The increase in soybean and oil exports led the trade balance to record the highest surplus for the month of April since the start of the historical series, the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services announced on Thursday (May 7). Last month, exports exceeded imports by USD 10.537 billion.

The result represents a 37.5 percent increase compared to the same month in 2025, when the surplus stood at USD 7.664 billion. Since the start of the historical series in 1989, this is the third-highest surplus for any month, surpassed only by May 2023 (USD 10.978 billion) and March 2023 (USD 10.751 billion).

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The value of exports and imports was as follows:

Exports: USD 34.148 billion, up 14.3 percent compared to April last year.
Imports: USD 23.611 billion, up 6.2 percent in the same comparison.

For both exports and imports, these figures also represent records for the month of April since the beginning of the historical series.

Year-to-date

In the first four months of the year, the trade balance recorded a surplus of USD 24.782 billion, a figure 43.5 percent higher than that recorded in the same period last year. In addition to the recovery in commodities (primary goods traded on international markets), this growth is due to the import of an oil rig in February 2025, a transaction that did not occur in 2026.

The breakdown was as follows:

Exports: USD 116.552 billion, up 9.2 percent compared to the same period last year.
Imports: USD 91.770 billion, up 2.5 percent in the same comparison.

The cumulative surplus is the second largest in the historical series, surpassed only by the first four months of 2024 (USD 26.925 billion).

Products

The main products responsible for the increase in exports in April were as follows:

• Agriculture and livestock: soybeans (+18.8%), cotton (+43.7%), and live animals, excluding fish and crustaceans (+148.4%);
• Extractive industry: crude petroleum oils (+10.6%), iron ore (+19.5%), and copper ores (+55%);
• Manufacturing: fresh, chilled, or frozen beef (+29.4%), non-monetary gold, excluding gold ores and concentrates (+75.9%), and pumps, centrifuges, air compressors, and fans (+321.5%).

In absolute terms, the two items that drove monthly growth the most were soybeans, with exports up by USD 1.105 billion compared to April last year, driven by the harvest and rising prices. Next was crude oil, with an increase of USD 458.98 million.

In the case of oil, the volume exported fell by 10.6 percent, but the average price rose by 23.7 percent due to the war in the Middle East.

Imports

Regarding imports, the increase is mainly linked to vehicles, with purchases from abroad rising by USD 654.33 million in April compared to the same month in 2025.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated on Thursday (May 7), following a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, that teams from both governments are expected to finalize a proposal to resolve the impasse over export tariffs and a trade investigation launched by the US against Brazil last year.

The goal is for a proposal to be presented to the two leaders in about 30 days. Brazil once again called for the closure of the investigation opened under Section 301 of the US Trade Act.

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Lula suggested the creation of a working group coordinated by Minister of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services Márcio Elias Rosa and his American counterpart, so that a proposal can be presented within 30 days.

“Whoever is wrong will give in. If we have to give in, we will give in,” Lula told reporters at the Brazilian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

In the investigation, the US accused Brazil of unfair competition, citing Pix instant mobile payment, tariffs on ethanol, illegal deforestation, and intellectual property protection.

In April of this year, Brazilian officials traveled to the US to provide clarification and defend the country against allegations of unfair trade practices.

The Brazilian government does not recognize the legitimacy of unilateral measures such as Section 301, arguing that they are inconsistent with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.

According to Lula, the issue of Pix was not mentioned during the meeting between the two presidents.

Extended meeting

Lula and Trump met for more than three hours at the White House in Washington, including a lunch hosted by the US president.

In a social media post, Trump stated that he discussed “many topics” with Lula, including trade and tariff issues, and called Lula “a very dynamic president.”

“The meeting was very productive. Our representatives have meetings scheduled to discuss some key points. Further meetings will be scheduled in the coming months, as needed,” wrote the US president.

Lula arrived at the White House shortly after noon (Brasília time). The meeting had been previously arranged by the two countries’ teams, with the expectation of addressing various topics, including trade, the fight against organized crime, geopolitical issues, and critical minerals.

Speaking to journalists, Lula said he left the bilateral meeting feeling very optimistic.

“I believe Brazil is prepared to discuss any issue with any country in the world. There are no off-limits topics. The only things we will not compromise on are our democracy and our sovereignty. Everything else is up for discussion,” the president stated.

Organized crime

During the press conference, Lula announced that the Brazilian government will launch a plan to combat organized crime “next week” and that, in his conversation with Trump, it was agreed that one of the areas of cooperation between the two governments will be working together to financially strangle transnational criminal organizations operating in Brazil and the US.

“We need to destroy the financial power of organized crime and the factions,” argued the Brazilian president.

According to Finance Minister Dario Durigan, teams from the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service and their US counterparts are expected to conduct joint operations to combat the smuggling of weapons and other goods, including the illegal trafficking of synthetic drugs originating in the US.

Lula said they did not specifically address criminal factions operating in Brazil, such as Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital. The US government is considering designating Brazilian factions as terrorist groups, which, in the assessment of Brazil and experts, poses a risk to sovereignty and does not aid in the fight against crime.

In April, Brazil and the United States had already announced a mutual cooperation agreement aimed at combating international arms and drug trafficking.

The partnership provides for the sharing of information on seizures made at customs in both countries in order to facilitate swift investigations into patterns, routes, and links between senders and recipients of illicit goods.

