More Brazilians predict a worsening economy in the short term

The percentage of Brazilians who believe the country’s economic situation will worsen in the coming months has increased. According to a Datafolha survey released over the weekend, those predicting turbulent months jumped from 20% of those interviewed in December to 26%. The portion of the population counting on the improvement of the economic scenario decreased … Read more

For the EU, lithium could turn Latin America into the new Persian Gulf. But there is a risk of a “curse”

On the last weekend of March, the European Union’s (EU) High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, participated in the Ibero-American Summit in the Dominican Republic. In an interview with EFE, he considered that Latin America is being “underestimated, undervalued.” For the diplomat, the region “could be the new Persian Gulf […] in a world … Read more

Russia to place nuclear weapons in Belarus near NATO borders

Russia will place tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus near its allies’ borders with NATO countries, the Russian envoy to Minsk said, in a move aimed at increasing tensions with the West. The Russian ambassador to Belarus, Boris Gryzlov, said Sunday night that the weapons would be moved to the country’s western border as part of … Read more

Right-wing party wins election in Finland

Finland’s main conservative party has won a close parliamentary election. With all votes counted this Sunday (2), the center-right National Coalition Party (NCP) came in first with 20.8 percent. They were followed by the right-wing populist party, The Finns, with 20.1 percent, while the Social Democrats of Prime Minister Sanna Marin got 19.9 percent. With … Read more

Controversial Brazilian Justice claims in Boston Supreme Court is not ‘extremely activist’: “myth”

Luís Roberto Barroso, considered one of the most aggressive and controversial Justices of the Brazilian Supreme Court (STF), rejected accusations of judicial activism leveled at the Supreme Court, attributing the charges to “ignorance.” In a speech during the Brazil Conference at Harvard & MIT, in Boston, in the United States, the magistrate called the thesis … Read more

Why Joseph Stiglitz is wrong on Brazil

Apr 02, 2023 9:57 15 min read Earlier this month, Brazil’s National Development Bank (BNDES) held a seminar on sustainable development with the help of think tanks and interest groups representing the industrial sector. More than anything, it was an opportunity for the bank’s chairman, Aloizio Mercadante, to come out guns blazing in his quest … Read more

Brazil’s Lula to travel to China on Monday, April 10

Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT, progressive-globalist), is scheduled to travel to China on Monday (10). Lula’s trip was scheduled for last week but had to be postponed due to pneumonia. Lula should disembark in Shanghai and proceed to Beijing, where he will meet with dictator Xi Jinping. Lula’s return is scheduled for … Read more

Peru accumulates inflation of 2.1% in first quarter 2023

Peru’s accumulated inflation amounted to 2.1 percent in the first quarter of 2023 after the Consumer Price Index at the national level registered 1.19 percent in March, informed today, Saturday, the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI). Meanwhile, annual inflation, corresponding to the last 12 months, showed a variation of 8.67 percent for the … Read more

Ecuadorian President appoints new Foreign Minister

On Saturday, Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso announced that he appointed Gustavo Manrique as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility, replacing Juan Carlos Holguin, who resigned during the day. “I highlight the work done by Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Holguín and regret his resignation. On Monday, @GustavoManriq_M will be sworn in to assume … Read more

Opinion: militant Identitarianism will be the war of wars

By Pedro Henrique Alves (Opinion) This week I involuntarily got involved in a political debate. With all my might, I tried to avoid it. Still, a young woman stirred my conservative vein by calling me a “fascist project” because I advocated that transsexuals should be banned from sports that do not match their biological sexualities. … Read more

Market roundup: Under Lula, Petrobras shudders

Apr 01, 2023 11:45 4 min read (Updated: Apr 01, 2023 11:47) 🔔 The dashboard: Brazil’s benchmark stock index Ibovespa went up by 2.38 percent this week. Meanwhile, the Brazilian Real gained 3.5 percent against the U.S. Dollar. Biggest gains: Raízen (bioenergy): +18.26 percent. Biggest drops: MRV (construction): -10.14 percent. Three months into Lula administration, … Read more

