Author: Embodo

The Brazilian financial market raised its inflation forecast for this year from 5.93 percent to 5.96 percent, but maintained its 2024 forecast at 4.13 percent, the Central Bank of Brazil said Monday. Brazil’s target inflation is 3.25 percent for 2023 and 3 percent for 2024, both with a 1.5 percentage point margin of tolerance. The rise in expected inflation this year may impact any potential decisions by the bank to lower the benchmark interest rate, currently at 13.75 percent annually, since raising the rate serves to dampen an overheated economy. According to the bank’s weekly survey of the country’s top…

yclone Yaku is causing heavy rains in several coastal regions of northern Peru, a specialist with the country’s National Meteorology and Hydrology Service (Senamhi) said Thursday. “The cyclone is adding to the extreme rainfall conditions … on the northern coast,” generating floods especially in the departments of Tumbes, Piura and Lambayeque, Benito Valderrama told radio and TV broadcasting company Radio Programas del Peru. “These rains are going to continue. Senamhi is regularly issuing weather warnings. We have a weather warning in effect until March 11,” he said. The cyclone “is not going to become a hurricane,” but could rather dissipate…

The new stage in Venezuela-Brazil ties is “steadily advancing,” Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said Tuesday. Gil made the remarks after speaking with his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira, hailing the conversation as “excellent” on social media. According to Brazil’s Foreign Ministry, Gil and Vieira welcomed the progress towards “normalizing” bilateral relations, and discussed healthcare cooperation along their borders. They also discussed an upcoming meeting between their deputy foreign ministers to define priorities and pave the way for high-level visits. Ties between the two countries deteriorated under the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022). Brazil’s incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva…

Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos and Tottenham forward Richarlison will miss Brazil’s friendly against Morocco next week due to injury, the South American country’s football confederation said on Saturday. Marquinhos was ruled out with an abdominal strain while Richarlison suffered a suspected right leg injury. Interim Brazil head coach Ramon Menezes has not yet named replacements for the pair, according to a confederation statement. The fixture will be played at the IBN Batouta Stadium in the Moroccan port city of Tangier on March 25. The last time Morocco and Brazil met in an official match was in 1998 when Brazil prevailed…

At least 36 people were killed in Peru after a mudslide buried several communities in the province of Camana, in the southern region of Arequipa, authorities confirmed Monday. “We have just communicated with the municipal agent of the Miski sector, where they reported the 36 deaths. They found the bodies and they are stranded there on the highway,” the technical secretary of the National Civil Defense Institute, Wilson Gutierrez, told Radio Programs of Peru. Heavy rains over the weekend sparked a mudslide that affected several communities, including Pampaylima, Venado de Oro, Infiernillo, San Martin, Posko Miski and Secocha, all located…

Brazil received 868,587 foreign tourists in the first month of 2023, 14.7 percent more than before the COVID-19 pandemic and the highest number in the last four years, the Ministry of Tourism reported Tuesday. January’s figure exceeded by over 100,000 tourists in comparison with the numbers for the same month in 2019 and 2020, while almost tripling that in 2022, according to data from the Federal Police immigration service. “The world is returning to Brazil,” President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on his Twitter account Tuesday, highlighting the tourism sector’s recovery during the first month of his third term.…

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for meaningful and inclusive dialogue to address the current crisis in Peru. As demonstrations continue in Peru, the secretary-general urged restraint to avoid a further escalation of violence and reiterated his call on the authorities to comply with international human rights law, said Stephane Dujarric, Guterres’ spokesman, in a statement on Wednesday. Guterres also underscored that “protests must take place in a peaceful manner, respecting life and property,” added the statement. “He is concerned about the number of deaths reported in the context of the protests and urges the authorities to conduct prompt, effective and…

Scientists have discovered a new species of lizard in southeastern Peru, the nation’s natural areas conservation authorities said on Monday. The new species, named “Proctoporus titans”, was found in Otishi National Park’s high Andean region of Cusco, between 3,241 to 3,269 meters above sea level, an area accessible only by helicopter. The lizard belongs to the genus “Proctoporus” of the “Gymnophthalmidae” family, which is characterized by a tail that is longer than the body and is found in the greatest diversity in the Andean foothills, the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State said in a press release.…

Brazil on Monday began to apply a bivalent vaccine against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), starting with vulnerable groups including people over 70 years of age, the Health Ministry said. During this initial phase, the vaccine will also be available for those who are immunocompromised or living in care homes, members of indigenous communities and Brazilians of African origin, the ministry said in a statement. The next phase will target people aged over 60, pregnant women and new mothers, healthcare workers, those with disabilities and the incarcerated. Unlike prior vaccines aimed at protecting against only one type of virus, the…

Canadian firm Lundin Mining has agreed to acquire a 51% stake in SCM Minera Lumina Copper Chile, which operates the Caserones copper-molybdenum mine in Chile, for $950m. The stake will be acquired from JX Nippon Mining & Metals and a number of its subsidiaries. Located in the Atacama region of the northern Chilean Andean Cordillera, the Caserones project comprises a traditional open pit mine, a conventional sulphide flotation plant, and a dump leach, solvent extraction and electrowinning plant. According to the deal, JX will receive $800m upfront cash consideration from Lundin Mining. In addition, JX will also receive $150m deferred cash consideration from Lundin Mining,…