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Weekly Report - 6 December 2007 (ISSN 1741-7422)
BRAZIL: Senate shenanigans over Calheiros and CPMF
The senate remained the main stage for Brazil's political squabbles this
week - and is likely to remain so until the vote on extending the provisional
tax on financial transactions (CPMF) is carried out. The CPMF vote was again
undermined by the corruption allegations against Senator Renan Calheiros, who
was forced to resign from the senate's presidency on 4 December in order to
avoid punishment by his peers. The case has polarised the senate and given
President Lula da Silva a headache. Lula is being forced to publicly defend the
CPMF, a tax he objected to before coming to power but which is now central to
his political ambitions. He ordered his allies not to attend the senate session
that was supposed to seal the CPMF's fate on 6 December in order to gain more
time to convince enough senators to extend the tax before it expires on 31
December.
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- ARGENTINA: Senate acts tough on economic emergency powers
- BRAZIL: Senate shenanigans over Calheiros and CPMF
- BRAZIL: Delays in congress embarrass Lula abroad
- TRACKING TRENDS
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- NICARAGUA: Ortega inaugurates the CPCs
- GUATEMALA: Parties in turmoil over perks for deputies
- EL SALVADOR: Saca unimpressed with size of US funding
- TRACKING TRENDS
- Closing in on education for all, Unesco reports
- Quotes of the week