After new fiscal rule, Brazil’s Ibovespa drops 1.7%

On the day after the presentation of the new fiscal anchor, the main index of the Brazilian Stock Exchange (B3), the Ibovespa, ended the session this Friday, 31, with a significant drop of 1.7%, at 101,000 points. The leading players in the financial market are still evaluating whether the government will commit to reducing the … Read more

Lula’s government has 38% approval, says Datafolha

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT, progressive-globalist) has a 38% approval rating after 3 months, according to a Datafolha survey released this Saturday (1). According to the survey, the disapproval percentage is 29%, leaving the head of the Executive technically tied with the 30% registered in the same period of the first year of … Read more

“The far right has captured the social networks,” says Brazil’s censorship czar Moraes in defending regulation

By Diógenes Freire The controversial Supreme Court Justice blamed the “far right” in the US for creating an environment in which social networks are used to counter official versions espoused by the “traditional press.” While speaking on “the STF and the defense of democracy” at an event at the Fernando Henrique Cardoso Foundation (FHC Foundation) … Read more

Peru remained the world’s leading exporter of blueberries in 2022

Peru remained the world’s leading exporter of blueberries in 2022 after shipping US$1.362 billion, the South American nation’s Exporters Association (ADEX) reported Friday. According to the CIEN-ADEX Global Economy and Business Research Center report, Peruvian shipments last year surpassed even those of the United States, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, and Morocco, thus maintaining the “privileged … Read more

Mexican economy to grow up to 3% in 2024, same pace as 2023

Mexico’s economy will grow up to 3.0 percent in 2024, the same pace it will observe in 2023, supported by its domestic demand, as the government’s Ministry of Finance estimated on Friday. In the 2024 Economic Pre-Criteria, the agency indicated that high employment levels, public investment in strategic infrastructure, and the relocation effect of companies … Read more

Chile confirms finding of more than 70 dead sea lions

On Thursday (30), the Chilean Fisheries and Aquaculture Agency (Sernapesca) in the Biobío region confirmed that more than 70 sea lions have died off the coast of Isla Santa María and that this “could be due to avian flu.” According to Chilean media, residents of the island territory, located 27 kilometers from Coronel, just over … Read more

Fertility in Uruguay dropped to extremely low levels

Fertility in Uruguay has dropped drastically in the last six years, with around 49,000 births in 2015 and just over 32,000 in 2022. What lies behind this shocking decline is revealed in the scientific study “La gran caída. El descenso de la fecundidad uruguaya a niveles ultra-bajos (2016-2021),” presented last Tuesday by researchers from the … Read more

Tug of war for the treasures of the deep sea 

The spring meeting of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Council concludes in Jamaica on Friday (31). The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is pleased to see the growing number of countries calling for a moratorium or precautionary pause on deep-sea mining plans. At the same time, WWF is concerned about continued pressure from other … Read more

Chile’s copper production falls to a six-year low

By James Attwood Chile posted its lowest monthly copper production in six years. The top-producing nation extended a streak of unexpectedly weak figures contributing to a global market adjustment. The country accounts for a quarter of the world’s mined copper. Chile accounts for 25% of the world’s mined copper (Photoi internet reproduction) According to data … Read more

The province of Mendoza declares that Mapuches “are non-Argentine native peoples”

The provincial Chamber of Mendoza (western Argentina) approved a declaration considering the Mapuches as “non-Argentine native peoples”. The challenged community claims that the initiative is aimed at appropriating ancestral territories granted to them by the federal government. The bill, sponsored by the governor of Mendoza, Rodolfo Suárez, considers that “the Mapuches should not be considered Argentine … Read more

Lula moves against bill allowing mining on indigenous land

Mar 31, 2023 16:51 2 min read (Updated: Mar 31, 2023 16:52) President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Friday requested Congress to drop a bill that would allow mining in indigenous lands. The previous administration of Jair Bolsonaro drafted the legislation. Mr. Bolsonaro has long advocated lifting controls on mining operations in Brazil, especially … Read more

Bolivia reports a yellow fever case on the border with Brazil

Bolivian health authorities recorded a case of yellow fever on the border with Brazil. This happens 19 years after the last documented contagion in the country and amid a dengue fever epidemic, reported the director of the Departmental Health Service (Sedes) of the department of Santa Cruz (east), Carlos Hurtado. “The epidemiological surveillance system has … Read more

