BRAZIL UNDER BOLSONARO Brazil's Supreme Court confirms annulment of Lula graft convictions 15-04-2021 23:16 Supreme Court upholds ruling annulling Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's corruption convictions, clearing the way for him to run for a new presidential term next year.
BILATERAL RELATIONS PLUNGE Fernández hits back at Bolsonaro over military's role during pandemic 15-04-2021 12:47 President Alberto Fernández responded to a mocking attack from his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday, following the Argentine leader's announcement of tightened restrictions to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.
BRAZIL UNDER BOLSONARO Brazil judge halts parts of Bolsonaro's decrees to relax gun laws 13-04-2021 14:14 Judge Justice Rosa Weber on Brazil's Supreme Federal Court on Monday suspended parts of four decrees issued by President Jair Bolsonaro relaxing the country's gun control laws.
Global Pandemic Brazilian Senate to probe Bolsonaro's handling of pandemic 09-04-2021 11:55 A judge from Brazil's supreme court on Thursday ordered the Senate to create a commission to investigate President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the pandemic, after requests from 32 of Brazil's 81 senators.
Global pandemic Brazil's Bolsonaro snubs new lockdown calls 08-04-2021 11:44 Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro doubled down on his opposition to lockdown measures to contain Covid-19 Wednesday, as experts warned a largescale stay-at-home was "absolutely necessary" to slow a deadly surge of the coronavirus.
Global pandemic Pandemic policy discord deepens Brazil's Covid chaos 07-04-2021 09:33 Changing and poorly explained quarantines, contradictory judgements, erroneous vaccination forecasts: in Brazil, the global epicentre of the pandemic, the fight against the coronavirus is being conducted in the greatest confusion.
Global pandemic More than 80% of intubated Covid patients die in Brazil 31-03-2021 10:27 More than 80% of Covid-19 patients who have to be intubated in Brazil have died since the start of the second wave of infections ravaging the country, according to researchers.
BRAZIL UNDER BOLSONARO Brazil military chiefs exit in new turmoil for Bolsonaro 30-03-2021 20:36 Three commanders of Armed Forces out, confirms Bolsonaro government. Some Brazilian media reports trio had resigned in protest at president's surprise decision to replace defence minister Fernando Azevedo as part of a sweeping reshuffle.
ANALYSIS Bolsonaro ousts top ministers as pandemic spirals out of control 30-03-2021 10:19 Cabinet changes are Bolsonaro’s latest attempt to diffuse growing Covid crisis amid harsh criticism from the business community and his own allies.
BRAZIL UNDER BOLSONARO Bolsonaro overhauls cabinet as Covid surges in Brazil 29-03-2021 21:28 While speculation had been swirling that Bolsonaro was about to fire foreign minister Ernesto Araujo, who faced criticism for the government's problems securing more Covid-19 vaccines, many of the other changes came as a surprise.
MERCOSUR AT 30 Highlights (and low points): Mercosur turns 30 27-03-2021 08:49 A free-trade agreement with the European Union which has yet to be implemented, an imperfect common external tariff, mounted with great difficulty – these factors and others mark the 30-year history of Mercosur, a mosaic of successes and inconclusive challenges.
GLOBAL PANDEMIC Pandemic spins out of control in Brazil: 3,650 dead in just one day 27-03-2021 08:30 São Paulo’s Butantan biomedical institute announces it is developing a “100 percent Brazilian” vaccine against Covid-19.
AND THAT REMINDS ME... Mercosur’s murky future 27-03-2021 07:27 Mercosur will have problems selling itself to the rest of the world while it cannot sell to itself. by Michael Soltys
LATIN AMERICA: MERCOSUR SUMMIT ‘We’re not a burden’ – Fernández clashes with Mercosur leaders 27-03-2021 07:11 Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay confront Argentina to demand greater flexibility to negotiate trade agreements during a tense summit of Mercosur leaders commemorating the 30th anniversary of the regional trade bloc’s founding.
Coronavirus pandemic Argentina suspends flights from Brazil, Chile and Mexico 26-03-2021 10:22 Government announces that flights to Argentina from Brazil, Chile and Mexico will be suspended starting this Saturday, March 27.
Global pandemic Brazil surpasses 300,000 Covid-19 deaths 25-03-2021 14:50 A total of 300,685 people in Brazil have now died of Covid-19, with Argentina's giant neighbour struggling to deal with an explosion of cases blamed on a local variant of the virus that is believed to be more contagious.