Rare earths

Another topic discussed at the meeting between Lula and Trump was investment in the exploration of critical minerals and rare earths, which are essential for the manufacture of electronic components in high-tech equipment.

At the press conference, Lula said he had informed Trump of the approval, on Wednesday (6), of the law establishing the National Policy on Critical and Strategic Minerals (PNMCE).

The bill provides, among other things, for the creation of a committee or council responsible for defining which minerals are critical and strategic for the country.

With approximately 21 million tons, Brazil’s rare earth reserves are the second largest in the world, trailing only China, which holds approximately 44 million tons. However, only about 25 percent of the national territory has been mapped, indicating enormous untapped potential.

“Brazil is open to building partnerships with anyone who wants them. What we don’t want is to be mere exporters of these resources. We don’t want to repeat what happened with silver in Latin America, with gold in Brazil, or with iron ore - which we export in large quantities - when we could have carried out domestic processing but failed to do so. So, with rare earths, we’re going to change our approach,” the president assured.

Revoked visas

Lula said he had handed Trump a list of Brazilian officials and their family members who are still subject to US visa restrictions imposed in retaliation for the trial related to the attempted coup in Brazil.

Part of the visa suspension has reportedly been lifted, but some individuals remain subject to sanctions, including, according to Lula, the 10-year-old daughter of Health Minister Alexandre Padilha and some justices of the Federal Supreme Court.

The presidential delegation included Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira; Minister of Justice and Public Security Wellington César; Finance Minister Dario Durigan; Minister of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services Márcio Elias Rosa; Minister of Mines and Energy Alexandre Silveira; and Federal Police Director-General Andrei Rodrigues.

Background

Since 2025, trade relations between Brazil and the United States have been marked by tensions stemming from the tariff policy adopted by President Donald Trump, who has revived protectionist measures already seen during his first term.

The cycle of disputes began with the imposition of 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, directly affecting Brazil, one of the main suppliers of these products to the US market.

The justifications presented by the US for these measures combined economic and political arguments.

There was also criticism of the Brazilian Supreme Court in the context of the judiciary’s decisions related to the case against former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was involved in the coup attempt that culminated on January 8, 2023.

In April, the United States imposed additional tariffs on various Brazilian products, citing a lack of trade reciprocity. The Brazilian government intensified diplomatic efforts and, later, brought the issue before the World Trade Organization (WTO).

In addition, Brazil strengthened some of its legal instruments, such as reciprocity and retaliation measures, in an attempt to prevent further escalation by the US government.

In late 2025 and early this year, the United States partially rolled back its tariffs, exempting certain products and replacing the higher tariffs with a temporary flat rate of about 10 percent. Sectors such as steel and aluminum, however, continue to face high tariffs.

Brazil’s Finance Minister, Dario Durigan, said that productivity gains achieved through the use of new technologies will make it possible to implement a reduction in the six-day workweek with one day off (6x1) without any cuts to workers’ wages.

On Wednesday (May 6), Durigan participated in the program “Bom Dia, Ministro,” produced by Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC).

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During the interview, he said that structural changes in the world of work have led to advances in production.

“The world has moved forward. People are more productive, and there have been gains in digital technology and communication. We must recognize this and not pass the burden on to the public,” the minister argued, reaffirming the government’s commitment to defending workers’ interests and ensuring that the reduction in working hours is not accompanied by wage cuts.

“We will make sure to include protection against wage cuts in any measure approved by Congress. There will be no wage cuts,” said the minister.

He noted that three in every ten Brazilian workers work a six-day week and that most earn up to two minimum wages.

“We’re talking about 80 percent of workers who earn up to two minimum wages. These are the lowest-income workers. Those with higher incomes are already working more reasonable schedules. The idea is to recognize productivity gains and help us transition from a situation in which workers have one day off to one in which they have two days off,” he argued.

Acting President Geraldo Alckmin received representatives of the European Parliament on Wednesday (May 6) at the Planalto presidential palace in Brasília.

During the meeting, they discussed the next steps for the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, which entered into force on a provisional basis last week, creating one of the world’s largest free trade areas and significantly reducing tariffs on Brazilian exports to Europe.

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The terms of the trade pact were signed in late January in Asunción, Paraguay, by representatives of both blocs.

The treaty’s implementation, however, is provisional by decision of the European Commission. In January, the European Parliament referred the text to the Court of Justice of the European Union for review, which will assess its compatibility with the bloc’s legal framework. The process could take up to two years.

“We hope that the Court of Justice’s decision and the subsequent approval or ratification by the European Parliament will be positive. I am confident that they will be,” stated Portuguese MEP Hélder Sousa Silva, chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Brazil.

In practice, tariff reductions lower the final price of products and increase competitiveness against international rivals. In total, more than 5,000 Brazilian products will already be subject to zero tariffs in this initial phase, including industrial goods, food products, and raw materials.

Among the nearly 3,000 products subject to zero tariffs from the outset, about 93 percent are industrial goods. This suggests that Brazilian industry is likely to be the main beneficiary in the short term.

During the meeting, Geraldo Alckmin said that the agreement with the European Union was drafted with balance in mind and includes safeguards for productive sectors.

“Multilateralism is important and benefits society, which gains access to higher-quality products at more affordable prices while also stimulating competitiveness. The agreement was very well drafted and includes safeguards. It’s a win-win,” he noted.

