A recent survey by Datafolha shows that more than 65% of Brazilians believe that the country’s economic scenario will improve with Jair Bolsonaro’s government. This is the best index calculated since 1997. In the previous survey carried out by the same institute, the number of people confident in an economic recovery was much less expressive, 23%.
Economist and political analyst Carlo Barbieri, projects that the new year will be of new airs and opportunities for Brazil, especially in the foreign market.
“We are living through one of the most auspicious moments for the relationship between Brazil and the US, especially in the area of the economy. For the first time in decades, we must have two presidential administrations with insight into the potential of free trade between countries. It is a unique opportunity for Brazil undertake changes and take advantage of this relationship”, says Barbieri, who adds: “We detected in our office in 2018 a percentage of more than 60% in the number of internationalization requests from companies to the US. Trump’s commercial fight with China it already favors Brazil. The new Brazilian government is expected to follow a trend that is more open to trade.”
For the economist, a new logic should guide the Brazilian economy to reach better numbers than the current ones. “We hope that the new government will prioritize trade relations, taking from the foreground the ideological relations that were overvalued in the previous government. And, with this macroeconomic and political vision, we will surely have a new flow not only of trade opening, but mainly of investments” .
With this new commercial relationship, and after the application of a more comprehensive and facilitating economic project, Carlo Barbieri believes that Brazil will also become more attractive for investments by American companies, as well.
In November, before assuming the post of president, Bolsonaro celebrated on social networks that large companies have already announced their intention to invest in the country after taking office.
“In the US, for example, the tax policy of US President Donald Trump reduced corporate income tax from 35% to 21%. In Brazil, the rate remains at 34% – the highest among the G-20 countries and Brics. If Bolsonaro’s economic team manages to carry out a tax reform and apply measures that are more favorable to trade, we will certainly have a more attractive market in Brazil”, ponders Barbieri.
Pompeo says US and Brazil want democracy to resume in Venezuela
This Wednesday, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, said that the government of President Donald Trump wants to deepen cooperation with Brazil in the area of security and that the two countries will have the opportunity to work together against authoritarian regimes. He met this morning with the Minister of Foreign Affairs (MRE), Ernesto Araújo, at Palácio Itamaraty.
“We speak of our deep desire for the resumption of democracy for the Venezuelan people,” said Pompeo, who participated yesterday in Bolsonaro’s inauguration. “I saw the peaceful transmission of power take place yesterday. It doesn’t happen in many countries. We talked about Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. These are places where people don’t have the opportunity to express their views. we intend to work together”.
Asked by a foreign journalist about the issue of human rights in Brazil, Araújo said there was no reason to be “fearful of any decrease in the protection of human rights” in the country. “This is a remnant of the electoral campaign that survives for some reason. The new government’s commitment to defending human rights is absolute,” said the chancellor.
For Mike Pompeo, “the administration of the Bolsonaro government is committed to the defense of human rights”.