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☆ Brazil's Lula resumes creation of Indigenous reservations halted by Bolsonaro
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File PhotoBRASILIA, April 27 (Reuters) - Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced the formal recognition of six Indigenous reservations on Friday, fulfilling a campaign promise to reverse the policy of his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro. Lula made the announcement as part of the annual meeting in Brasilia of representatives of Brazil's one million Indigenous people. The Free Land Camp is a five-day event featuring music, dance and food in tents erected on the grass esplanade of the capital. Indigenous leaders called on the president to speed up the recognition of some 300 Indigenous territories that have been mapped out but have waited for years to be formally recognized. With no state protection, Indigenous communities are in danger of invasions by illegal loggers and wildcat gold miners that surged under Bolsonaro.

☆ Bolsonaro accidentally created Facebook post questioning Brazil election results, attorneys say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Julia Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Sao Paulo CNN —Attorneys for former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro say he had only accidentally created a Facebook post questioning the results of 2022’s presidental elections – a post that has come under the scrutiny of authorities investigating whether the ex-leader had a role in inciting the country’s January 8 riots. Bolsonaro’s Facebook post casts doubt on the integrity of Brazil’s voting machines and the election results, which saw Bolsonaro lose his bid for a second term. He was questioned about the post by Brazilian Federal Police on Wednesday, the attorneys said. The post was eventually flagged by his team and Bolsonaro took it down, Bessa added. On the evening of January 8, Bolsonaro tweeted that “peaceful demonstrations, respecting the law, are part of democracy.

[1/3] 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. REUTERS/Adriano MachadoBRASILIA, April 26 (Reuters) - Brazil's Congress on Wednesday prepared to open an inquiry into the Jan. 8 storming of key government buildings in the capital by violent demonstrators who denied the electoral victory of the recently inaugurated President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The right-wing opposition has pushed for an inquiry as a way to blame his new government for security failures in Brasilia that day. Once the congressional inquiry is formally opened, there will be a fierce battle over the committee's composition. Reporting by Anthony Boadle and Ricardo Brito Editing by Brad Haynes and Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brazil court suspends Telegram for not complying with order on neo-Nazi groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, April 26 (Reuters) - A Brazilian court on Wednesday ordered a temporary suspension in the country of the encrypted messaging app Telegram until it complies with an order to share information on extremist and neo-Nazi groups using the platform. The federal police requested the suspension order after Telegram failed to comply with a previous court decision to handover data about two neo-Nazi groups on the app that were accused of inciting violence in schools. Due to Telegram's non-compliance with the court order, the judge said telecommunications firms in the country should start to suspend access to the messaging service and downloading of the app. Local media reported that the federal police requested the contacts of administrators and members, as well as phone numbers of users from those groups. Telegram brands itself as a messaging app focused on speed and privacy and says its special secret chats use end-to-end encryption that is not stored on its servers.

☆ Brazilian Judge Bans Telegram App Amid School Attacks Inquiry
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( André Spigariol | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA — A judge in Brazil on Wednesday ordered that the messaging app Telegram be blocked throughout the country, as the authorities investigate neo-Nazi groups that they say have used the platform to incite school attacks. The Federal Police requested that the app be suspended because Telegram failed to comply with court orders demanding complete user data from two antisemitic group chats. Judge Wellington Lopes da Silva ordered the app shut down and imposed a fine of $200,000 per day against it for noncompliance with previous court decisions. He also ordered Google and Apple to remove the app from their stores in Brazil and mobile carriers to block access to it in the country. The court order against Telegram follows a series of aggressive moves by the Brazilian authorities to hold social media and messaging companies accountable for what users post on their platforms.

☆ Inside Qatar’s ‘city of the future’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Like others, it has moved from the capital Doha to this, Qatar’s newest city – 10 miles north. Andrej Isakovic/AFP/Getty ImagesLusail claims to be Qatar’s first sustainable city – no easy task for a newbuild in the desert. There’s an extensive choice from food trucks at the Lusail Marina Food Arena, abundant cafes, and fine dining restaurants.”A sprawling city of the futureThe Marina area is fast proving a hit for residents. Al Tara – the district, by Al Maha Island, where Warner lives – is home to the Lusail Marina. There is a rumor – as yet unsubstantiated – that Lusail might eventually become Qatar’s capital city.

