Trends - Jair Bolsonaro - Business Recorder

Markets

Mexican peso outperforms with cental bank decision on tap; Petrobras falls

The peso rose 0.6pc to trade at 20.83 to the dollar, while other Latin American and broader EM currencies slipped, pressured by a strong dollar.

Updated 26 Mar, 2021 09:25am

World

Brazil court rules judge who convicted Lula was 'biased'

Prosecutors struggled to pin evidence of direct involvement on Lula in court.

Published 24 Mar, 2021 10:42am

World

Bolsonaro critics face 'intimidation campaign' in Brazil

Lawyers and human-rights activists warn Brazil is seeing a surge in legal and extra-legal moves to stifle dissent against Bolsonaro, in some cases with legislation and tactics dating back to the country's 1964-1985 military dictatorship -- for which the president is openly nostalgic.

Updated 21 Mar, 2021 05:52pm

World

Bolsonaro changes health minister again, as Brazil's Covid cases surge

"Without controlling the pandemic and with the emergence of new mutations, Brazil is perceived as a threat," Sanchez told AFP.

Published 16 Mar, 2021 10:23am

Markets

Brazilian stocks, currency fall as tax hikes spook investors

The US dollar strengthened about 2% against the real, sending the Brazilian currency to a three-month low despite a central bank auction selling $1 billion in the spot market.
The benchmark Bovespa equities index fell as much 2.7% in morning trade, with all but one of its constituent companies in the red, before paring losses to 1.3% by midday.

Published 02 Mar, 2021 09:07pm

Markets

Brazil central bank intervenes in FX, sells $1bn as real slides further

Tuesday's $1 billion sale, taking central bank intervention since Thursday to over $4 billion, came as pressure on Brazilian assets intensified after President Jair Bolsonaro eliminated certain fuel taxes and increased a tax on banks.
There's a (market) crisis of confidence in the government, and we have negative rates.

Published 02 Mar, 2021 08:06pm

Business & Finance

Brazil's Petrobras rebounds partly from stock plunge

The price hikes have triggered backlash in Brazil, a top 10 oil producer with output of 3.67 million barrels per day in 2019.

Updated 24 Feb, 2021 05:45pm

World

Brazil's Bolsonaro approval rating falls to 32.9pc from 41.2pc in October

The poll was conducted between Thursday and Saturday last week and would thus partially include reaction to Bolsonaro's Friday decision to install a retired general with no oil and gas experience as chief executive of state oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA.

Published 22 Feb, 2021 07:18pm

World

Brazil's Bahia state declares Covid curfew

Across Brazil, more than 240,000 people have died of Covid-19, the highest death toll worldwide, after the United States.

Published 17 Feb, 2021 11:10am

Business & Finance

Banco do Brasil CEO says miscommunication with Bolsonaro over branch closures

If the lender decided to close a branch in a given place, another office would provide basic services there.
He reiterated plans to reduce Banco do Brasil's footprint and save 10 billion reais ($1.85 billion) through 2025.

Published 12 Feb, 2021 08:38pm

Markets

Banco do Brasil to push forward with cost cuts after Bolsonaro spat

Banco do Brasil's operating expense is likely to end 2021 contracting 2% or growing by 2% at most, the bank said in a statement, leading to a higher net profit.

Published 12 Feb, 2021 11:06am

Markets

Brazil govt in talks with states to reduce tax on fuel: report

Citing sources, the paper said the federal government wants states to adopt a flat tax on fuel. Currently, states can change taxes on fuel frequently.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said he planned to meet on Friday with the CEO of state-controlled oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) to discuss diesel prices.

Published 05 Feb, 2021 06:14pm

World

Brazil to buy 20mn more doses of China's CoronaVac, governor says

"We won't, in the face of a life and death situation, just wait to see what happens," he said.

Published 05 Feb, 2021 11:21am

World

Brazil favelas launch bank amid economic hit of pandemic

Traditional loans are a nearly impossible dream for households and businesses in the favelas.

Published 04 Feb, 2021 12:54pm

World

Mexican president says he has Covid-19

Lopez Obrador came to power on December 1, 2018, promising to "transform" the country after sweeping aside the two political parties that had ruled for decades.

