Clipmarks | brazilnut72's 'lula' clips

CPMF to IOF

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 13:39:46 GMT

clipped by: brazilnut72
clipper's remarks: Classic smoke-and-mirros on the part of the Brazilian government.

CPMF is out, IOF is in. Despite promises from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva that new taxes would not be created to compensate for the 40 billion reais (US$ 22.5 billion) the government lost when Congress at the end of 2007 discontinued the Temporary Contribution on Financial Transactions (CPMF) tribute, new tariffs were announced the very first working day of the new year.

The levy known as IOF (Tax on Financial Operations) will be applied on business and personal financial operations, including real estate loans, insurance, exchange and international credit card operations.

Mantega recognized that the only thing that changed was the name of the tax from CPMF to IOF. "All the government did was to change from six to half a dozen," he told reporters. The new tariff starts being charged today.

Goodbye CPMF!

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:50:20 GMT

clipped by: brazilnut72
clipper's remarks: This is a hopeful sign indeed.

Clip Source: www.forextv.com

BRASILIA (Thomson Financial) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's goverment has been defeated by the Upper House of the Senate over a vote to extend the tax on financial transactions (CPMF) that would have earned 22 bln usd for state coffers in 2008.

Arthur Virgilia, leader of Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), said the end of the CPMF makes true fiscal reform all the more pressing.

Tags: brazil, brazilian, cpmf

Brazil, Venezuela of the Future?

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 15:39:45 GMT

clipped by: brazilnut72
clipper's remarks: Interesting article by Cristovam Buarque-- Brazilian senator and former presidential candidate. Don't agree with all of it, but he makes some very good points.

Clip Source: www.brazzil.com

After 50 years of democracy, what led Venezuela to opt, by means of the ballot, election after election, for a government with autocratic characteristics? The answer is simple: Chávez is the product of the insensibility of the elite and the demoralization of politics.

The Brazil of today is acting like the Venezuela of years past. Lula's election was the result of the elite's historic insensitivity and of the demoralization of politics. He represented the new; he said that the Congress was composed of 300 con artists; he led a party that symbolized the struggle against corruption and the hope for new national politics that would transform the society to benefit the emancipation of the poor.

Instead of changing society, he took steps to accommodate the people and the political parties. He adopted a form of conducting politics identical to that which he had previously criticized.

Tags: brazil

Venezuela-Brazil Arms Race

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 11:19:31 GMT

clipped by: brazilnut72
clipper's remarks: This could get interesting--especially if more people like Sarney start using his kind of language.

Clip Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

Venezuela and Brazil are not competing in a regional arms race, despite suspicions to the contrary voiced in Brasilia, an influential Venezuelan general said in an interview published Monday.

He denied a claim by Brazilian senator Jose Sarney, a former president who is now a key ally to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, that Venezuela posed a "threat" to Brazil and Latin America.

Brazil last month said it was boosting its military spending by more than 50 percent, to 9.1 billion reais (US$5.2 billion), in what it termed a purely defensive move.

Brazil sees itself sharing borders with several countries that are either sympathetic to Chavez or allied to the United States.

It considers itself unallied, though the Folha de Sao Paulo said that Brazil's military leaders "have an expectation" that Washington will now make overtures to bring the country into the US orbit to counter Venezuela's rising might.

Tags: brazil venezuela

Lula's Geography

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 19:45:26 GMT

clipped by: brazilnut72
clipper's remarks: Different than I learned in school. Apparently the US is separated from Brazil by the Atlantic Ocean.

Clip Source: br.youtube.com

[Video]

Tags: brazil, brazilian, lula, geogrpahy

Protesters Blame Lula

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 19:03:21 GMT

clipped by: brazilnut72
clipper's remarks: I am not really sure how much of the blame actually is his. His biggest negligence, perhaps, was allowing the incompetents who run the air system in Brazil to stay on after the Gol accident.

Clip Source: www.uzbekistannews.net

A march held in honour of those killed in a plane crash here this month turned into a protest against Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for what the protestors called the government's failure to ensure aviation safety.

The defence ministry is in charge of civil aviation, which has been in crisis after a GOL commercial airliner plunged into the Amazon jungle following a mid-air collision with an executive jet.

In addition to the two crashes, the aviation industry has been beset with numerous delays resulting from work stoppages by air-traffic controllers, who say they are being dangerously overworked.

Tags: brazil, brazilian, air, tam, gol, disaster, lula

Heads Roll in Brasilia (Clip in Portuguese)

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 15:48:12 GMT

clipped by: brazilnut72
clipper's remarks: Waldir Pires, who has shown nothing but incompetence and a talent for shifting blame in the face of the air crisis here, has been removed. And it only took close to 400 deaths to make it happen.

Clip Source: oglobo.globo.com

BRASÍLIA - O ex-ministro do Supremo Tribunal Federal o jurista Nelson Jobim (PMDB) será o novo Ministro da Defesa. A notícia foi confirmada na manhã de hoje pela assessoria de comunicação do Palácio do Planalto. Jobim substitui Waldir Pires, que permaneceu no cargo por pouco mais de um ano (ele assumiu o cargo em março do ano passado).

No começo da manhã, segundo o Planalto, Pires entregou o cargo, em reunião com o presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Jobim, que foi Ministro da Justiça no primeiro governo de Fernando Henrique Cardoso, também já se encontrou com o presidente. A assessoria presidencial não informou a partir de quando Jobim assume a pasta.

Tags: brazil, brazilian, air disaster, waldir pires

Courtroom Circus in Brazil

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 15:24:25 GMT

clipped by: brazilnut72
clipper's remarks: Note to the Brazilian government: stop this now before you end up with some serious egg on your face--more than you actually have.