☆ Brazil’s Lula pitches ‘peace coalition’ for Ukraine, but he treads a thin line
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Julia Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

He says he aims to form a coalition of countries willing to intervene and lead efforts for peace in Ukraine, though in the process is finding himself treading a thin line with the world’s biggest powers. When he launched his political comeback in 2022, Lula told Time magazine that he thought both Russia and Ukraine were responsible for the conflict. Lula condemned Russia’s decision to invade its neighbor, but controversially claimed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could have done more to avoid the conflict. Lula could not contemplate sending weapons – a step that would go far beyond Brazil’s traditional foreign policy, suggested the analyst. But he couldn’t do nothing, either – after all, Lula had promised to bring Brazil “back” to the world stage.

The remarks brought a strong retort from Washington, where a White House spokesman accused Lula of "parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda." Lula is a pragmatic politician," one of the diplomats told Reuters, requesting anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. Lula has suggested Ukraine needs to make concessions to end the war and Russia could return recently invaded territory but keep Crimea. The European Union has also rejected Lula's suggestion that both Ukraine and Russia are to blame for the war. Earlier this year, Lula turned down a reported German request to supply artillery ammunition to Ukraine.

[1/3] People protest outside the embassy of Brazil in Portugal over Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's position on Russia-Ukraine war as he arrives in the country for a state visit in Lisbon, Portugal, April 21, 2023. Two Brazilian officials told Reuters on Thursday that Lula - keen to protect Brazil's neutrality - was expected to avoid criticism of the Western role in the Ukraine war during his visit to Portugal. "Brazil and president Lula have a vocation for peace and the president will work to unite other countries to seek an alternative to end this conflict", Macedo told reporters after receiving the letter. On Tuesday, Ukraine invited Lula to visit, a day after Lula had met with Russia's foreign minister in Brasilia. Asked if the president would visit Ukraine, Macedo said Lula's foreign policy adviser, Celso Amorim, would go.

CNN —A man dressed in the yellow and green of the Brazilian flag walks towards a glass table inside the Planalto Presidential Palace in Brasilia with a metal rod in his hand. The footage provides new insight into one of the darkest days in in the life of Brazil’s young democracy. It also appears to bolster the claims of those who accused police of failing to act to stop protesters from breaking into the Presidential Palace, among other government buildings. The newly obtained footage shows police forces seemingly retreating as supporters of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro – who was ousted in a vote last fall – march on the palace. “To liken my behaviour to that Major distributing waters to protesters is absurd,” he told Brazilian broadcaster Globo.

☆ Ukraine and Russia turn toward the Americas; Zelensky speaks to Mexican lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday appealed to Mexico’s Congress for support in the war against Russia, as both Kyiv and Moscow seek to reinforce ties in the Americas. Zelensky’s appeal comes after many Latin American countries have adopted a policy of non-intervention over the war in Ukraine, rebuffing efforts led by United States President Joe Biden to unite the global community in opposition to Russia’s invasion. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has raised eyebrows among Ukraine supporters for criticizing Western arms shipments into Kyiv. Still, Mexico has voted alongside the United States in UN resolutions calling for Russia to leave Ukraine. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, talks with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira as he leaves Itamaraty Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on Monday.

☆ Brazil's government takes measures to boost consumer and capital market credit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRASILIA, April 20 (Reuters) - Brazil's government announced a package of 13 measures on Thursday to ease consumer access to credit and reduce associated costs in the capital and insurance markets, a move the new leftist administration hopes will boost investment and revitalize a slowing economy. Brazil's Secretary of Economic Reforms, Marcos Barbosa, said the measures aim to strengthen the credit market in the long term, paving the way for the country's capital market to become as robust or larger than the 5 trillion reais ($988 billion) banking market. The package includes a decree to allow the issuance of bonds with an income tax exemption for investments in sectors such as healthcare, education, and public security. The government also plans to introduce legislation to enhance safeguards for minority investors in the capital market against harm caused by unlawful actions of controlling shareholders and administrators. Finance Minister Fernando Haddad on Monday had indicated that the package would also feature a measure to lower revolving credit card rates.