Global pandemic Brazil's 24-hour Covid deaths surpass 3,000 for first time 24-03-2021 12:38 Brazil's daily Covid-19 death toll soared past 3,000 for the first time Tuesday as the country struggled to contain a surge of cases that has pushed many hospitals to breaking point.
Lava Jato Brazil's Supreme Court rules Moro was 'biased' against Lula 23-03-2021 19:14 Brazil's Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that judge Sergio Moro was "biased" in convicting ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of corruption in 2017, a new victory for the left-wing leader as he eyes a political comeback.
MERCOSUR SUMMIT Trade and Covid-19 vaccines top agenda for Mercosur summit 23-03-2021 13:22 Mercosur’s member nations will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the bloc's founding at a key summit this Friday, with the clear differences between them more than evident. by Mariano Beldyk
Global pandemic In Brazil, Covid is increasingly hitting the young 23-03-2021 10:10 There are fewer wrinkles and less grey hair among patients in Brazil's intensive care units as the country reels from a surge in Covid-19 that is increasingly hitting people under 60.
BRAZIL UNDER BOLSONARO Bolsonaro critics face 'intimidation campaign' in Brazil 22-03-2021 14:36 Lawyers and human-rights activists warn Brazil is seeing a surge in legal and extra-legal moves to stifle dissent against President Jair Bolsonaro.
Bloomberg Start-up Tiendanube raises US$89 million in funding round 22-03-2021 13:03 Argentine e-commerce start-up Tiendanube will use fresh financing to roll out a major expansion across Latin America.
LATIN AMERICA Covid surges back in Brazil, sparking fears in Argentina 20-03-2021 07:30 Covid-19 is raging in Brazil, where intensive care units are more than 80 percent full in 25 out of 27 states. In Rio, the rate is 95 percent.
RATE RISE Brazil hikes interest rate, eyeing inflation 18-03-2021 11:39 First rate hike in six years for Latin America's biggest economy. Central Bank indicates another hike of the same magnitude could be coming in May.
Global pandemic Under fire, Brazil's Bolsonaro tones down on Covid 17-03-2021 10:26 With Brazil registering record daily death tolls from Covid-19, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is changing his traditionally pandemic-sceptic tune.
Global pandemic Bolsonaro changes health minister again, as Brazil's Covid cases surge 16-03-2021 09:19 Bolsonaro to appoint cardiologist Marcelo Queiroga as health minister, the fourth to hold the post during the pandemic, as the country's health system staggers amid surging Covid-19 cases.
BLOOMBERG Brazil shunned as a Covid superspreader by nervous neighbours 14-03-2021 07:39 Leading the world in daily deaths and the source of a worrying Amazonian variant, Brazil is a cause of deep anxiety for world health officials and its neighbours, who are barring their gates.
MERCOSUR SUMMIT No Bolsonaro in BA – Government takes Mercosur ceremony online 13-03-2021 15:50 Argentina has suspended a historic ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the Mercosur regional trade bloc, due to be held later this month, and will instead take it online.
BRAZIL Lula's return reshuffles the deck in divided Brazil 13-03-2021 08:45 Ruling overturns ex-president's corruption convictions and shakes up 2022 presidential race.
Coronavirus Pandemic 'Bigger than Neymar': Pandemic propels Brazil doctor to fame 12-03-2021 13:47 Dr. Margareth Dalcolmo was an unknown researcher at public health institute Fiocruz when Covid-19 arrived in Brazil in February 2020, but the soft-spoken expert has since made hundreds of media appearances on the health crisis.
Coronavirus pandemic Face mask row gets bawdy in Bolsonaro's Brazil 12-03-2021 01:45 A roiling row over face masks in President Jair Bolsonaro's Brazil veers into not-safe-for-work territory.
Global pandemic Vaccine hope, but enduring fear one year after pandemic declared 11-03-2021 22:50 One year on from the declaration of the coronavirus pandemic, vaccinations are offering hope. But much of humanity still enduring highly restricted lives, with no clear path back to normality.
BRAZIL UNDER BOLSONARO Lula comes out swinging at Bolsonaro, slams 'imbecile' Covid policies 10-03-2021 18:13 Lula makes instant return to politics, attacking President Jair Bolsonaro and his "imbecile" Covid-19 policies, though the ex-PT leader declined to say whether he would run against him next year.
FOOTBALL Without fans, South American clubs lose more at home 08-03-2021 14:24 AFP analysed clubs' results across three first-division seasons in three countries – Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay – and found their home performance declined when fans were barred from stadiums because of Covid-19.