Last week, Brazil established so-called tariff quotas, which are maximum quantities of certain goods that can be imported or exported with reduced or even zero tariffs.

According to the Brazilian government, the quotas cover about 4 percent of total Brazilian exports and only 0.3 percent of imports.

In practice, these percentages indicate that most trade between Mercosur and the European Union will take place without quantity limits and with reduced or fully eliminated tariffs.

The trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union involves 31 countries, with a consumer base of 720 million people and a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of over USD 22 trillion.

Brazil recorded 31,000 transplants in 2025, a historic record for the country. The figure represents a 21 percent increase compared to 2022, when 25,600 procedures were performed. The result reflects advances in the logistics and organization of the system nationwide, with strengthened institutional partnerships and expanded patient access to transplants.

The consolidation of interstate distribution, coordinated by the National Transplant Center, has been decisive in this process. In 2025, this strategy enabled 867 kidney, 375 liver, 100 heart, 25 lung, and four pancreas transplants, helping address clinical priorities and reduce the loss of organs more sensitive to ischemia time.

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The results also reflect the joint effort between the Ministry of Health, airlines, and the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) to ensure the rapid transport of organs and procurement and transplant teams. In 2025, 4,808 flights were carried out - a 22 percent increase compared to 2022 - helping ensure that organs arrive at their destination on time, increasing the chances of successful transplantation and saving more lives across the country.

There was also an increase in the number of organ procurement teams, which helped expand the pool of potential donors. The number of professionals rose from 1,537 in 2022 to 1,600 in 2026.

Despite these advances, a major challenge remains: family refusal of organ donation. Today, about 45 percent of families do not authorize donation, limiting the number of transplants that could be performed. It is a decision made during a difficult time, marked by grief and emotional distress. That is why discussing the topic with family members makes a difference. When a person’s wish to be a donor is known, the decision becomes easier and can help save other lives.

The Ministry of Health has been investing in improvements to the National Transplant System (SNT). Among the initiatives is the National Program for Quality in Organ and Tissue Donation for Transplants (Prodot), which trains healthcare professionals to identify potential donors, conduct supportive interviews with families, and ensure the quality of the entire donation process.

Procedures

Corneal transplants were the most common in 2025, with 17,790 procedures. They were followed by kidney (6,697), bone marrow (3,993), liver (2,573), and heart transplants (427). In all cases, Brazil’s public healthcare network, the SUS, provides patients with all necessary care free of charge, including preoperative tests, surgery, follow-up care, and post-transplant medication.

The SUS funds approximately 86 percent of transplants in Brazil, ensuring free and universal access. To guarantee high-quality care, the Ministry of Health also allocated additional funds to the National Transplant System (SNT) in 2025. While investment in 2022 totaled BRL 1.1 billion, federal funding reached BRL 1.5 billion last year, a 37 percent increase.

The English Court of Appeal rejected on Wednesday (May 6) a new appeal by mining company BHP regarding the 2015 collapse of the Fundão dam in Mariana, Minas Gerais state.

As a result, the November 2025 ruling stands, in which the English High Court held the Anglo-Australian company liable for the disaster. The judges found that BHP, Vale’s partner in managing the mining company Samarco, operated the dam and was aware of the risks prior to the breach, thereby demonstrating negligence, recklessness, and/or incompetence.

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On October 5, 2025, the tragedy in Mariana marked its tenth anniversary. The collapse of the Fundão dam released approximately 40 million cubic meters of toxic waste and mud into the Doce River. It also affected nearby municipalities and killed 19 people.

BHP had already filed an initial appeal seeking to overturn the ruling and had exhausted the last ordinary remedy available in the English legal system to challenge the judgment. In Wednesday’s decision, the court concluded that there is no compelling reason for the appeal to be heard.

In the English legal system, the right to appeal is not automatic. The interested party must obtain permission to file an appeal.

Consequently, Phase 2 of the proceedings remains in effect. This phase examines the categories of losses and the evidence used to quantify the damages suffered by the victims and determine compensation amounts. The trial hearing for this phase is scheduled for April 2027.

The law firm Pogust Goodhead, which represents the victims of the Mariana disaster in England, welcomed Wednesday’s decision.

“The Court of Appeal has now joined the High Court in concluding that BHP’s grounds for appeal have no realistic prospect of success. It is a resounding and unequivocal result. BHP is responsible for the worst environmental disaster in Brazil’s history and will have no further opportunity to overturn the decision,” said Jonathan Wheeler, a partner at the firm.

“Our clients have waited more than a decade for justice, while BHP has pursued every legal avenue to avoid accountability. Those avenues are now closed. We are focused on securing the compensation to which hundreds of thousands of Brazilians have long been entitled,” he added.

In a statement, BHP Brazil said that “it has been supporting Samarco to ensure fair and full reparation” and that it will continue its defense in England “vigorously and for as long as necessary.”

The company also stated that “it remains confident that the work carried out since 2015 and the New Rio Doce Agreement, signed in October 2024, which secured BRL 170 billion for reparations, provide the fastest and most efficient solution for compensating those affected. This work has already ensured payments to more than 625,000 people.”

According to the company, the British court recognized the compensation programs in 2024 and validated the settlements signed by those who had already received full compensation: “About 40 percent of the total individual claimants in the UK lawsuit will be excluded from the proceedings, which will significantly reduce the size and value of the claims filed there.”

