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Hopes for an end to interest rate hikes in the U.S., as well as Brazil's decision to pay down debt early, propelled regional markets higher, although Argentina's Merval index continued to languish, amid economic concerns.
Brazil's benchmark Bovespa Index jumped 449.05 points, or 1.36%, while Mexico's benchmark Bolsa Index climbed 265.20 points, or 1.51%. Argentina's Merval Index fell 6.47 points, or 0.43%. Brazilian shares broke a new record today on a confluence of positive economic developments. At home, investors were hoping that the central bank would reduce interest rates again later this week. Also, investors applauded news that Brazil's government intends to pay down all of its US$ 15.5 billion in outstanding debt to the International Monetary Fund by the end of 2005. Initially, the debt was scheduled to be paid through the end of 2007. In company developments, airline Varig was active on news that businessman Nelson Tanure has agreed to buy a 25% interest in the firm. Still in the sector, airline TAM and Air France strengthened their alliance to take advantage of their respective connecting hubs. In research, a major investment bank started phone company Telesp at "overweight," viewing it as a "solid opportunity on cash flow generation and distribution." Separately, news reports stated that Spain's Telefonica Moviles and Portugal Telecom may be considering cutting their investments at their Brazilian wireless operations in order to stem margin erosion. Mexican issues, meanwhile, broke a new record as well, on strength in the U.S., and as investors continued to cheer a bigger-than-anticipated cut in interest rates last Friday. Markets were closed yesterday for a holiday. Today, as expected, the U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 25 basis points to 4.25%. Yet, in addition, the central bank changed its usual wording in its rate outlook statement, raising investor hopes that the cycle of rate hikes may be over sooner rather than later. In other U.S. data, November retail sales climbed 0.3%, slightly below targets of 0.5%. However, October sales, initially showing a decline of 0.1%, were revised higher to show a 0.3% increase. Excluding autos, sales dropped 0.3%, following a 0.8% gain in October, and versus expectations for a flat reading. Separately, October business inventories advanced 0.3%, below the 0.5% gain registered the prior month and short of expectations for a 0.4% increase. Argentine stocks ebbed lower, in light volume, as investors continued to be concerned about mounting inflation and uncertainty about the new Finance Minister and her plans for the economy. Yet, of note, a central bank survey showed that economists expect November industrial production, to be released on Friday, will show a robust year-on-year gain of 8.7%, implying a month-to-month advance of 0.3%. In October, industrial output had grown 8%. Thomson Financial Corporate Group - www.thomsonfinancial.com
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Brazil received a huge boost in its international image with its selection as the host of the 2016 Olympics, but it was really just the cherry on top of the overall recognition of the country's ascension to the ranks of one of the world's most important countries. Now, as it finally takes its place on the world scene, there has been a great deal of concern about what kind of image Brazil hopes to project, now that the world is really paying attention. 
The only good thing to say about the visit to Brazil of Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on Monday November 23, is that it was mercifully short and lasted less than 24 hours. Ahmadinejad had his picture taken being hugged by president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva who gave him a warm welcome and said Iran had every right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. 
The small, coastal town of Condé is located just a twenty minute's drive from João Pessoa, the capital of Paraíba. The Northeast of Brazil has historically been a place of encounter and mixing between peoples. For millenia groups of indigenous people fished, farmed, migrated and sometimes fought along this large, fertile area. 
The Brazilian diplo-MÁ-cia (bad diplomacy) carries on its accelerated course towards the non-acknowledgment of human rights, although sometimes it takes pleasure in saying that it does precisely the opposite. The visit of Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is another example of a diplomatic omission that verges on hypocrisy. 
On July 4, 2006, representatives of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay met in Caracas to sign the protocol for the entrance of Venezuela into the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). After two and a half years, the protocol was approved by the legislative bodies of Argentina and Uruguay, and as of now it may be only days away from being ratified by the continent's economic megalith, Brazil. 
Some sectors of the fight against AIDS have suggested that Thabo Mbeki, the former president of South Africa, committed genocide through his absence from the fight against the illness in his country throughout his two terms. 
One hundred and eleven years after Brazil abolished slavery, the number of workers deprived of their freedom is still huge. They raise cattle, produce charcoal, sugar cane or timber. Some of them, most undocumented Bolivians, work in basements of small apparel factories in São Paulo and other metropolis. 
On November 7, 2009 a few friends and I had an opportunity to take a look inside a Brazilian jail outside the city of Rio de Janeiro. We were able to take some amateur footage of our experience on video (see link below). It's no surprise, of course, that the typical Brazilian jail lacks some of the functionality of those in North America or Europe, but our experience that day was quite shocking. 
Depletion of the Amazon Rainforest is not a new concern facing environmentalists, biologists, ecologists, and a growing number of the Amazonian indigenous peoples. For decades they have feared for the fate of the world's most biologically diverse and species-rich hothouse. 
Geisy Arruda made history this week in Brazil, but for all the wrong reasons. What began as a poorly planned fashion statement has become a worldwide tale. Geisy decided to wear a pink mini-dress to her private college in São Paulo state, and after that, all hell broke loose.