Latest news with #HugoMotta
Associated Press
26-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Brazil's Lula challenged by 1st decree rejection in Congress in decades
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's Congress on Wednesday nullified a presidential decree for the first time in decades, rejecting a move by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to hike a financial transactions tax and signaling flagging support for his left-of-center administration. Lula's allies had only 98 votes against 383 in the lower house to keep the tax increase on some transactions, including foreign exchange and credit cards. Two hours later, senators also defeated the decree. It was the first time lawmakers overturned a presidential decree in Brazil since 1992, in a rebuke of Lula one year ahead of the country's next presidential election campaign. The rejection came despite members of Lula's administration saying that the content of the decree had been negotiated with legislative leaders, including Speaker Hugo Motta and Sen. Davi Alcolumbre, the president of the Senate. Motta, seen as a moderate, said that the vote 'speaks for itself' and that 'Each branch of power has to understand the other's limits. That's democracy.' He did not elaborate. Thomas Traumann, an independent political consultant and former Brazilian minister, said the decision by lawmakers indicates Lula does 'not have a stable majority in Congress.' He called it a historic defeat for the president about a year before the campaign trail begins. 'If this was a parliamentary system, it would have been the end of this government,' Traumann said. The previous president to have a decree nixed by Congress was Fernando Collor more than 32 years ago, only weeks before he was impeached and removed from office. His decree at the time was about government-issued bonds. Since the presidency of Michel Temer between 2016 and 2018, Brazil's congress has had control over much of the country's budget, but the president can raise some taxes by decree. Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said on Thursday the Brazilian government is considering three alternatives to deal with Congress' decision — take it to the Supreme Court, seek new sources of income or slashing the country's budget. ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
Bloomberg
12-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Battle Over Sports Betting Threatens to Derail Lula Fiscal Plan
A fierce lobbying push by sports betting companies is threatening to bring down the Brazilian government's plan to raise revenues and hit fiscal goals after the lower house speaker backed off support for a deal he helped broker. Lower house Speaker Hugo Motta abruptly warned Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government on Thursday that he and congressional leaders had discussed moves to block the plan from taking effect, a reversal that briefly caused the country's currency to weaken.
Bloomberg
12-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Brazil House Speaker Signals Opposition to New Lula Fiscal Plan
By and Giovanna Bellotti Azevedo Save The leader of Brazil's lower house of Congress signaled that lawmakers may strike down a proposal from President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to raise taxes, casting doubt on the government's latest plan to help meet its fiscal goals. 'The mood in the lower house is not favorable to raising taxes with the aim of increasing revenue to solve our fiscal problems,' Speaker Hugo Motta said in a social media post after meeting with congressional leaders Thursday.
Associated Press
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Japan's Princess Kako addresses Brazil's Congress, meets with Lula in presidential palace
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Japan's Princess Kako of Akishino, a niece of Emperor Naruhito, was welcomed on Wednesday by Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for a private ceremony on the latest leg of her 11-day tour of the South American nation. The younger daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko also addressed Congress and thanked Brazilians for hosting Japanese immigrants for more than a century. Her trip, which started on June 5, marks the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. 'The efforts of the Japanese who came, and the Brazilians who went to Japan, are deepening our bilateral relationship of friendship,' Kako told Brazilian lawmakers. 'I hope that the relationship between the two countries is a long lasting one.' Congress speaker Hugo Motta told the princess he hopes Brazil's ethanol 'can help Japan reduce its dependency on fossil fuels.' Brazil has the largest population of people of Japanese descent in the world, estimated at about 2.7 million. About half of those live in Sao Paulo state, official figures show, where the princess last week received the state's highest honor from Gov. Tarcisio de Freitas. Emperor Naruhito has no male children, which makes his brother Akishino, Princess Kako's father, the first successor in line. Japan's tradition does not allow women to take the throne. Princess Kako will arrive in Rio de Janeiro on Friday, where she will visit the Christ the Redeemer statue and a museum of Japanese immigration. The last part of her trip will take place in the city of Foz do Iguacu, where the world famous Iguacu falls are located.
Bloomberg
07-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Brazil House Speaker, Top Banks Urge Reform, Slam Tax Strategy
Scaling back corporate tax exemptions in Brazil will be top of the agenda for lawmakers when they meet with the government on Sunday night, House Speaker Hugo Motta said. The talks come as the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva tries to plug a hole in the budget with tax hikes, a strategy criticized by Motta, who was elected speaker with broad backing, and the country's top bankers.
