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Brazil relies on onion stocks from Ituporanga and Lebon Régis to meet the demand
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In March, southern Brazilian states Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná reported depleted onion stocks, according to Hortifruti/Cepea sources. To fulfill demand, Brazil has utilized stocks from Ituporanga and Lebon Régis in Santa Catarina, with supplies in these areas also dwindling. The country has increased imports, notably from Argentina, to compensate. However, Argentine onion imports have faced delays at the Porto Xavier border due to stringent sanitary inspections targeting quarantine insects and a reduced workforce from a slow-down work regime by federal public servants.
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Brazil criticizes blocking of candidacies for elections in Venezuela
The neighboring country accuses Brazil of interference
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The Venezuelan government has strongly rejected the statement issued on Tuesday (Mar. 26) by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which expressed concern about the electoral process in the neighboring country. According to a declaration from the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, the Brazilian message contains "comments full of deep ignorance and misinformation about the political reality in Venezuela."
In a press release, the Brazilian ministry stated that Brazil is following the electoral process in Venezuela with expectation and concern.
"Brazil is prepared, along with other members of the international community, to collaborate to ensure that the election scheduled for July 28 is a firm step toward normalizing political life and bolstering democracy in Venezuela, a neighboring country and friend of Brazil. Brazil reaffirms its opposition to any form of sanctions, which, besides being illegal, only serve to isolate Venezuela and exacerbate the suffering of its people," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' statement reads.
The deadline for registering candidacies for the Venezuelan presidential elections ended on Monday night (25). However, the opposition coalition to the current Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, announced that it had failed to register the candidacy of philosopher and university professor Corina Yoris.
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Brazil banned these killer kites. Influencers are keeping the black market alive
By advertising on Instagram and TikTok, and selling through marketplaces, vendors are finding their way around the ban.
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Kite fighting, which involves the use of sharp strings, is popular in Brazil’s suburbs. But the strings have caused many accidents, especially among motorcyclists.
The use of sharp kite-cutting strings has been banned in some regions since 2019, but creators on social media have kept their popularity afloat.
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France presses pause on Mercosur-EU trade talks despite Macron's visit to Brazil
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Negotiations over a trade agreement between the Mercosur trade bloc and the European Union have reached an impasse.
Key resistance to the deal is coming from France, despite the cordial relationship between the French and Brazilian governments.
French President Emmanuel Macron is currently on an official trip to Brazil, where he is meeting with government representatives and business leaders.
During the visit, Macron has traveled to various states with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, announcing French investments of up to 1bn euros (US$1.1bn) in rainforest protection initiatives, along with cooperation on defense issues. However, there have been negative comments toward the trade deal from France's side.
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Datafolha: Image of Brazil's Supreme Court improves amid action on Bolsonaro's Coup Plot
Positive assessment of the court is at 29%, tied with the 28% who view it negatively
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Disapproval of the work of the STF (Supreme Federal Court) has dropped ten points from December to now, to 28%, the second-lowest level since Datafolha began measuring the evaluation of the court's 11 justices. Meanwhile, approval remained stable, from 27% to 29%.
Since that last survey, in which disapproval had reached the highest level in the historical series that began in December 2019, the court has played the most acute chapter in its institutional confrontation with Bolsonaroism: the unveiling of the coup plot woven around Jair Bolsonaro (PL) after his defeat to Lula (PT) in 2022.
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Brazil's jobless rate ticks up but labor market remains strong
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Brazil's jobless rate ticked up in the three months through February but the labor market in Latin America's largest economy remains resilient, with unemployment still close to its lowest levels since 2015, official data showed on Thursday.
Policymakers at Brazil's central bank have been closely monitoring the local job market on concerns its strength could translate into higher inflation and hinder an ongoing monetary easing cycle.
Brazil's unemployment rate reached 7.8% in the December-February period, statistics agency IBGE said, in line with market expectations in a Reuters poll but up from 7.6% in the previous rolling quarter.
The uptick resulted from more people actively looking for a job, IBGE said, with 8.53 million people currently unemployed. The latest jobless figure represents the highest since August of last year, but still the lowest for the period since 2015.
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Lula to drop visa requirements for U.S. citizens
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In a step of diplomatic affirmation, the Brazilian government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sought to reinstate visa requirements for tourists arriving from the U.S., Canada, and Australia — which had been lifted by the previous Jair Bolsonaro administration. However, enforcement has been delayed several times and the government is now ready to abandon the change altogether.
Congressman Alencar Santana, a deputy whip for the government, said the Lula administration would revoke a decree that reinstated tourist visas for citizens of the U.S., Australia, and Canada. “The government is committed to issuing a decree [revoking visa requirements] by next week,” Mr. Santana told the House floor.