Italian privacy regulator blocks ChatGPT

Italy’s data privacy regulator has banned ChatGPT over alleged privacy violations relating to the chatbot’s collection and storage of personal data. With immediate effect, the Guarantor for the protection of personal data has ordered the temporary limitation of the processing of data of Italian users by ChatGPT parent firm OpenAI until it complies with EU … Read more

Opposition unites in Ecuador to impeach Lasso: Constitutional Court approves the start of the impeachment trial

On Thursday, Ecuador’s Constitutional Court issued a partial admissibility ruling to initiate the impeachment trial against center-right President Guillermo Lasso. The opposition in Congress is united to push for the President’s impeachment, stripping him of his immunity and removing him from the Executive Branch on charges of embezzlement (misappropriation of funds). Some steps remain until … Read more

Lula reschedules China trip for April 11

Mar 31, 2023 14:15 2 min read (Updated: Mar 31, 2023 14:33) President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has rescheduled his trip to China for April 11, the presidential press office tells The Brazilian Report. The trip will last until April 14 and will include visits to both Beijing and Shanghai. Further details have yet … Read more

Campaign manager corruption probe could spill on Sergio Moro

Mar 31, 2023 14:23 3 min read Between 2014 and 2018, Sergio Moro went from being an obscure federal judge to perhaps the most influential Brazilian of the 2010s. He led Operation Car Wash, a massive anti-corruption investigation that shattered the legitimacy of Brazil’s political establishment, nearly destroyed some of the country’s largest construction conglomerates, … Read more

Petrobras poised to change dividend policy

Mar 31, 2023 12:51 2 min read In a securities filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Brazilian oil giant Petrobras admitted that its dividend payment policy is “subject to change.” “If we decide on a strategic plan that requires a greater volume of investments, or amend our strategic plan to  do so, the … Read more

Brazilian network Globo has US$8 million loss 

The balance of the network accounts was disclosed in an internal statement to employees and published by the portal UOL on Tuesday (28). Last year, the broadcaster lost R$41 million (US$8 million). In 2021, the accounts were also negative: R$121 million (US$23.8 million). Among other points, the executives highlighted in the statement that Globo’s expenses … Read more

Turkey’s parliament ratifies Finland’s membership in NATO

Turkey’s parliament ratified on Thursday (30) Finland’s entry into NATO, putting an end to months of blockade by Ankara to this expansion of the Atlantic alliance. The corresponding document was approved with votes in favor of 276 representatives. Nothing prevented Finland from joining since Turkey was the only country of the 30 members that had … Read more

Petro clashes with centrists, jeopardizing reform agenda

Mar 31, 2023 11:59 6 min read Colombian President Gustavo Petro wanted to do it all in 2023. Despite lacking his own congressional majority, he began the year by announcing that he would push through reforms in some of the most important areas of any country, including bills to redraw Colombia’s health and pension systems, … Read more

Brazil will manufacture locally the ammunition for the 76/62 SR cannons of the Tamandaré frigates

By Roberto Caiafa After the end of the keel laying ceremony of the first Tamandaré class frigate, Infodefensa.com interviewed Admirals Arthur Fernando Bettega Corrêa and Celso Mizutani Koga, Director General of Naval Material and Director of Program Management of the Brazilian Navy, respectively. On occasion, the naval authorities discussed: the doctrinal impact that the ships … Read more

Ecuador’s top court allows impeachment hearings to proceed

Mar 31, 2023 10:10 2 min read The Ecuadorian Constitutional Court this week allowed impeachment hearings to proceed on embezzlement accusations against President Guillermo Lasso, but blocked two charges of extortion. The decision is a bad omen for the conservative leader, who lacks a majority in the country’s National Assembly. A congressional committee this month … Read more

Opinion: Lula’s reported statement about the “Summit For Democracy” is a public relations spectacle

(Opinion) Objectively existing and easily verifiable facts from the official State Department, UN, and G20 websites leave no doubt that Lula’s reported refusal to sign the “Declaration of the Summit for Democracy” is based on two false pretexts. Not only that, but his refusal to sign this declaration was an attention-grabbing stunt intended to deceptively … Read more

