreaking meeting convened by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil. The agreement, called the Belém Declaration, for the Brazilian city where the meeting was held, provides a road map to stave off the rampant deforestation, caused in large part by industrial agriculture and land-grabbing, that has severely damaged the rainforest and has major implications for Earth’s climate. The meeting was also expected to yield a separate agreement on Wednesday among other nations with major rainforests — including the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo and Indonesia — to more closely coordinate protecting the ecosystems globally. The Amazon rainforest is not only a haven of biodiversity but also plays an important role in the fight against climate change because it pulls huge amounts of planet-warming carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and stores it away. Over the past half-century, around 17 percent of the forest has been razed and an even bigger share is severely degraded.

Persons: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Organizations: Democratic Locations: Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Indonesia

[1/3] A general view shows the water conditions of the Piraiba river before a summit of Amazon rainforest nations, in Belem, Para state, Brazil August 6, 2023. REUTERS/Ueslei MarcelinoSAO PAULO, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Eight Amazon rainforest nations are expected to face divisions over proposals to block new oil drilling and end deforestation when they meet on Tuesday for their first summit in 14 years. But at a pre-summit meeting last month, Colombian President Gustavo Petro pushed his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to block all new oil development in the Amazon. Brazil is weighing whether to develop a potentially huge offshore oil find near the mouth of the Amazon River. "Are we going to let hydrocarbons be explored in the Amazon rainforest?

Persons: Ueslei Marcelino, Gustavo Petro, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Petro, Lula, Jake Spring, Oliver Griffin, Lucinda Elliott, Brad Haynes, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, Ueslei, Ueslei Marcelino SAO PAULO, Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, Brazilian, Miami Herald, Global Forest Watch, Thomson Locations: Belem , Para, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, Belem, Amazon, Lula's, Leticia, Bolivian, Bogota, Montevideo

☆ Brazil courts private sector help to reforest the Amazon, minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Lisandra Paraguassu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An aerial view shows trees as the sun rises at the Amazon rainforest in Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil October 26, 2022. REUTERS/Bruno Kelly/File PhotoBRASILIA, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Brazil's government wants the private sector to help reforest large swathes of the Amazon, the country's Environment Minister Marina Silva said in an interview, using concessions to replant some 12 million hectares (120,000 square km) of forest by 2030. The plan's outlines were sketched out in a briefing last week by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has vowed to end Amazon deforestation by 2030. Concessions could also be granted to generate other products, like oilseeds, fibers and resins, along with potential carbon credit schemes. The vast Amazon rainforest is a key buffer against climate change.

Persons: Bruno Kelly, Marina Silva, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Silva, Andre Lima, Jair Bolsonaro, Lisandra, Gabriel Stargardter, Brad Haynes, Richard Chang Organizations: REUTERS, country's, Reuters, Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, Thomson Locations: Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil, BRASILIA, Brasilia, Colombia, Peru, Belem

Minister of Indigenous Peoples Sonia Guajajara said more Indigenous people felt comfortable identifying themselves as such. Tebet told reporters the new population numbers will allow for improved budget funding for policies to help Indigenous communities, in education but mainly in health services and basic sanitation to make up for government neglect. Half of Brazil's Indigenous communities live in the Amazon region, some 867,900, with the highest urban concentration in the city of Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state. But the main reason for the exponential growth in numbers, besides higher fertility rates among Indigenous communities, is the rise in visibility of Brazil's Indigenous movement, he said. "When you have strong Indigenous leaders bringing positive connotations to being Indigenous, this encourages people to begin identifying themselves," Barros said by telephone.

Persons: Vanderlecia Ortega dos Santos, Vanda, Ueslei Marcelino BRASILIA, Sonia Guajajara, Guajajara, Simone Tebet, Tebet, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Jair Bolsonaro, Lula, Leonardo Barros, Barros, Anthony Boadle, Aurora Ellis, Jamie Freed Organizations: Brazilian Institute of Geography, Teatro, REUTERS, Ueslei, IBGE, Government, Indigenous, Federal University of Viçosa, Thomson Locations: Belem , Para, Brazil, Belem, Portugal, Venezuela, Manaus, Amazonas, Minas Gerais