The House was about to vote on a bill that would have revoked the government’s decree entirely, but after Mr. Santana’s pledge, the opposition agreed to withdraw it from the voting agenda.
The Bolsonaro administration unilaterally lifted visa requirements for tourists from those countries (plus Japan) in mid-2019, claiming the move would attract more travelers to Brazil, a postcard-perfect country that nonetheless suffers from low tourism numbers.
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Brazil's Chamber of Deputies honors Marielle Franco and Anderson Gomes in a ceremony on the day of the vote on Brazão's arrest
The ceremony had already been scheduled weeks ago and intensified demands for accountability
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Surrounded by the sound of drums and emotional speeches and calls for justice, the plenary of Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies honored the Socialism and Freedom Party (PSOL) councilwoman Marielle Franco and her driver Anderson Gomes, murdered in March 2018.
The session had already been scheduled days before. However, it ended up coinciding with the week in which the Federal Police operation that arrested the three suspected masterminds of the crime, including federal deputy Chiquinho Brazão (no party, Rio de Janeiro state), came to light.
The ceremony intensified the pressure to hold Chiquinho Brazão accountable, whose preventive arrest was evaluated by the Chamber on Tuesday afternoon (26).
Congresswoman Talíria Petrone (PSOL, Rio de Janeiro), who proposed holding the ceremony, said that the feeling after the Federal Police revelations is one of "intense revolt". She also argued that the legislature should focus on guaranteeing measures to combat militias, criminal organizations whose activities are directly linked to Marielle’s case.
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Brazil's real slips to near 1-week low in thin Latam holiday trade
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Brazil's real slipped to a near one-week low against a muted dollar in thin trading volume, dragging the Latin American currencies index, while investors awaited a key U.S. inflation test for more clues on the Federal Reserve's policy outlook.
The MSCI index tracking Latam currencies .MILA00000CUS fell 0.2%, on track for only slight gains this quarter, losing steam following the previous quarter's near 6% jump, with the dollar index =USD set for a strong quarterly advance, owing to doubts over U.S. rate cuts this year.
"Some Fed members believe that rate cuts can be delayed and that perhaps only two are needed. This puts renewed downward pressure on all Latam and EM which now face a bit of central bank policy divergence after committing to slashing borrowing costs," said Juan Perez, director of trading at Monex USA.
All eyes will be on the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, the so-called core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index data, due on Friday. Any negative surprises could further blur the U.S. rate cuts picture.
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Macron and Lula pledge deeper Brazil-France cooperation
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Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Emmanuel Macron of France attended on Wednesday the baptism and launch into the sea of the Scorpène-class Tonelero, the third diesel-powered submarine manufactured as part of a joint program under which France has helped Brazil build a fleet.
The Brazil-France Strategic partnership was signed in 2008, with a current revised budget of around BRL 40 billion (USD 8 billion). Wednesday’s ceremony was held at the Itaguaí Naval Complex in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Mr. Macron, who arrived on Tuesday in the Amazonian city of Belém, is on a three-day visit to Brazil. His trip denotes a significant change in the relationship between the countries after the departure from power of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who openly mocked Mr. Macron’s wife on social media after being criticized for failing to thwart fires and deforestation in the Amazon.
In a speech, Mr. Macron said France and Brazil desire to start “a new page” together,  made possible by the “diplomatic intimacy” between the countries.
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Popularity of Brazil Congress jumps amid penal populism push
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A new Datafolha poll with Brazilian voters shows a spike in Congress’s popularity. Those who deem lawmakers are performing a good or great job jumped from 16 percent in February to 22 percent now. It is the highest approval rate since 2010.
In the same span, rejection of congressional work dipped from 33 to 23 percent.
It can be hard to pinpoint specific reasons for rapid voter mood swings, especially since Datafolha did not disclose data for each populational cohort. But one clue lies in a recent drive for tough-on-crime legislation in both the House and Senate. 
Congress recently passed legislation toughening furlough benefits for convicted felons, and a new drug act that brings back the war on drugs logic of the 1990s is moving through the Senate. The Supreme Court recently began debating on whether to decriminalize marijuana possession — sparking a reaction from the conservative caucus in Congress. 
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Brazilian companies' digital investments to boom in 2024
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Inflation under control and falling interest rates are likely to contribute to a slight increase in digital investments by Brazilian companies this year.
According to a quarterly survey of about 4,000 companies conducted by the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (ABDI) and the Brazilian Institute of Economics at the Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV-Ibre) think tank, this type of investment fell by 3.5 points to 116.4 points in the second quarter, signaling a slowdown from the first quarter’s pace of 131.2 points.