PERIODISMO PURO – INTERVIEW Fernando Henrique Cardoso: ‘There are times which require us to move actively towards equality’ 06-03-2021 08:40 Former Brazil president – the country’s first to be re-elected for a subsequent term – discusses Jair Bolsonaro, inequality, poverty and what it means a social democrat in the 21st century. by Jorge Fontevecchia
MERCOSUR SUMMIT Bolsonaro in Buenos Aires: Brazil leader says yes to Mercosur summit 05-03-2021 02:39 Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro confirms he will travel to Buenos Aires on March 26 for the Mercosur summit, setting up his first face-to-face encounter with President Alberto Fernández.
Global pandemic Cities in Brazil tighten restrictions amid record Covid surge 04-03-2021 13:53 Brazil's Health Ministry has recorded an average of more than 1,300 Covid-19 fatalities per day over the past week, the worst yet for the hard-hit country of 212 million people.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS Brazil ends new 'lost decade' with GDP drop of 4.1% in 2020 03-03-2021 10:26 The economy of Argentina's giant neighbour registered a 4.1% contraction in 2020, according to official data.
Bloomberg MercadoLibre to invest record US$1.8 billion in Brazil 01-03-2021 22:01 Latin American e-commerce powerhouse MercadoLibre Inc. is more than doubling its Brazilian investment this year, planning to deploy in 2021 the same amount it spent in the past four years combined.
MERCOSUR BLOC Brazil again pushes for loosening of Mercosur trade deal rules 27-02-2021 08:21 Bolsonaro set to visit Buenos Aires for trade bloc’s next summit; Brazilian foreign minister accuses ‘interest groups’ using the environment as ‘pretext’ to block ratification of EU-Mercosur deal.
TRANS RIGHTS Brazil trans twins undergo gender confirmation surgery together 24-02-2021 11:14 Growing up as identical twins, Mayla and Sofia always did everything together, and their decision to undergo sex reassignment surgery is no exception. Now, they have made the transition they long dreamed of together, in what their doctor calls a first.
Global pandemic Vaccine delays threaten economies hardest hit by pandemic 23-02-2021 12:24 Latin America and the Caribbean, the region where the coronavirus caused the worst economic destruction and more than a quarter of the world’s deaths, is now falling victim to a slow inoculation campaign.
BRAZILIAN FIRM Oil giant Petrobras sheds US$19 billion in value over two days 22-02-2021 20:45 A sell-off in Brazil’s state-controlled oil firm Petrobras picked up on Monday after a group of analysts downgraded the stock within 24 hours, following Jair Bolsonaro's decision to replace the company’s chief executive officer.
BLOOMBERG – ANALYSIS Bolsonaro calls for more changes after general goes to Petrobras 21-02-2021 08:25 Brazil leader says that more changes are underway after naming a former general to head Petrobras. Experts say Bolsonaro has chosen "economic populism."
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL Covid-ravaged Argentina slump to defeat in SheBelieves Cup 20-02-2021 07:19 Albiceleste women’s side loses 4-1 to Brazil in opener. Preparations for the game were rocked just hours before kick off after four players tested positive for Covid-19.
BRAZIL UNDER BOLSONARO Bolsonaro further relaxes gun laws in Brazil 16-02-2021 14:49 Four decrees, issued late Friday, increase the number of firearms Brazilians can own from four to six – or up to 60, for those who practice recreational sport shooting – and authorise them to carry up to two guns in public.
Coronavirus Pandemic Vaccine shortage forces Rio to suspend Covid jabs 15-02-2021 16:44 Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro is forced to suspend its vaccination programme due to shortages, fuelling further frustrations with President Jair Bolsonaro's government.
Coronavirus Pandemic New coronavirus strains enters Argentina from Brazil 09-02-2021 17:19 Argentina has detected two new coronavirus variants brought into the country by passengers arriving from Brazil, announced Health Minister Ginés González García has revealed.
Lava Jato Brazil's watershed 'Lava Jato' graft probe ends with a whimper 08-02-2021 15:20 One of the biggest corruption investigations in history wraps up after falling into scandal itself.
Brazil Brazil's Vale to pay $7bn in damages for deadly 2019 dam collapse 05-02-2021 13:28 The Brazilian company responsible for the 2019 collapse of a mining waste dam killed 270 people has agreed to compensate victims and their families and fund socio-economic programs and repair projects in the local area, but victims say the amount should have been higher. by Jordi Miro, AFP