☆ Protesters oppose Petrobras oil exploration plan at mouth of Amazon river
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of Brazil's state-run Petrobras oil company is seen on a tank in at Petrobras Paulinia refinery in Paulinia, Brazil July 1, 2017. REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker/File PhotoBELEM, Brazil, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Environmental demonstrators protested on Sunday against plans by Brazilian state-run oil company Petrobras (PETR4.SA) to drill for oil at the mouth of the Amazon river. Petrobras has appealed against a decision by Brazil's environmental protection agency, Ibama, to deny it permission to drill an exploratory well at the mouth of the Amazon, saying the request lacked an environmental assessment of the project. It reaches a technical opinion that must be obeyed," said the minister, who has opposed the plan to drill at the mouth of the Amazon. Lula said Guyana's president would like Petrobras to explore for oil off-shore from his country.

Persons: Paulo Whitaker, Luis Barbosa, Marina Silva, Ibama, Silva, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Leonardo Benassatto, Leslie Adler Organizations: Petrobras Paulinia, REUTERS, Environmental, Petrobras, PETR4, Amazon, Thomson Locations: Paulinia, Brazil, BELEM, Amazon, Suriname, Guyana, Amapá

[1/5] Brazil's indigenous chief Raoni Metuktire poses for a photo during an interview before a summit of Amazon rainforest nations at the Igarape Park, in Belem, Para state, Brazil August 5, 2023. "I will ask the presidents to commit to guaranteeing the preservation of the forest," he told Reuters. Raoni, an unmistakable figure with his large lip plate and yellow feather headdress, is a chief of the Kayapo people, an Indigenous group that lives along the Xingu River where savannah plains meet the Amazon rainforest. "The deforestation of the Amazon's forests is not good for us Indigenous peoples, and white man needs to rethink and preserve what remains of the Amazon," he warned. Reporting by Leonardo Benassatto and Ueslei Marcelino; Writing by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Raoni Metuktire, Ueslei Marcelino, Raoni, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Sting, Leonardo Benassatto, Anthony Boadle, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Ueslei, Reuters, Brazilian Congress, Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, Thomson Locations: Belem , Para, Brazil, Ueslei Marcelino BELEM, Belem, U.S, France

☆ Amazon nations to set up rainforest science panel, Brazilian minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Lisandra Paraguassu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] A woman passes in front of a graffiti before a summit of Amazon rainforest nations at the Igarape Park, in Belem, Para state, Brazil August 4, 2023. REUTERS/Ueslei MarcelinoBRASILIA, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Amazon countries meeting next week for a summit on cooperation to save the rainforest aim to set up a scientific body like the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to share research, Brazil's environment minister told Reuters. The panel would help produce sustainable development policies for the countries of the region while remaining independent of governments, and monitor the impact of climate change on the Amazon rainforest and ecosystem, she said. Lula has overhauled Brazil's environment policies since taking office in January, succeeding far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who relaxed protection the environment and encouraged development of the Amazon, where deforestation soared. Preliminary government figures showed on Thursday that deforestation in Brazil's Amazon fell in July to its lowest level since 2017, boosting Lula's credibility on environmental policy ahead of the summit.

Persons: Ueslei Marcelino BRASILIA, Marina Silva, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Jair Bolsonaro, Lisandra Paraguassu, Anthony Boadle, Kevin Liffey Organizations: REUTERS, Ueslei, Reuters, Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, Thomson Locations: Belem , Para, Brazil, Belem

Nearly 500 square kilometers (193 square miles) of rainforest were cleared in July, a significant fall from the 1,487 square kilometers (574 square miles) cleared last July. There has been a sharp decline in deforestation since Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was inaugurated as president in January. Brazil’s environment minister, Marina Silva, said government policies, including increasing surveillance and fining perpetrators, has played a big role in bringing rates of deforestation down. The reduced rate of deforestation is positive news at a time when the Amazon remains critically vulnerable. In 2022 an area of global tropical forest the size of Switzerland was lost as forest destruction rose by 10% compared to the previous year, according to a recent report from the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Global Forest Watch.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Jair, Marina Silva, ” Silva, Moraes Almeida, Nelson Almedia Organizations: CNN, Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, Getty, Resources, Watch Locations: Brazilian, Para, Brazil, AFP, Belem, Switzerland