The ABDI index ranges from 0 to 200 points: 100 is neutral, while lower values imply a slowdown, and higher ones signal an acceleration in investment.
The slower pace of investment, especially in the second half of last year, followed the slowdown in the Brazilian economy and was mainly driven by micro and small businesses, which were the most affected by higher debt and delinquency levels.
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Brazilian Federal Police Says that Rio Civil Police Has Become a Marketplace for 'Bicheiros' and Militia Members
Investigators in the Marielle case point out that delegate Rivaldo Barbosa created a criminal organization within the police force; he denies the accusations
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In the report on alleged masterminds of the assassination of Marielle Franco and Anderson Gomes, the Federal Police use dozens of pages to present a perception based on other cases and events of recent years: the Rio Civil Police has become a marketplace at the service of 'bicheiros' (bookies) and militia members. Investigators specifically address the period from 2015 to 2019, during Rivaldo Barbosa's tenure, who was arrested last Sunday (25), suspected of orchestrating the executions alongside the brothers Chiquinho Brazão (União Brasil-RJ) and Domingos Brazão, a counselor at the TCE (Court of Accounts of Rio).
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Brazilian FM talks global peace with Russian counterpart
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Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira held a telephone conversation Tuesday with his Russian colleague Sergei Lavrov during which they reviewed the recent terrorist attack in Moscow and the UN Security Council resolution ordering an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, among other topics. The South American diplomat offered his country's help to cool down the spiraling global tensions.
Vieira conveyed to Lavrov the condolences of the Brazilian people for the victims of last Friday's mass slaughter that left 137 dead and is considered the deadliest in the country in two decades.
Lavrov, who was in Brazil last month during a convention of G20 foreign ministers, had words of mourning for the casualties of the floods in Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro, which have also left dozens homeless.
According to a statement from Itamaraty, the two ministers also reviewed “the latest developments in Gaza, including the UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.”
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Amazon fires rage in Roraima, Brazil's northernmost state
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The area of Brazil affected by fires grew 410 percent in February compared to the same month in 2023, according to data compiled by MapBiomas, a deforestation monitoring platform. In the first two months of 2024, 93 percent of the area affected by fires was in the Amazon rainforest.
Most of these fires occurred in Roraima, where Governor Antonio Denarium has decreed a state of emergency in 14 of the state’s 15 municipalities. The federal government has also acknowledged the state of emergency, allowing municipalities to request funds for food baskets, drinking water, and water truck rentals. 
As The Brazilian Report showed last week, Roraima has been hit by a record number of forest fires over the last few months.
The drought caused by the fires has compromised running water for thousands of people, rendering the service unstable. On Monday morning, the sky of Boa Vista, Roraima’s capital, was filled with smoke.
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Brazil takes (some) distance from Maduro's Venezuela
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Brazilian diplomacy on Tuesday expressed “concern” with the upcoming elections in Venezuela. It was the first time that the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva administration flinched on its stance on the neighboring country — otherwise marked by utmost support for the country’s authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro.
Back in October 2023, the Maduro administration pledged to hold free and fair elections. An agreement with the opposition was mediated by Norway and signed in Barbados.
Brazil congratulated Venezuela and the opposition for the agreement at the time, even though the document came months after the country’s leading opposition figure, María Corina Machado, had already been ruled ineligible to run for office by Venezuela’s comptroller general, a Maduro ally. 
In Tuesday’s statement, Brazil’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said it is following the development of the electoral process in Venezuela “with expectation and concern” after new opposition candidate Corina Yoris, who replaced Ms. Machado, found herself unable to register for the ballots.
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Brazil Congress punts on vote on lawmaker accused of Marielle Franco's murder
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The House Constitution and Justice Committee postponed a vote on Tuesday on whether to confirm or reject a Supreme Court decision that led Congressman Chiquinho Brazão to jail for obstruction of justice in the case where he is accused of being one of the masterminds behind the 2018 murders of Rio de Janeiro City Councilor Marielle Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes.
Under Brazil’s Constitution, each legislative chamber can decide whether or not to uphold a prison decision made before a sentence against one of its members.
Three lawmakers requested more time for discussions: Gilson Marques, Roberto Duarte, and Fausto Pinato, each from a different right-wing party. Such motions are not up for a vote.
At the start of the session, Congressman Arthur Oliveira Maia, a member of the União Brasil party, which expelled Mr. Brazão soon after his arrest, said that he would not ask for a postponement but that other lawmakers had the right to do so.
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