How the War in Ukraine Could Empower Maduro

(Foreign Policy, 25.Feb.2022) — The highlights this week: how the war in Ukraine could prolong Venezuela’s political crisis, Colombia decriminalizes abortion, and a Mexican marathoner completes a cross-country journey. When Anti-Imperialism Meets Noninterference In the weeks before Russia began its large-scale invasion of Ukraine this Thursday, two Latin American presidents, Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil and Alberto Fernández of […]

Bolsonaro: Petrobras Pricing Independent

(Reuters, 6.Nov.2021) — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro lamented on Saturday that state-run oil company Petrobras sets domestic fuel prices independent of government interference and repeated his desire to privatize the firm. “We know about inflation, the rise in fuel prices. We know about Petrobras. The company is independent unfortunately, independent. […]

Bolsonaro Authorizes Eletrobras Privatization

(Xinhua, 13.Jul.2021) — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro signed into law on Tuesday a bill approved by Congress that paves the way for the privatization of state-owned electric utility company Eletrobras, according to the country’s Official Gazette. Among other measures, the regulatory framework will include the issuance of new Eletrobras shares […]

Jair Bolsonaro Sparks Political Crisis

(Reuters, 30.Mar.2021) — Brazil will replace the three heads of its armed forces, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday, as Latin America’s biggest nation, already roiled by the pandemic, faced a growing crisis between President Jair Bolsonaro and the military. The departure of Brazil’s three top military commanders comes a […]

LatAm Briefs: Pemex Costs, Ecuador Output

(Energy Analytics Institute, 18.Mar.2021) — Energy briefs from the Latin America and Caribbean region including: Banco do Brasil CEO resigning under pressures from Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, Ecuador’s oil production reaching 506,519 barrels per day (b/d), and Pemex reducing production cost. Banco do Brasil CEO Resigns Under Bolsonaro Pressures Petrobras […]

Moody’s On Govt Intervention At Petrobras

(Reuters, 24.Feb.2021) — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s decision to replace the head of state-run oil giant Petrobras threatens the government’s privatization program and potentially the economy’s medium-term growth prospects, ratings agency Moody’s warned on Wednesday. “The greatest risk to Brazil’s sovereign credit profile is a confidence shock that leads to […]

Petrobras In Turmoil As Investors Digest Shake-up

(Argus, 22.Feb.2021) — The share price of Brazil’s Petrobras nosedived today after President Jair Bolsonaro moved to overhaul the state-controlled company’s management, heralding a return to state intervention and threatening to derail a $25bn-$35bn divestment plan. The stunning development sent shock waves through the company’s executive ranks and the investment […]

Bolsonaro Says More Changes Underway

(Blooomberg, 19.Feb.2021) — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said that more changes are underway after naming a former general to replace the University of Chicago-educated economist running state-controlled Petroleo Brasileiro SA. The leadership change at Petrobras followed a feud with Bolsonaro over fuel prices after Petrobras adjusted them to align with […]

Petrobras CEO Fights Pressure To Resign

(Reuters, 19.Feb.2021) — The chief executive of Brazil’s state-led oil company Petrobras is trying to fight off President Jair Bolsonaro’s bid to oust him over his insistence on raising gasoline prices in line with international market hikes, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday. The […]

Bolsonaro Urges Truckers Not To Strike

(Reuters, 27.Jan.2021) — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday urged truckers not to strike on Feb. 1, suggesting he could lower diesel costs with tax breaks as he seeks to head off a crushing blow to the country’s pandemic-stricken economy. Speaking in Brasilia after a meeting with Economy Minister Paulo […]

PPSA Sale Plan Stokes Oil Contract Debate

(Argus, 12.Aug.2020) — The Brazilian government’s plan to sell state-owned pre-salt marketing company PPSA has stalled amid congressional foot-dragging over a change in pre-salt contract terms. Addressing reporters late yesterday, influential economy minister Paulo Guedes confirmed that the delay in selling the firm contributed to the departure of secretary Salim […]

Bolsonaro Ready To Ax Fuel Taxes

(Reuters, 6.Feb.2020) — Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro said he is prepared to eliminate federal fuel taxes if state governors eliminate the “ICMS” state tax on gasoline and diesel. ICMS is a tax on sales and services and applies to the movement of goods, transportation, communication services and other supplies. Earlier […]

Brazil Looks To Smooth Impact Of Oil Price Spikes

(Reuters, 6.Jan.2020) — Brazil’s government is working on a policy to reduce the local impact of spikes in international oil prices, officials said on Monday, reviving questions about the state oil firm’s independence in setting fuel prices. Mines and Energy Minister Bento Albuquerque told reporters the government will not create […]

What A Mammoth Oil Auction Means for Brazil

(Americas Quarterly, Naki Mendoza, 5.Nov.2019) — A pre-salt auction 20 years in the making could have broad repercussions for the economy and Jair Bolsonaro’s government. Since its first pre-salt auction in 2013, Brazil has grown accustomed to blockbuster oil deals. But the upcoming Nov. 6 auction of prime offshore acreage […]

Brazil Collects 900 Tonnes Of Spilled Oil

(Kallanish, 23.Oct.2019) — Brazil has collected some 900 tonnes of oil residue from its northeastern beaches since early September, the government said in a joint note Monday. According to the Brazilian Navy, environmental agency Ibama and oil regulator ANP, the mammoth clean up continues across the Brazilian northeast coast. Over […]

Bolsonaro Says Oil Spill Could Be Sabotage

(Reuters, 18.Oct.2019) — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro questioned on Friday whether a far-reaching oil spill on the nation’s northeastern shore may have been a criminal act designed to harm a major oil auction scheduled for November. “Coincidence or not, we have the transfer-of-rights auction,” said Bolsonaro in a Facebook Live […]

Venezuelan Oil Likely Spilled In Brazil: Report

(The Wall Street Journal, Luciana Magalhaes and Jeffrey T. Lewis, 9.Oct.2019) — Long stretches of Brazil’s northeastern coast have been stained by oil slicks since early September, and at least some of the crude probably came from Venezuelan fields, a report by Brazilian oil company Petróleo Brasileiro SA said, according […]

Petrobras Maintains Prices

(Reuters, Gram Slattery and Marta Nogueira, 16.Sep.2019) — – Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Petrobras said on Monday the oil firm was not planning to immediately raise fuel prices in response to the attack in Saudi Arabia, showing the state-run firm may be open to overlooking market pricing norms for […]

Petrobras Clarifies News In ‘Folha de São Paulo’

(Petrobras, 26.Aug.2019) — Petrobras reports that it received the Official Letter No. 269/2019/CVM/SEP/GEA-1, which requests the following clarification: Official Letter No 269/2019/CVM/SEP/GEA-1 “Dear Executive Officer, 1. We refer to the news published today, in the newspaper ‘Folha de São Paulo’, ‘Poder’ section, under the title: “‘Press commits suicide and is […]

Bolsonaro Wants To Privatize Petrobras

(Reuters, 21.Aug.2019) — The economic team of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro wants to privatize state-controlled oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA before the end of his term in 2022, Brazilian newspaper Valor Economico reported on its website on Wednesday, citing anonymous sources. The report also cites a speech by Economy Minister […]