Clip Source: www.jetwhine.com

Hearing on U.S. Pilots in Brazil Called a "Circus"

Clip Source: www.jetwhine.com

Most supporters of President Lula’s government responsible for the indictment had hoped Bachman would point the finger at LePore and Paladino.

“Quite the opposite, Bachman said that the pilots are fully qualified to fly the Legacy and that he would fly again with them at any time.”

Another question on everyone’s mind is what happens to the next crew that runs afoul of a foreign civilian bureaucrat over an aviation matter in Brazil or any where else in the world.

Tags: brazil, brazilian, gol, legacy

Brazil Stands Up to Bolivia

Wed, 09 May 2007 12:12:14 GMT

clipped by: brazilnut72
clipper's remarks: The money quote is this one by the Bolivian president: "From the moment we base ourselves in legality and respect for property, and by fulfilling agreements, there will never be problems. I am convinced of that,"

That is a significant change of tune from the one he was singing a few months ago when he sent troops into the Petrobras plants.

A Brazilian I talked to yesterday is of the opinion that this new-found backbone on the part of Brazil is due to Lula's recent chumminess with Bush.

Time will tell.

Clip Source: english.people.com.cn

Bolivian President Evo Morales said on Tuesday he would negotiate with Brazil over two Brazil-built oil refineries in Bolivia and denied any conflict between the two countries, news reaching here said.

"From the moment we base ourselves in legality and respect for property, and by fulfilling agreements, there will never be problems. I am convinced of that," Morales told a press conference in the Palace of Government in the capital La Paz.

Petrobras has given Bolivia a deadline of Wednesday to respond to a purchase offer, threatening to take the matter to international arbitration and warned of a possible "negative impact" on bilateral aid.

Tags: bolilvia, brazil, brazilian, lula, evo morales, petrobras

Education Reform in Brazil

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 20:45:30 GMT

clipped by: brazilnut72
clipper's remarks: There is no way this can live up to its promises. I do feel like it is a good start, but the education issues here require much more than simply throwing money at the problem.

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Cash boost for schools in Brazil

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has unveiled the details of a $4bn plan to improve standards of education across the country.

The president said that failure to act in the past has meant that today Brazilians watched television programmes about young people involved in criminality and girls aged 15 to 17 working as prostitutes.

Concern about educational standards is widespread in Brazilian society, and the implementation of this plan will be watched carefully to see if it lives up to its promise.

Tags: brazil, brasil, brazilian, education reform, lula

Chavez Doesn't Like Brazil/US Ethanol Deal

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 14:44:48 GMT

clipped by: brazilnut72
clipper's remarks: I wonder why...

Clip Source: www.washingtonpost.com

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Not long ago, President Hugo Chavez was embarking on ambitious plans to produce ethanol as the eco-fuel of choice. But within the past two months, the biofuel has suddenly become a villain for him and a major point of friction with Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Chavez said last week that Venezuela was working on an alternative proposal to "overthrow" the U.S.-Brazil agreement, which he characterizes as an ethanol "cartel" that will monopolize arable lands and starve the poor _ criticisms shared by his Cuban ally, Fidel Castro.

Tags: brazil, brasil, chavez, lula, bush, latin america, ethanol

Where is the Abraço?

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 13:29:44 GMT

clipped by: brazilnut72
clipper's remarks: Brazil is a "huggy" society, and the US is a "keep your distance" society, which makes this picture very interesting. Here it is the American who looks far more at ease with the hug. The expression on Lula's face is one I have seen on many Americans' faces as they are unexpectedly hugged by a Brazilian.

So what gives? I really think Lula did not expect to be (and did not want to be) in the position of being Bush's favorite Latin president. He has Hugo Chavez and Co. to thank for Bush's affections.

Clip Source: www.publiuspundit.com

Tags: brazil, lula, hugo chavez, bush, latin america

Motives Behind US Interest in Ethanol

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 13:15:49 GMT

clipped by: brazilnut72
clipper's remarks: I don't know if Brazilians or Latin Americans wanted to hear this, but I think it is good for Americans to hear.

Clip Source: www.brazzil.com

This is what he said: "People have wondered why the President of the United States would be so interested in diversification of our energy supply, and here are the reasons. One, if you're dependent upon oil from overseas you have a national security issue. In other words, dependency upon energy from somewhere else means that you're dependent upon the decisions from somewhere else.

Tags: bush, brazil, lula, ethanol

Chavez Contradiction

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 12:44:36 GMT

clipped by: brazilnut72
clipper's remarks: If Bush is such a "political cadaver", why does Chavez feel the need to lead such a huge protest?

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

But while President Bush pressed that point, President Chávez led an “anti-imperialist” rally at which he railed against what he called American hypocrisy and greed, and called Mr. Bush a “political cadaver.”

Tags: chavez, hugo chavez, latin america, brazil, brazilian, bush, lula

Lula at Camp David

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:23:05 GMT

clipped by: brazilnut72
clipper's remarks: Lula will be the first Latin American president to be received at Camp David since 1991. Cool! I like to see Lula and Bush getting "tight". It must make Chavez gnash his teeth--something else that makes me happy.

Clip Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lula será primeiro latino-americano em Camp David desde 91

O presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva será o primeiro presidente latino-americano a ser recebido pelo presidente George W. Bush em Camp David, a casa de campo dos presidentes dos Estados Unidos.

O último líder latino-americano a ser recebido em Camp David foi o então presidente do México, Carlos Salinas, em 1991, recebido pelo então presidente e pai do atual líder americano, George Herbert Walker Bush.

Tags: brazil, brasil, latin america, bush, camp david, lula