☆ Colombia hopes Amazon summit will be deforestation 'turning point'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTA, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Colombia's government is hopeful that an upcoming regional summit in Brazil will represent a turning point in the deterioration of the Amazon, Colombian Environment Minister Susana Muhamad said on Thursday. The eight countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), which include Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Peru, will meet Aug. 7-8 in the Brazilian city of Belem at the mouth of the Amazon River. The summit - which follows a meeting in Colombia's Amazon city of Leticia a month ago - is aimed at finding ways to prevent further degradation of the Amazon rainforest, the preservation of which scientists say is vital for curbing the effects of climate change. Talks will also include the complicated issue of hydrocarbon exploration, Muhamad said. While Colombia's President Gustavo Petro has voiced concern over oil and gas exploration in the Amazon, Muhamad said the situation was "much more complex" than other topics.

Persons: Susana Muhamad, Muhamad, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Gustavo Petro, Oliver Griffin, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Amazon, Colombian, Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, Thomson Locations: BOGOTA, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Brazilian, Belem, Amazon, Leticia, Bogota

☆ Brazil central bank kicks off rate cuts more aggressively than expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Peter Frontini | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The bank's rate-setting committee Copom cut its Selic policy rate to 13.25%, as just 10 of 46 economists surveyed by Reuters had anticipated. Although Wednesday's policy decision was closely divided, Copom's policy statement signaled a shared outlook to keep up the pace of rate cuts in coming months. Wednesday's rate decision reflected a split among board members, with five votes in favor of the 50-basis-point cut and four votes for a more modest 25-basis-point cut. Finance Minister Fernando Haddad had called for a rate cut of 50 basis points earlier on Wednesday. Brazil's inflation target is 3% for both years.

Persons: we'd, William Jackson, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Roberto Campos Neto, Lula, Campos Neto, Fernando Haddad, Haddad, Copom, Peter Frontini, Marcela Ayres, Brad Haynes, Diane Craft Organizations: SAO PAULO, Reuters, Capital Economic, Finance, Fitch, Carolina, Thomson Locations: Brazil

☆ Brazil police violence reignites after deadly Rio, Sao Paulo raids
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Police in Rio de Janeiro killed at least nine people in a raid on Wednesday, in the latest example of deadly violence by Brazil's security officials after 16 people died at the hands of Sao Paulo state police earlier this week. Police in Rio said they were attacked by armed assailants during Wednesday's operation in the Penha neighborhood. Lopsided death tolls have become a common occurrence in Rio raids, leading critics to allege excessive force or even summary executions by the police. REUTERS/Pilar OlivaresSao Paulo, Brazil's wealthiest and most populous state, has been less blighted by police violence than neighboring Rio. Among those killed in the Rio operation were "Fiel" and "Du Leme," two alleged gang leaders in the impoverished Juramento and Chatuba neighborhoods, police said.

Persons: Jair Bolsonaro, Bolsonaro, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Pilar Olivares Sao, Santos, Tarcisio de Freitas, Freitas, Du Leme, Marco Andrade, Rodrigo Viga Gaier, Eduardo Simoes, Steven Grattan, Gabriel Stargardter, Jonathan Oatis, Richard Chang, Alistair Bell Organizations: RIO DE, Police, REUTERS, Paulo, Thomson Locations: RIO DE JANEIRO, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Rio, Penha, Guaruja

☆ Brazil's Lula says 'neither Putin nor Zelenskiy ready for peace'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Lisandra Paraguassu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Ueslei MarcelinoBRASILIA, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said his country is working for peace in Ukraine but neither its leader nor Russia's are prepared to talk peace. "Neither Putin nor Zelenskiy are ready," Lula told foreign correspondents in a news conference, adding that peace proposals he is seeking with other countries will be ready when Russia and Ukraine are willing to negotiate. Lula has tried to form a group of neutral countries to get peace talks going. Lula said the G7 group of advanced economies should no longer exist since the creation of the larger G20 group of leading and emerging economies. Lula said the BRICS group of emerging economies should allow new members "as long as they meet the requirements."