☆ Top security adviser to Brazil's president abruptly resigns
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRASILIA, April 19 (Reuters) - The top national security adviser to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva resigned on Wednesday, the presidential palace said, amid a scandal related to the aide's presence during the storming of government buildings in the capital. The resignation of Marcos Goncalves Dias, already accepted by the president, follows a report from CNN Brasil that included footage of him walking around the presidential palace while a mob ransacked government buildings in Brasilia on January 8. Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Writing by Peter Frontini; Editing by David Alire GarciaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russian Foreign Minister Seeks Deeper Ties in Latin America
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Luciana Magalhaes | Samantha Pearson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: POOL/REUTERSBRASÍLIA—Russia has embarked on an effort to shore up support in Latin America for its war in Ukraine, with foreign minister Sergei Lavrov visiting Brazil before arriving in Venezuela on Tuesday afternoon as part of a four-country tour. The mission has prompted rebukes from the U.S. and Europe after Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that Washington and its allies were prolonging the conflict by supplying Ukraine with arms.

Speaking at a lunch with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, Lula said a group of neutral nations must come together to help broker peace between Russia and Ukraine. A White House spokesman accused Lula of "parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda without looking at the facts." Lula has pitched himself as a peace broker to end the war, which began when Russia invaded the neighboring country in February 2022. The European Union has also rejected Lula's suggestion that both Ukraine and Russia are to blame for the war. Among Western nations so far, only French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed Lula's peace initiative.

☆ Brazil's Lula calls for 'peace group' to broker Ukraine-Russia deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

He cited Xi and the president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, both of whom he met this week. Lula had previously said the group should gather countries not "encouraging" war, adding that nations that are supplying weapons should be convinced to stop doing so. Germany earlier this year reportedly asked Brazil to supply arms as well, but Lula refused. Lula had a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy earlier this year. Reporting by Gabriel Araujo and Eduardo Simoes in Sao Paulo; Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brazil paves way for semiconductor cooperation with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gestures near First Lady Rosangela "Janja" da Silva during a visit to Huawei's Research and Development Centre in Shanghai, China, April 13, 2023. Ricardo Stuckert/Handout via REUTERSBEIJING, April 14 (Reuters) - China and Brazil agreed on Friday to set up a working group to pursue cooperation on semiconductors as the South American nation strengthens ties with Beijing in areas of sensitive technology. In an interview with Reuters, Lula's foreign policy advisor Celso Amorim said Brazil will not veto the installation of a Chinese semiconductor factory in Brazil, and is interested in developing the technology in cooperation with China. In the slew of MoUs China and Brazil agreed to "explore mechanisms to promote bilateral cooperation in scientific and technological research and industrial innovation." That would involve joint research and development activities between public, private and academic institutions, and the exchange of scientists and scientific papers.

[1/2] Security forces operate as supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro demonstrate against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in Planalto Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Ueslei MarcelinoBRASILIA, April 14 (Reuters) - A judge on Brazil's Supreme Court has ordered former President Jair Bolsonaro to testify before federal police within 10 days about his role in the Jan. 8 storming of government buildings by his supporters. Bolsonaro has denied any responsibility for the riots - which recalled the 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. His critics say he instigated the riots by inflaming his supporters with attacks on Lula and by repeatedly criticizing Brazil's voting system, which he claimed was open to fraud, though he never provided proof. Bolsonaro returned to Brazil in March but faces legal investigations into his attacks on the voting system and alleged role in encouraging supporters to storm Brasilia on Jan. 8.

