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Brazil VP Alckmin says farmers not guilty for
deforestation
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Peru government sees lithium 'window of opportunity'
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New Colombia finance minister seeks to calm market
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Brazil's finance minister warns against high interest
rates
(Adds news from Venezuela, Brazil and Peru)
April 27 (Reuters) -
The latest in Latin American politics today:
Venezuelan parliament passes law to seize assets linked
to corruption
CARACAS - Venezuela's ruling party-controlled National Assembly on Thursday approved a law allowing the government
to seize assets linked to corruption cases, as it investigates irregularities at state oil company PDVSA and other state companies.
According to the law, the government would sell these assets to finance public services, infrastructure and social programs.
Sources have told Reuters a recent crackdown on corruption at state-owned companies was in part motivated by the need for dollars to maintain exchange-rate policy and increase spending ahead of the 2024 elections.
Brazil VP Alckmin says land grabbers, not farmers, guilty for deforestation
Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin said on Thursday land grabbers, not farmers, are
guilty for deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.
Alckmin was speaking at an industry event with other
government officials and representatives of the sector, who
gathered in Sao Paulo to discuss the sustainability of cattle
supply chains.
Peru government sees lithium 'window of opportunity'
LIMA - Peru's economy minister on Thursday said "conditions were being established" to
develop lithium mining projects in the country, a week after Chile launched a plan to boost state control of the industry.
"A window of opportunity has opened and we want to take advantage of it," said Economy Minister Alex Contreras. He said there was "a lot of interest" in speeding up development in Peru as decisions in other countries were spooking investors.
Contreras declined to give further detail on what projects were being developed in Peru.
New Colombia finance minister seeks to calm market as bonds, peso suffer LONDON/BOGOTA - Colombia's incoming finance minister, Ricardo Bonilla, and President Gustavo Petro sought to calm the market on Thursday as the peso currency, bonds and the stock market fell following the surprise ouster of Bonilla's predecessor. Petro named Bonilla to the post in a Cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday, replacing Jose Antonio Ocampo. Bonilla achieved a budget surplus and improved Bogota's risk outlook when he was the city's finance secretary and Petro was mayor, Petro wrote on Twitter, adding the central bank will remain independent.
Brazil's Haddad warns against high interest rates, cenbank still concerned about inflation BRASILIA - Ahead of Brazil's next monetary policy decision, the finance minister expressed apprehension on Thursday about the economic impact of high interest rates, while the central bank's chief continued to emphasize inflation concerns. Speaking at a Senate debate session on interest rates, inflation and economic growth, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad warned that failure to integrate the country's monetary and fiscal policies would create "a lot of difficulty" in achieving the Brazilian economy's needs. (Compiled by Steven Grattan and Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Alistair Bell and Leslie Adler)