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will meet with President Donald Trump this Thursday (May 7) at the White House in Washington, D.C. Trade and the fight against organized crime will be the main topics of the meeting. The Brazilian government will use the opportunity to highlight its efforts to combat criminal organizations.

Last month, Brazil and the United States announced a cooperation agreement aimed at combating international arms and drug trafficking.

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The partnership provides for the sharing of information on seizures made at customs in both countries in order to enable swift investigations into patterns, routes, and links between senders and recipients of illicit goods.

Other topics may arise during the working meeting, including geopolitics and the extraction of rare earths and critical minerals.

The meeting had been under discussion by the two presidents’ teams and was finalized a few days ago. Lula’s trip is initially intended solely for the meeting with Donald Trump.

The presidential delegation includes Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira; Justice and Public Security Minister Wellington César; Finance Minister Dario Durigan; Development, Industry, Trade, and Services Minister Márcio Elias Rosa; Mines and Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira; and Federal Police Director-General Andrei Rodrigues.

Bilateral relations

In an interview with the public media outlets of Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC), Finance Minister Dario Durigan said he expects the trip to the US to help normalize relations between the two countries despite opposition efforts to undermine them.

“My expectation is that we continue to normalize bilateral relations with the United States. We cannot allow outside forces, which even work against the country, to keep creating problems for the Brazilian people,” said Durigan.

The minister reiterated that, in the meeting with US officials, the Brazilian government will state that it will implement reciprocal measures should the United States impose tariffs on Brazil for political reasons.

He also said that the Brazilian government will reaffirm its willingness to continue cooperating in the fight against organized crime, as it has always done.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Tuesday (May 5) that Brazil’s automotive industry faces the challenge of competing for market share in Latin America and Africa.

“We must not leave [the market] to parent companies. We have to go after it and compete because we are closer,” said Lula.

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He attended an event in Brasília marking the 70th anniversary of the National Association of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (Anfavea), which represents 26 companies responsible for producing motor vehicles and self-propelled machinery in Brazil.

According to the president, the government’s role in the sector is to help “create consumers” for vehicles. He also noted that the Brazilian workforce is “highly qualified and specialized.”

Less polluting biofuel

He also recalled that, at the Hannover Industrial Fair in Germany in April, Brazilians demonstrated that domestic biofuels are more efficient and less polluting, with 67 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

“We don’t need to import the technological mix of European engines to clean up the planet. They’re the ones who need to buy our biodiesel to help clean up the planet from their side,” said Lula.

Booming sector

The association reported that the automotive sector’s performance exceeded its own expectations. According to the report, March was the best month for vehicle production since October 2019 and the strongest result since 2018, with 264,100 units produced, including passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, buses, and trucks.

This represented a 35.6 percent increase from March 2025 and 27.6 percent from February.

Year-to-date production totaled 634,700 units, up 6 percent from the same period last year.

Today, the sector operates 53 factories across nine states and 38 municipalities. The industry accounts for approximately 1.3 million direct and indirect jobs and represents roughly 20 percent of Brazil’s industrial production.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Tuesday (May 5) that the detention of Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila in Israel is unjustifiable.

On April 30, he was arrested aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was bound for the Gaza Strip and intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters near Greece.

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In addition to Thiago Ávila, Spanish activist Saif Abu Keshek was also detained and taken to Israel, while more than 100 other pro-Palestinian activists on some 20 boats were taken to the Greek island of Crete.

Lula said keeping Thiago Ávila in detention is an unjustifiable action by the Israeli government that causes great concern and must be condemned by all.

“The detention of the flotilla activists in international waters already constitutes a serious affront to international law,” Lula wrote in a social media post.

“For this reason, our government, together with that of Spain, which also had a citizen detained, demands that they be given full guarantees of safety and be immediately released,” the president added.

The pretrial detention of Thiago Ávila and Saif Abu Keshek, previously set to run until Tuesday (May 5), has now been extended to Sunday (10).

The activists were part of a second Global Sumud Flotilla, launched in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip by delivering humanitarian aid. The ships set sail from Barcelona on April 12.

The first flotilla was boarded in October last year, when more than 450 participants - including Greta Thunberg - were detained by the Israeli military.

Detentions

According to Global Sumud, 180 members have been detained, including the Brazilian and the Palestinian-Spanish activist, the only two still in Israeli custody. A total of 35 were injured in detention.

Soraya Misleh, a leader of the Palestine–São Paulo Front, highlighted the flotilla’s motto: “When governments fail, we sail.”

“The flotilla’s goal is to provide humanitarian aid in the face of a criminal siege that imposes hunger and, increasingly, thirst, along with a total lack of living conditions on the Palestinian population in Gaza, subjected to genocide and widespread destruction. Hospitals, schools - everything has been destroyed,” declared Soraya Misleh.

*Letycia Treitero Kawada contributed to this report.

Amid a scenario in which global oil supply faces challenges caused by the war in Iran, Brazil set a record for oil and gas production in March.

In the same month, coinciding with the beginning of the war triggered by US and Israeli attacks on Iran and Lebanon, Brazil produced 5.531 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d), surpassing the previous record of 5.304 million boe/d set in February.