☆ Brazil proposes zero primary budget deficit in 2024, conditions expenditures to new fiscal rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, April 14 (Reuters) - Brazil's Planning Ministry announced on Friday a zero primary deficit target for 2024, but stated that 172 billion reais ($35.03 billion) in government spending depends on the approval of a proposed new fiscal framework. In a statement about the 2024 budget bill sent to Congress, the ministry said the new fiscal rules "will enable the re-composition and execution of priority public policies for the country," as well as government functioning. Lula's new rules combine a more lenient expenditure cap with primary budget targets with flexible bands. In line with this approach, the budget bill has defined that the primary budget balance target may vary by 28.8 billion reais up or down next year. ($1 = 4.9096 reais)Reporting by Marcela Ayres; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"We have an extraordinary relationship with China, a relationship that every day gets more acute and stronger," Lula said before his meeting with Xi. Brazil and China need to work together so that the relationship is not merely one of commercial interest, he added. China and Brazil did agree to set up a working group to pursue cooperation on semiconductors, strengthening ties with Beijing in areas of sensitive technology. Brazil is now the largest recipient of Chinese investment in Latin America, driven by spending on high tension electricity transmission lines and oil production. On Friday, the two countries agreed to encourage their companies to invest in each country in infrastructure, energy transition, logistics, mining, agriculture and high-tech industries.

☆ Lula courts Chinese tech for Brazil, brushes off "prejudices"
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, April 14 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday defended his country's pursuit of Chinese communication and semiconductor technology, brushing off security concerns from Western nations led by the United States. [1/2] Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gestures near First Lady Rosangela "Janja" da Silva during a visit to Huawei's Research and Development Centre in Shanghai, China, April 13, 2023. Brazil, however, is interested in attracting Chinese investment in these areas, despite recent U.S. pressure discouraging the use of 5G mobile equipment from Huawei. Among their accords, China and Brazil agreed to "explore mechanisms to promote bilateral cooperation in scientific and technological research and industrial innovation." That would involve joint research and development activities between public, private and academic institutions, and the exchange of scientists and scientific papers.

☆ Brazilians offer fresh perks for BYD plant as Ford talks stall
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Lisandra Paraguassu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Stephane MaheBRASILIA, April 13 (Reuters) - Brazilian officials are offering fresh incentives including land for Chinese manufacturer BYD to build an electric car plant in Bahia state amid stalled talks to take over a closed Ford plant, said three people familiar with discussions in Shanghai on Thursday. However, Brazilian officials on Thursday discussed an alternative site in Bahia where BYD could build a factory from scratch if the talks with Ford prove futile. Ford and BYD did not immediately respond to requests for comment. BYD made it clear they would have no issue setting up a new plant, the sources said. However, drawn out talks with Ford have stalled plans.

☆ Brazil lures China's Cofco to finance recovery of degraded land
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Lisandra Paraguassu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"They have every interest," said Augustin, adding that a Cofco delegation is expected for talks in Brasilia next month. China is Brazil's biggest trade partner and Brazil accounts for 22% of Chinese imports, driven largely by farm goods. One version would have farmers guarantee sale of their production to the companies that finance land recovery, he said. "You don't need to deforest another hectare to increase (farm) production," Augustin said. Agriculture Ministry studies estimate a cost of 15,000 to 23,000 reais to recover one hectare of degraded land.

"I am convinced that both Ukraine and Russia are waiting for someone else to say, 'Let's sit down and talk,'" Lula told journalists last week. Lula has suggested a peace solution could be the return of newly invaded territory, though not Crimea - an option that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has rejected outright. For his initiative to advance, Lula needs China to send a message to Russia, said a European diplomat in Brasilia. Some 20 agreements to be signed include creation of a sixth satellite in a joint program started in 1988, which will be used for monitoring the Amazon, Brazil's foreign ministry said. China overtook the United States as Brazil's top trading partner in 2009 and is a major market for Brazilian soybeans, iron ore and oil.

Bolsonaro's electoral outlook contrasts sharply with former U.S. President Donald Trump, another right-wing populist who challenged the results of his failed re-election campaign. Bolsonaro never conceded his narrow defeat in the October election and continues to question the reliability of Brazil's voting system. RISING CONSERVATIVE STARSStill, conservative powerbrokers allied with Bolsonaro are ready to reshuffle the deck for the next election cycle. He said a TSE decision to bar Bolsonaro from running would only boost the ex-president's political appeal. Any right-wing substitute could win with his endorsement, he added, while side-stepping the high rejection rates Bolsonaro faced as a candidate last year.

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