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Ueslei Marcelino BRASILIA, Putin, Lula, Anthony Boadle, Mark Porter, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Ueslei, Security, . Security, United Arab Emirates, New Development Bank, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, Ukraine, Russia, United States, Iraq, France, England, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Argentina

☆ Brazil's Lula: Amazon countries summit to build common policy for first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File PhotoBRASILIA, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday said that next week's summit of Amazon region nations will seek to draw up a common policy for the first time to protect the rainforest. For the first time we are going to have a common policy for the Amazon, for preservation, security, borders," Lula said. The eight countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) will meet Aug. 7-8 in the city of Belem at the mouth of the Amazon river. ACTO was created in 1978 to promote the preservation of the Amazon basin and regulate Amazonian development through cooperation. Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Editing by Mark Porter and Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Johanna Geron, Lula, ACTO, Lisandra Paraguassu, Mark Porter, Aurora Ellis Organizations: EU, LAC, European Union, of, Caribbean, REUTERS, Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, Thomson Locations: Caribbean States, Brussels, Belgium, BRASILIA, Brazil, Amazon, Belem, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela

☆ China's yuan expands its growing foothold in South America as Bolivia reduces reliance on US dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Jason Ma | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

China's yuan is expanding its foothold in South America as Bolivia reduces its reliance on the dollar. The country's yuan transactions from May to July accounted for about 10% of its foreign trade in that span. Bolivia has been hit by dollar shortages recently as lower natural gas production hit exports. But the country has been hit by dollar shortages recently as lower natural gas production hit exports. Argentine companies are increasingly turning to China's yuan amid dollar shortages, though many consumers use the dollar in daily purchases as hyperinflation slams the peso.

Persons: Marcelo Montenegro, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Organizations: Service, Privacy, Associated Press Locations: South America, Bolivia, Wall, Silicon, South, Argentina, Brazil, China

☆ Brazil's jobless rate hits lowest since 2014 for a quarter through June
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAO PAULO, July 28 (Reuters) - Brazil's jobless rate fell in the quarter through June to its lowest level for the period in nine years, statistics agency IBGE said on Friday, underscoring the labor market's resilience despite its high interest rates. It was the fourth consecutive drop for a rolling quarter, according to IBGE, which said the move reflected seasonally lower vacancy rates. Finance Minister Fernando Haddad cautioned that despite the positive data, the unemployment rate should not be perceived as an indicator of a strong economy, given the country's 10% real interest rate leading to an activity slowdown. Some economists also expect high interest rates to take their toll going ahead, as economic growth softens in the country. "All in all, the labor market remained strong in the second quarter, defying the drag from stiflingly high interest rates," Pantheon Macroeconomics' chief economist for Latin America, Andres Abadia, said.

Persons: Fernando Haddad, Haddad, Andres Abadia, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Rui Costa, Gabriel Araujo, Steven Grattan, Alistair Bell Organizations: SAO PAULO, IBGE, Reuters, Finance, Macroeconomics, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Brazil, America

[1/3] A general view after a series of explosions at grain silos owned by agro-industrial cooperative C. Vale, in the city of Palotina, Parana State, Brazil, July 27, 2023. Brazil's Parana Firefighters/Handout via REUTERSSAO PAULO, July 27 (Reuters) - At least eight people have died, one was missing and nearly a dozen others wounded after a grain silo explosion on Wednesday at an agricultural co-operative in southern Brazil, the government of Parana state said on Thursday. The blast occurred at the C.Vale co-operative in the small town of Palotina, about 600 km (370 miles) from the state's capital Curitiba. Experts say grain dust particles are highly combustible and can cause fires or explosions in confined spaces such as grain storage facilities. Fire Department Official Manoel Vasco said dogs were helping in the search of the missing worker potentially trapped under a pile of grains.

Persons: C.Vale, Jose Ricken, Ricken, Manoel Vasco, Carlos Favaro, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Darci Piana, Leonardo Benassatto, Ana Mano, Gabriel Araujo, Christina Fincher, Bernadette Baum, Alison Williams Organizations: Vale, Brazil's, Brazil's Parana Firefighters, REUTERS SAO PAULO, Fire, Agriculture, Thomson Locations: Palotina, Parana State, Brazil, Brazil's Parana, Parana, Curitiba . Parana, Paraguay

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