Latest news with #Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
France 24
a day ago
- Politics
- France 24
Brazil police raid home of Bolsonaro, accused of plotting coup
Son Eduardo Bolsonaro, a congressman who recently moved to the United States to lobby for his father, wrote on X that federal police carried out a "raid on my father's home this morning." And he lashed out at Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes, a Bolsonaro adversary who on Friday ordered the ex-president to wear an electronic ankle bracelet and not leave his home at night. Moraes, one of the judges in Bolsonaro's trial for allegedly seeking to nullify leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva 2022 election victory, said the measures were necessary given the accused and his son's "hostile acts" against Brazil. This came after Trump announced a 50 percent tariff on the South American powerhouse for what he said was a "witch hunt" against his ally Bolsonaro. Moraes, said Eduardo Bolsonaro, "has long abandoned any semblance of impartiality and now operates as a political gangster in robes, using the Supreme Court as his personal weapon." The judge was "trying to criminalize President Trump and the US government. Powerless against them, he chose to take my father hostage," he added in a letter he signed as a "Brazilian congressman in exile." 'Supreme humiliation' Bolsonaro described Morae's order Friday as a "supreme humiliation." It also prohibited him from approaching foreign embassies or leaving his home between 7:00 pm and 6:00 am, on weekends or public holidays. "I never thought about leaving Brazil, I never thought about going to an embassy, Bolsonaro insisted on emerging from the justice secretariat offices in Brasilia. The former army captain denies he was involved in an attempt to wrest power back from Lula as part of an alleged coup plot that prosecutors say failed only for a lack of military backing. After the plot fizzled, rioting supporters known as "Bolsonaristas" raided government buildings in 2023 as they urged the military to oust Lula. Bolsonaro was abroad at the time. The case against Bolsonaro carries echoes of Trump's failed prosecution over the January 6, 2021 attacks by his supporters on the US Capitol to try and reverse his election loss. Both men have claimed to be victims of political persecution, and Trump has stepped in in defense of his ally, to the anger of Lula who has labeled the tariff threat "unacceptable blackmail." Washington also announced an investigation into "unfair trading practices" by Brazil, a move that could provide a legal basis for imposing tariffs on South America's largest economy. On Tuesday, prosecutors asked the trial judges of the Supreme Court to find Bolsonaro guilty of "armed criminal association" and planning to "violently overthrow the democratic order." The defense must still present its closing arguments, after which a five-member panel of judges including Moraes will decide the ex-president's fate. Bolsonaro and seven co-accused risk up to 40 years in prison. He has repeatedly stated his desire to be a candidate in presidential elections next year, but has been ruled ineligible to hold office by a court that found him guilty of spreading misinformation about Brazil's electoral system. Moraes has repeatedly clashed with Bolsonaro and other rightwing figures he has accused of spreading fake news. © 2025 AFP
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Brazil's congress passes bill to overhaul environmental regulations
RIO DE JANEIRO — A bill to overhaul environmental regulations in Brazil was passed by the country's lower house Thursday, drawing criticism by the environmental minister who floated the possibility of a presidential veto. With the bill already passed by the Senate in May, it now goes to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who casts himself as an environmental defender and later this year will preside over the first U.N. climate talks, known as COP30, to take place in the Amazon. Lula can sanction the project, veto it in its entirety or veto only certain aspects.
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Brazil lawmakers gut environmental licensing ahead of UN climate summit
Brazil's congress passed legislation on Thursday loosening environmental licensing, a potential blow to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as he seeks to burnish his country's green credentials before hosting the United Nations global climate summit, COP30, this year. The bill passed with broad support in congress where a powerful agri-business caucus holds huge influence, over criticism from environmentalists, members of Lula's cabinet, and European Union lawmakers who wrote to Brazil's lower house speaker last month asking him not to put the bill to a vote. The vote in the lower house tallied 267 votes for and 116 against the bill. Brazilian business leaders have criticized environmental permitting as a barrier to development. While many environmentalists agree that the process needed to be reformed, they argue that the approach taken by congress is likely to cause far more harm than good. "Brazil will completely misalign itself with the best international standards," said Natalie Unterstell, head of the Talanoa Institute, an environmental think-tank. The bill loosens several permitting requirements. For example, it allows projects considered to have a small- or mid-sized impact, such as dams and basic sanitation infrastructure, to be built without environmental permits. Environment Minister Marina Silva has said the bill is a major setback that "dismantles" licensing in Brazil, although some members of Lula's cabinet had earlier expressed support for the bill. Canada's Liberal government has introduced similar legislation, Bill C-5, that allows cabinet to quickly grant federal approvals for big projects deemed to be in the national interest such as mines, ports and pipelines by sidestepping existing laws. Prime Minister Mark Carney