How the left reacted to Bolsonaro’s return to Brazil

Cristyan Costa The return of former president Jair Bolsonaro to Brazil on Thursday, March 30, was not only a matter for the press. Politicians from the left expressed the return of the opposition leader to the Lula government. The national president of the PT, Gleisi Hoffmann, published a video addressed to the “genocidal”. After talking … Read more

Brazil: Petrobras admits possible revision of dividend policy

By Sérgio Lima Petrobras admitted a possible change in the dividend distribution policy in a document sent to the SEC, the US Securities and Exchange Commission, on Wednesday (29 March). According to the state-owned company, changes in the composition of its Board of Directors and Executive Board may result in “changes or termination” of the … Read more

India, Russia consider Arctic shipping line to link Southeast Asia with Europe in lesser time than Suez, Panama canals

By Remon Buul India and Russia are discussing the possibility of launching a transaction container shipping line and processing facilities along the Northern Sea Route (NSR), said Aleksey Chekunkov, Russia’s Far East Development Minister East and Arctic. The Arctic route, linking Southeast Asia to Europe, will drastically reduce transport times compared to traditional routes through … Read more

Argentine government announces implementation of agro dollar as of April

The Fernández Government announced yesterday, Thursday, the implementation of a different exchange rate scheme for the agricultural sector to strengthen the country’s international reserves during the second quarter. “The measure will consist of a 30-day differential exchange rate for the soybean complex and a 90-day differential exchange rate for exports of goods from regional economies … Read more

Lula government accounts registered the worst result for February since the beginning of the historical series

Brazil’s Central Government accounts – National Treasury, Social Security, and the Central Bank – registered a primary deficit of R$40.989 (US$8) billion, more than double the R$20.367 billion deficit recorded in February 2022. This is the worst result for February since the beginning of the historical series in 1997. The result Subscribe to our Premium … Read more

Analysts lower Uruguay’s growth forecast for 2023 to 1.8%

Uruguayan experts lowered the country’s economic growth forecast for this year to 1.80 percent from the 2.45 percent predicted last month, the Central Bank of Uruguay (BCU) informed today, Thursday. According to the average of the entity’s expectations survey, the worsening of these came after last week the BCU disclosed that the Gross Domestic Product … Read more

Floods in Brazilian state of Acre affect 40,000 people

Heavy rains in the northern Brazilian state of Acre already affect more than 40,000 people, with more than 3,800 displaced in the capital Rio Branco, the Civil Defense reported Thursday. The Acre River reached the 17.22-meter mark Thursday morning, the highest level since the historic flood of 2015 when it reached 18.40 meters. The river’s … Read more

Cape Verde had a record 835,945 tourists in 2022

By Adnardo Barros Cape Verdean hotels received a record 835,945 tourists in 2022, almost 31% of which were from the UK, and more than four million overnight stays, according to data announced by the country’s National Institute of Statistics (INE). According to the report of Guest Movement in Cape Verde in 2022, the number of … Read more

Mozambican Central Bank maintains monetary policy rate at 17.25%

“This decision is supported by the maintenance of the outlook for single-digit inflation in the medium term, despite the materialization and worsening of some risks,” the Monetary Policy Committee (CPMO) said in a statement. Among the risks are “the occurrence of natural disasters and increased pressure on public spending.” Inflation accelerated from 9.78% to 10.3% … Read more

Angola has received 200 new industrial projects since 2018

The head of the Angolan executive, who inaugurated the 5th edition of Expo-Industry, in Luanda, stressed that since 2018, the growth rate of real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the manufacturing industry recorded an accumulated 7.7%. He highlighted 2022 with a growth in the order of 6%, exceeding the projection provided in the General State … Read more

Brazilian industrial output skid continues

Mar 30, 2023 16:52 2 min read The new year brought no new momentum for the industrial sector, new data showed today, as factory output was down 0.3 percent in January. Over the past 12 months, the sector shrunk by 0.2 percent. After a 1.3 percent monthly growth spike in October 2022, the sector has … Read more

Expo-industry back in Angola, three years later

The 5th edition of the expo-industry started this Wednesday (29) in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Luanda-Bengo, with 238 exhibitors’ participation in an initiative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade organized by Eventos Arena. The fair is a privileged space for the Angolan industry to show the world what it has available and the … Read more