Published 25 Jan, 2021 11:40am

World

Bolsonaro's support falls sharply, but a majority reject impeachment, polls show

The poll results are a blow for the president. The Folha de S.Paulo newspaper said they represent the biggest drop in approval since the beginning of his government in 2019.
To make matters worse, a new virus variant has appeared in the north of the country that researchers believe has higher levels of transmissibility.

Updated 23 Jan, 2021 08:55pm

World

Brazil awaiting 2 million vaccine doses from India

But it had to be satisfied with the release last week of six million doses of CoronaVac, which was developed by the Chinese lab Sinovac with the Brazilian Butantan Institute in Sao Paulo.

Published 22 Jan, 2021 10:15am

World

Brazil vaccinations start as country faces vaccine ingredient shortfall

The federally-funded Fiocruz biomedical center in Rio de Janeiro is still awaiting its first shipment of ingredients for AstraZeneca's vaccine, pending Chinese export approval.

Published 19 Jan, 2021 12:04pm

Business & Finance

Brazil's Bolsonaro to allow China's Huawei in 5G auctions

Like Trump, Bolsonaro opposes Huawei on the unproven grounds that it shares confidential data with China's Communist government.
China being Brazil's largest trade partner and Huawei's ability to compete on price, he has faced resistance from industry and within his own government,.

Published 16 Jan, 2021 08:35pm

Business & Finance

Banco do Brasil says has had no word from govt about CEO change

Local media reported that Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro had decided to fire Brandao.
Bolsonaro's supporters in Brasilia early on Thursday asked him about the potential dismissal of Brandao.

Published 14 Jan, 2021 07:45pm

World

Brazil's Bolsonaro says he was right to question Chinese COVID-19 vaccine

This 50% is good, is it? All the (criticism) I got for my comments, and now they are seeing the truth. Four months of being lambasted because of the vaccine.
Brazil's government closed a deal with the Butantan Institute to buy up to 100 million doses of the Chinese vaccine.

Published 13 Jan, 2021 08:41pm

World

New Brazil data shows disappointing 50.4% efficacy for China's CoronaVac vaccine

Anvisa, which has stipulated an efficacy rate of at least 50% for vaccines in the pandemic, has already pressed Butantan for more details of its study, after it filed for emergency use authorization on Friday.

Published 13 Jan, 2021 11:35am

World

Brazil environmental fines fall 20pc as deforestation soars

The federal agency gave out 9,516 fines in 2020 compared with 11,914 in 2019.
Bolsonaro has said more commercial farming and mining in the Amazon rainforest are necessary to lift the region out of poverty.

Updated 12 Jan, 2021 06:37pm

World

Brazil to requisition syringes for COVID-19 vaccination plan

This requisitioning aims to meet the most pressing needs to start the national vaccination plan.
The Health Ministry sought to buy 331 million syringes at last week's electronic auction but purchased just 8 million.

Published 05 Jan, 2021 06:48pm

World

Brazil rings in 2021 with nearly empty Copacabana beach

Football superstar Neymar meanwhile tried to douse a firestorm of controversy over reports he organized a week-long party for 500 revelers at his mansion outside Rio.

Published 01 Jan, 2021 11:17am

World

Brazil eyes emergency use for AstraZeneca vaccine after UK approval

Britain became the first country in the world to give full regulatory approval to the coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.

Published 31 Dec, 2020 01:13am

Business & Finance

AstraZeneca aims for swift approval of COVID-19 vaccine in Brazil

President Jair Bolsonaro, a prominent coronavirus skeptic who has said he will not take any COVID-19 vaccine.
The Fiocruz biomedical institute, overseen by the federal government, has partnered with AstraZeneca on trials and production of its vaccine.

Published 30 Dec, 2020 08:44pm

World

Brazil urges vaccine makers to expedite regulatory applications

President Jair Bolsonaro is under growing pressure to explain why Brazil has not begun vaccinating its population against the coronavirus.

Updated 30 Dec, 2020 03:15am

World

Bolsonaro says COVID-19 vaccine will be available to Brazilians 5 days after approval

Bolsonaro, who was infected with COVID-19 in July.

Published 29 Dec, 2020 10:24am

World

After long delay, leaders of Mexico and Brazil congratulate Biden on US election win

Biden's victory and Bolsonaro's reluctance to recognize it have cast a dark cloud over US-Brazilian relations, which had warmed to the point of discussing a free trade deal last year.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 10:37am