Brazil’s Senate on Tuesday approved Venezuela’s request to join the South American trade bloc Mercosur.
The Senate voted 35-27 in favor of Venezuela joining the 18-year old customs union.
The proposal must now be approved by Paraguay’s parliament before Venezuela can join. Paraguay is the only other member country that had not yet approved it. (more…)
Dilma Rousseff and Lula
In response to a proposal by Brazilian former Environment minister and senator Marina Silva, minister Dilma Rousseff, president Lula’s chief of staff and the head of the Brazilian delegation at the COP-15 in Copenhagen, said that such a contribution of 1 billion reais (US$ 571 million) as suggested by Silva for an international climate fund wouldn’t mean a thing.
Rousseff used the Brazilian expression “nem faz cosquinha,” which means literally it doesn’t even tickle. Marina Silva is among the 700 Brazilians in Copenhagen, making for the world’s largest delegation at the global warming meeting. (more…)
The Brazilian Federal Supreme Court, the highest ranking court in Brazil, ruled against an appeal filed by O Estado de S. Paulo, among the three most important daily newspapers in the country, requesting the reversal of a lower court decision that prevents it from publishing information relating to a federal police investigation.
The enquiry in question dealt with the actions of businessman Fernando Sarney, who is the son of Senate President and former president of Brazil José Sarney. (more…)
Once again the traditional inauguration of the largest floating Christmas tree in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records - 85-meters-tall (equivalent to a 28-story building) gathered together thousands of people in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The lighting of the tree is considered the city’s third largest event after Carnaval and New Year’s Eve. An international reference for Christmas, which, according to the mayor’s office, attracts nearly 80,000 visitors per day, the tree will remain on display until Epiphany Day, January 6, when it will be lit up for the last time. (more…)