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The pre-salt layer, where wells produce at depths of about 2,000 meters below the water’s surface, accounts for 79.9 percent of Brazilian production.

Boe is a unit of measurement that standardizes the volume of natural gas and oil by converting gas to the energy equivalent of a barrel of crude oil, allowing production figures to be aggregated.

The production data were released on Monday (4) by the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), the sector’s regulatory body linked to the Ministry of Mines and Energy.

Cumulative investments in solar energy in Brazil have exceeded BRL 300 billion, including both large-scale plants and self-generation systems, according to the Brazilian Photovoltaic Solar Energy Association (ABSOLAR).

Despite this historic progress, the sector has faced a recent slowdown, with a decline in the pace of new projects over the past year.

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Among the main factors contributing to the slowdown are the curtailment of renewable power plants, often involving surplus generation without financial compensation for developers, and connection difficulties for small systems due to grid capacity constraints.

Key industry figures:

• Cumulative investments: over BRL 300 billion;
• Jobs created: over 2 million in the past decade;
• Installed capacity: 68.6 gigawatts (GW) in operation;
• Public revenue: BRL 95.9 billion;
• Share of the electricity mix: 25.3% (the country’s second-largest source).

This growth is occurring despite a significant decline in 2025. According to the survey, the capacity added to the energy grid fell by 25.6 percent, from 15.6 GW in 2024 to 11.6 GW the following year.

Solar energy is spreading across Brazil, with large-scale plants in various regions and distributed generation systems (small plants and rooftops) installed in more than 5,000 municipalities.

Distributed generation (small plants and rooftops):

• São Paulo: 6.5 GW;
• Minas Gerais: 5.8 GW;
• Paraná: 4.2 GW.

According to ABSOLAR’s assessment, recent obstacles have limited the sector’s growth potential, resulting in business closures, canceled investments, and job losses. According to Barbara Rubim, the association’s president-elect for the 2026–2030 term, the priority will be to promote the sustainable expansion of solar energy, focusing on regulatory improvements, strengthening the free energy market, and incentivizing complementary technologies such as energy storage and green hydrogen.

Among the main points advocated by the association is the regulation of electricity storage under the Special Incentive Regime for Infrastructure Development (REIDI). According to the association, this can be implemented through administrative regulations - via presidential decrees or ministerial ordinances - without the need for congressional approval of bills or provisional measures.

The organization also advocates for changes to promote solar energy storage projects under the special tax regime for sectors included in the tax reform.

Founded in 2013, ABSOLAR brings together companies and institutions across the photovoltaic energy chain and works to coordinate the sector in support of Brazil’s energy transition.

Former President Jair Bolsonaro was discharged from the hospital on Monday afternoon (May 4) after undergoing shoulder surgery to treat an injury to his right rotator cuff.

He had been hospitalized at the DF Star Hospital in Brasília since last Friday (May 1).

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The operation went smoothly, and the former president showed good clinical progress, according to a statement from the hospital.

Jair Bolsonaro’s surgery was an arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff to treat injuries confirmed by imaging tests and a physical therapy report. The procedure was authorized by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, following a favorable opinion from Attorney General Paulo Gonet.

Bolsonaro, 71, has been under humanitarian house arrest since March 24, following a decision by Alexandre de Moraes after he was hospitalized for bacterial pneumonia. The former president was sentenced by the First Panel of the Supreme Court in September 2025 to 27 years and 3 months in prison for his leading role in the coup plot.

Brazil’s national drug regulator, Anvisa, on Monday (May 4), authorized the Butantan Institute to manufacture the chikungunya vaccine, Butantan-Chik.

With this authorization, the vaccine can now be incorporated into the country’s public healthcare network, the SUS. It is indicated for people aged 18 to 59 who have been exposed to the virus.

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Following this authorization, the Butantan Institute has also been officially designated as a manufacturing site. The vaccine was approved by the regulatory agency in April 2025, but the registered production sites were the facilities of the Franco-Austrian pharmaceutical company Valneva. It will now be produced (formulated and bottled) in Brazil with the same quality, safety, and efficacy, according to the São Paulo state government.

“This is another important milestone for the Butantan Institute and for public health. By carrying out most of the manufacturing process, the institute, as a public institution, will be able to deliver the vaccine at a lower, more affordable price, with the same quality and safety,” said the institute’s director, Esper Kallás.

At least 4,000 volunteers, aged 18 to 65, received the vaccine in the United States and were evaluated. According to results published in the medical journal The Lancet in 2023, 98.9 percent of participants produced neutralizing antibodies.

The vaccine was well tolerated and showed a favorable safety profile, with adverse events that were generally mild to moderate, most commonly headache, body aches, fatigue, and fever.

In February 2026, the vaccine began to be administered through the SUS in municipalities with high disease incidence, as part of a pilot strategy by the Ministry of Health. In addition to Brazil, the chikungunya vaccine has been approved in Canada and Europe.

 

Chikungunya

The chikungunya virus is transmitted by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also transmits dengue and Zika.

The disease can cause sudden-onset fever (above 38.5°C) and severe pain in the joints of the feet and hands - such as the fingers, ankles, and wrists. Other common symptoms include headache, muscle pain, and red spots on the skin.

According to the Pan American Health Organization, 500,000 cases of chikungunya were reported worldwide in 2025.