called a summit this week with First Nations leaders, who have expressed concerns the bill. WATCH | PM speaks ahead of First Nations summit: Carney says he's 'principally here to listen,' ahead of First Nations summit on Bill C-5 2 hours ago Pressure to drill The Brazilian bill was passed as the country's environmental agency Ibama faces intense pressure to issue a licence for state-run oil firm Petrobras to drill for oil off the coast of the Amazonian state of Amapa, a region with a fragile ecosystem that is also seen as Brazil's most promising oil frontier. The project, which Petrobras considers its best shot to replenish reserves, has been waiting for a permit for over a decade. The wait drew ire from senate head Davi Alcolumbre, who hails from Amapa and has been pushing for the development of the oil industry in the region, one of the poorest in Brazil. Alcolumbre put the bill to a vote over protests from government officials and added what some environmentalists consider its most radical amendment, giving the federal government power to fast-track projects it considers strategic. Lula can still veto parts or the whole bill, sending it back to congress, which could strike vetoes down. Its legality could also be questioned at the Supreme Court, which has intervened on other contentious environmental bills put forward by congress.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Brazil lawmakers gut environmental permitting ahead of COP30 summit
RIO DE JANEIRO, July 17 (Reuters) - Brazil's Congress passed legislation on Thursday loosening environmental licensing, a potential blow to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as he seeks to burnish his country's green credentials before hosting the United Nations global climate summit, COP30, this year. The bill passed with broad support in Congress where a powerful agribusiness caucus holds huge influence, over criticism from environmentalists, members of Lula's cabinet, and European Union lawmakers who wrote to Brazil's lower house speaker last month asking him not to put the bill to a vote. The vote in the lower house tallied 267 votes for and 116 against the bill. Brazilian business leaders have criticized environmental permitting in Brazil as a barrier to development. While many environmentalists agree that the process needed to be reformed, they argue that the approach taken by Congress is likely to cause far more harm than good. "Brazil will completely misalign itself with the best international standards," said Natalie Unterstell, head of the Talanoa Institute, an environmental think tank. The bill loosens several permitting requirements. For example, it allows projects considered to have a small or mid-sized impact, such as dams and basic sanitation infrastructure, to be built without environmental permits. Environment Minister Marina Silva has said the bill is a major setback that "dismantles" licensing in Brazil, although some members of Lula's cabinet had earlier expressed support for the bill. The bill was passed as Brazil's environmental agency Ibama faces intense pressure to issue a license for state-run oil firm Petrobras ( opens new tab to drill for oil off the coast of the Amazonian state of Amapa, a region with a fragile ecosystem that is also seen as Brazil's most promising oil frontier. The project, which Petrobras considers its best shot to replenish reserves, has been waiting for a permit for over a decade. The wait drew ire from Senate head Davi Alcolumbre, who hails from Amapa and has been pushing for the development of the oil industry in the region, one of the poorest in Brazil. Alcolumbre put the bill to a vote over protests from government officials and added what some environmentalists consider its most radical amendment, giving the federal government power to fast-track projects it considers strategic. Lula can still veto parts or the whole bill, sending it back to Congress, which could strike vetoes down. Its legality could also be questioned at the Supreme Court, which has intervened on other contentious environmental bills put forward by Congress.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Brazil's debt outlook worsens as Treasury projects sharp rise through Lula's term
BRASILIA, July 16 (Reuters) - The Brazil Treasury's outlook for the country's gross public debt has worsened, with a forecast rise by 10.6 percentage points during President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's current term, 0.6 point higher than its previous estimate in December. In its latest fiscal projections report released on Wednesday, the Treasury forecast the gross debt-to-GDP ratio - a key solvency indicator - to reach 82.3% by 2026, the final year of Lula's leftist administration, up from 71.7% when he took office. If confirmed, it would be the indicator's second-worst deterioration under a presidential term, according to available data from the central bank, behind only 2015-2018, after Brazil faced a historic recession, fiscal crisis and presidential impeachment. For this year, the debt ratio is expected to rise 2.5 points to 79.0% of GDP. According to the Treasury, gross debt is projected to peak at 84.3% of GDP in 2028, a significant increase from the projected peak of 81.8% in 2027 seen just seven months ago. The upward revision reflects the incorporation of higher assumptions for interest rates, exchange rate and inflation, the Treasury said. Latin America's largest economy already holds a high gross debt burden compared with its emerging market peers, with the debt burden growing as borrowing costs rise. Nearly half of Brazil's debt stock is directly linked to the benchmark interest rate, the Selic, whose increases immediately raise debt servicing costs. Since September, the central bank has hiked rates by 450 basis points to a near two-decade high of 15% in a bid to rein in inflation, which has persistently run above the 3% target, with markets remaining skeptical about inflation convergence amid surging public spending under Lula.