In Brazil, more than 127,000 cases and 125 deaths were reported in the same year, according to the Ministry of Health.

The disease causes chronic joint pain, which can last for months to years and severely affect quality of life.

Petrobras announced that on the May 1 public holiday it began operations at the P-79 oil and gas production platform in the Búzios Field, in the Santos Basin, off Brazil’s Southeast coast.

The company noted it was able to bring forward the start of operations by three months.

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• Petrobras begins operations on P-78 platform in Búzios Field.

The facility has the capacity to produce 180,000 barrels of oil per day and compress 7.2 million cubic meters (m³) of gas daily. The platform is an FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading) vessel.

The P-79 is the eighth platform in operation in the Búzios Field. With this addition, production in the field will rise to approximately 1.33 million barrels of oil per day.

The operation is planned to export gas to the mainland via the Rota 3 gas pipeline. It will add up to 3 million cubic meters (m³) of gas per day to the country’s supply.

The platform was completed in South Korea and reached Brazil in February. It arrived with a Petrobras team on board to begin assembly and commissioning procedures, in order to accelerate the start of production.

The same process had already been carried out with the P-78, also located in the Búzios Field, which began operations in December 2025.

Búzios

P-79 forms part of the so-called Búzios 8, an oil production module that includes 14 wells, 8 of which are production wells and 6 are injection wells - used to maintain reservoir pressure and push the oil toward the production wells. In addition to the P-79, seven other platforms operate in the Búzios Field.

Discovered in 2010, the Búzios Field has the largest oil reserves in the country. Last year, it surpassed 1 million barrels of oil produced per day.

Búzios is located 180 kilometers off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, with the reservoir lying at a depth of 2,000 meters.

Petrobras plans to add four platforms to the field in the coming years. Three of them are already under construction (P-80, P-82, and P-83), and the fourth is in the bidding process.

Oil and gas production in Búzios is carried out by a consortium in which the Brazilian state-owned company is the operator. The other members are the Chinese companies CNOOC and CNODC, and Pré-Sal Petróleo S/A (PPSA), a federal state-owned company representing the Brazilian government.

Brazil, Turkey, Bangladesh, Colombia, Jordan, Libya, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mauritania, Pakistan, South Africa, and Spain have condemned the attack on the Global Sumud flotilla by the Israeli military.

Among those taken hostage are four members of the Brazilian delegation, who were participating in a nonviolent humanitarian mission in international waters near the island of Crete while sailing toward the Gaza Strip. The flotilla was intercepted by Israeli military forces.

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In a joint statement released by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the countries condemned “in the strongest terms” the Israeli attack on the peaceful civilian humanitarian initiative aimed at drawing the international community’s attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

“The Israeli attacks on the vessels and the illegal detention of humanitarian activists in international waters constitute flagrant violations of international law and international humanitarian law,” wrote the foreign ministers of the aforementioned countries.

In the statement, they call for the immediate release of the activists and “urge the international community to fulfill its moral and legal obligations to respect international law, protect civilians, and ensure accountability for these violations.”

Colombian singer Shakira’s concert on Copacabana Beach drew a crowd of approximately 2 million people, according to estimates by Rio’s local authorities. The artist was the third headliner of the “Todo Mundo no Rio” (Everyone in Rio) project, which in 2024 and 2025 hosted concerts by Madonna and Lady Gaga, also drawing similar crowds.

The performance on Saturday (May 2) opened with a drone show that traced the outline of a wolf in the Rio sky, as the animal is the singer’s symbol. Shakira began the show wearing an outfit in the colors of the Brazilian flag - green, yellow, and blue - and spoke in Portuguese about her long history of visits to Brazil.

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At various points, the singer dedicated the show to women, especially mothers raising their children alone. Four Brazilian artists shared the stage with Shakira: Anitta, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia, and Ivete Sangalo.

Services overview

The three medical stations set up in Copacabana provided 400 consultations, with 64 people requiring transport to nearby municipal hospitals. The main reasons for seeking medical attention were general malaise, minor injuries, and alcohol intoxication.

Urban cleaning crews collected 362 tons of waste during and after the concert. The operation involved approximately 2,000 street cleaners, from the pre-cleaning phase on Friday (1) until the work was completed in the early hours of Sunday (3).

Economic impact

The Municipal Secretariat of Economic Development estimates that the concert generated approximately BRL 800 million for the city’s economy, driven by increased spending in sectors such as accommodation, food service, transportation, and retail.

The “Todo Mundo no Rio” project is organized by the city of Rio in partnership with the production company Bonus Track and is sponsored by various private companies. Concerts featuring internationally renowned artists are scheduled to continue through at least 2028.

According to municipal authorities, the performances have already led to an increase in tourist traffic to the “Marvelous City.” In 2024, the number of tourists during the May 1 national holiday, Labor Day, grew by 34.2 percent compared to the previous year. In 2025, the increase was 90.5 percent compared to 2023.

The city’s revenue from the tax on services related to tourism, events, transportation, and associated activities was 23.2 percent higher in May 2025 compared to 2023. For city officials, concerts also boost Rio’s international profile, driving tourism during other times of the year.

The Brazilian government launched a campaign on Sunday (Apr. 3) to end of the six-day workweek followed by one day off (6x1) without reducing pay. The goal of the proposal is “to ensure more time for life beyond work, including time with family, for leisure, culture, and rest.”

At least 37 million workers could benefit from the reduction.

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“For comparison, the income tax exemption for those earning up to BRL 5,000 per month has benefited approximately 10 million people. Guaranteeing rest also has the potential to positively impact the economy, aligning with a modern vision of development that combines productivity, well-being, and social inclusion,” said the Secretariat of Social Communication (Secom).

The government’s proposal establishes a new 40-hour weekly work limit while maintaining an eight-hour workday, including for workers on special schedules. As a result, workers would be guaranteed two consecutive 24-hour weekly rest periods, preferably on Saturdays and Sundays.

The five-day workweek, followed by two days off, may be established through collective bargaining, taking into account the specific characteristics of each occupation.

Campaign

With the slogan “More time to live. Without losing pay. Because time isn’t a perk - it’s a right,” the campaign to end the 6-on-1 work schedule will run across digital media, television, radio, newspapers, movie theaters, and the international press.

The proposal is to raise awareness among employees and employers that reducing the work schedule means supporting workers’ time with their families, strengthening Brazilian families, and valuing not only work but also life beyond it,” Secom noted.

According to Secom, the government argues that the change aligns with recent economic transformations, such as technological advancements and productivity gains. “More balanced work schedules tend to reduce absenteeism, improve performance, and lower turnover.”

Bill

On April 14, the federal government submitted a bill to Congress amending the Consolidated Labor Laws (CLT). The proposal, which is being considered under a constitutional urgency procedure, would reduce the maximum workweek from 44 to 40 hours, guarantee two days of paid rest, and prohibit any reduction in wages.

In practice, the bill would put an end to the 6x1 work schedule. The initiative is being considered alongside other proposals in Congress, which has created a special committee to analyze a proposed constitutional amendment on the issue.

Experts who study gender-based violence point out that Brazilian legislation addressing these cases is among the most advanced in the world. The Maria da Penha Law and the Femicide Law, for example, are considered legal milestones in the fight against violence toward women.

Janaína Penalva, a professor at the University of Brasília (UnB) Law School, notes that, however, it is still too early to assess the impact of these laws on society.

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“They are importante, extremely important. We still don’t know, we haven’t seen the impact of protective legislation in society, because it is very recent. But it is not, and will never be, enough,” says the professor, who specializes in gender and law.

Penalva points out that the Maria da Penha Law has been in effect for 20 years and the Femicide Law for ten. As a result, she says, the effects of this legislation on society will take time to be felt.

Researcher Valeska Zanello believes that the real transformation of society brought about by these laws will take another 30 to 50 years.

Cross-cultural studies show that it takes at least three generations for emotional patterns to change. This is therefore a major challenge for our generation and for those to come.

The legal framework for protecting women has advanced with the enactment of new regulations. Signed into law this month, the new law establishes electronic monitoring of the abuser as an emergency protective measure when there is a current or imminent risk to the life or physical, or psychological, well-being of a woman in a situation of domestic and family violence. In addition, the victim may use a safety device that alerts her to the abuser’s approach.

Another law passed this year criminalizes vicarious homicide, defined as the murder of children and other relatives as a means of punishing or causing suffering to women. The legislation provides for a sentence of 20 to 40 years in a closed prison regime for cases of vicarious violence.

The sentence may be increased by one-third to one-half if the crime is committed in the presence of the woman whom the perpetrator intends to punish, cause suffering to, or control; against a child, adolescent, elderly person, or person with a disability; or in violation of an emergency protective order.

Meanwhile, laws such as the Brazilian Internet Framework, the Carolina Dieckmann Law, and the law criminalizing stalking (persistent physical or virtual harassment) help combat digital violence.

Women’s movement

According to psychologist Flávio Urra, who works on the rehabilitation of perpetrators of violence, it was the women’s movement that pushed for stricter legislation.

“So, changes in theory and behavior. It was the women’s movement, along with a few men who joined and fought alongside women in this struggle.”

In recent years, reports of violence have also increased. In 2025, from January to October, the 180 hotline received over 155,000 reports of violence against women, most of them filed by the victims themselves.

Flávio Urra believes that women today are less tolerant of sexist attitudes. “Many men are reported because of this. And since this change has not reached them, they do not believe that what they did is a crime.”

Business consultant Felipe Requião works to engage men in promoting gender equity and preventing violence against women. In his view, despite the recognized legal framework, acts of violence are still culturally minimized, as is men’s accountability.

“There are still many discourses that legitimize violence in many Fields - in politics, in education, within organizations, and especially in the social sphere.”

According to Requião, there is a lack of effective preventive measures that can break the cycle of violence.

“So, if there is a cycle, it is because it is continuous. And if we focused on prevention, that cycle would be broken at the first reports of violent acts. We only take action after the violence has already occurred. It is no wonder that women’s advocacy organizations widely publicize the cycle of violence,” says Requião.

For him, this is not a problem of a lack of laws, but rather a situation that requires cultural transformation.

Male engagement

Journalist and researcher on masculinities Ismael dos Anjos believes that men need to get involved and fight for change. According to him, there are limits - including legal ones - that hinder men’s role in caring for children, for example.

As a representative for CoPai - a coalition of individuals, companies, and collectives that advocate for the regulation of extended, paid, and mandatory paternity leave - the journalist cites the gradual increase in paternity leave from five days to 20 days by the end of this decade. The extension is provided for in a law enacted at the end of March this year. Although he considers the increase a victory, Ismael dos Anjos says that 20 days are still not enough for a father to care for a newborn child.

He believes that cultural, economic, and institutional structures will only change when men do their part in the micro-policies of behavioral change. “Baby changing tables will only appear in men’s restrooms when enough men ask, ‘Where can I change my child’s diaper?’”

For psychologist Alexandre Coimbra Amaral, beyond a justice system that holds people accountable, prosecutes, tries, and sentences offenders, there is also a need for more transformative public policies.

“Public policy means investing public funds in health promotion and prevention, in the development of educational practices, in the messages that are conveyed, and in training health and education professionals who are in contact with these boys on how to have constructive conversations on this issue,” Amaral reiterates.

In 2025, 19 laws on social protection for women were enacted. In addition, several other bills on the subject are currently pending in Congress. One of them equates misogyny with crimes of discrimination, such as racism, making acts of hate against women non-bailable and not subject to the statute of limitations.

*Luciene Cruz contributed to this report

The Pastoral Land Commission (CPT), affiliated with the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), released this week the 40th edition of the report Conflicts in Rural Brazil. Incidents fell 28 percent, from 2,207 in 2024 to 1,593 in 2025. However, murders of workers and indigenous peoples of the land, waters, and forests doubled, rising from 13 to 26 victims last year.

Most of the murders took place in the Legal Amazon, an area of about 5 million km² that spans nine states and includes parts of three of Brazil’s seven biomes - the Amazon, Cerrado, and Pantanal. There were 16 cases, distributed across the states of Pará (7), Rondônia (7), and Amazonas (2).

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“These figures reveal the advance of a historic project of colonial and capitalist expansion in the Amazon, which continues to target and transform entire peoples and territories into objects of expropriation and extermination,” said Larissa Rodrigues, a member of the Articulation of the CPTs of the Amazon.

She also attributes this situation to the strengthening of a “consortium between land grabbing, organized crime, sectors of the state, and the private sector, which work together to target public lands and protected areas.”

The report shows that farmers are the main perpetrators involved in the murders. Of the 26 cases, they were responsible for 20, either as instigators or as perpetrators.

Other forms of violence that also increased from 2024 to 2025 included arrests (from 71 to 111), humiliation cases (from five to 142), and false imprisonment cases (from one to 105).

“The rise in cases of humiliation and false imprisonment, for example, is due to the arbitrary actions of the Military Police of the state of Rondônia, which in November 2025, as part of Operation Godos, interrupted a public meeting involving about 100 landless families evicted from their camps, as well as officials from the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Family Farming,” said Gustavo Arruda, a researcher at the Dom Tomás Balduino Documentation Center (Cedoc/CPT).

According to the researcher, the increase in arrests is also due to specific actions by state security forces against communities. As an example, he cited the Military Police of the state of Rondônia, which carried out several operations targeting members of the League of Poor Peasants (LCP).

Violence

When all types of conflicts are considered, land-related violence accounts for the largest share (75% or 1,186 cases), followed by labor conflicts (10% or 159), water conflicts (9% or 148), and encampments, occupations, and repossessions (6% or 100).

The main cases of land-related violence were pesticide contamination (127 cases), land invasions (193), and contract killings (113). The main victims were indigenous peoples (258 incidents), followed by squatters (248), quilombolas (244), and landless people (153).

Farmers represent the group responsible for the most violence in land-related cases (515 cases), followed by business owners (180), the federal government (114), and state governments (85).

The main cases of water-related conflict involved rural communities’ resistance to destruction or pollution (1,034), non-compliance with legal procedures (754), reduced access to water (425), and pesticide contamination (129).

Indigenous peoples were the main victims in water conflicts (42 incidents), followed by quilombolas (24), small farmers (20), and riverine communities (17).

The main perpetrators of violence in the water sector were mining companies (34), business owners (29), small-scale miners (26), farmers (23), and hydroelectric power plants (9).

Slave-like labor

The CPT report indicates a 5 percent increase in cases of slave-like labor or conditions analogous to slavery (159 in 2025) and a 23 percent increase in the total number of workers rescued from these conditions (1,991).

The researchers highlight the construction of a power plant in the municipality of Porto Alegre do Norte, in the state of Mato Grosso, where 586 people were rescued. They had been recruited in the North and Northeast regions of the country and were forced to sleep in cramped, overcrowded rooms, received inadequate food, and suffered frequent water and power outages.

The economic sectors with the highest number of rescued workers are power plant construction (586), crop farming (479), sugarcane (253), mining (170), and livestock farming (154). According to CPT, these are sectors that historically show the highest incidence of slave-like labor, with farming and livestock raising as recurring cases.

Socio-environmental platform

On Monday (Apr. 27), the Pastoral Land Commission, in partnership with the Institute for Society, Population, and Nature (ISPN), launched the Socio-Environmental Observatory, a civil society initiative that compiles systematized data from 1980 to 2023 on human rights violations, deforestation, and the expansion of industrial agriculture in Brazil.

According to the organizers, data from different sources will be compiled, cross-referenced, and made available in an interactive digital environment, allowing users to visualize, in a segmented way by state and municipality, the direct relationship between the expansion of commodity production and socio-environmental conflicts in the country.