by Eric Reguly

One of the main changes seen in Brazilian business over the last few years has been the move by Brazilian companies to become more active internationally, either by establishing plants and offices abroad or buying up foreign companies. Petrobras, Vale, Gerdau and Votorantim are among industrial groups which have bought foreign companies. One of the trailblazers was AmBev which merged with Interbrew of Belgium to form InBev in 2004. The Brazilian management put its stamp on InBev and is now targeting Anheuser-Busch which makes America´s most famous beer, Budweiser. Anheuser-Busch has turned down InBev´s offer but the ambitious Brazilians who run InBev have not given up and a hostile bid made directly to shareholder is on the cards. In this article, business columnist Eric Reguly, highlights a commercial ruthlessness among InBev´s Brazilian go-getters which oveturns the common view of Brazilians are a laid-back, relaxed kind of people.

Octavio de Barros is one of Brazil´s best-known economists and heads the economic research department at the country´s largest privately-owned bank. He is the joint editor of a book which has just been published called Brasil Globalizado which contains a forward by the Central Bank chairman, Henrique Meirelles, and an article by former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. The aim of the book is to urge Brazil to grasp the opportunities the current situation arising from the boom in commodities caused by the growing Chinese economy offers. de Barros reckons Brazil has 10 to 15 years leeway before this bonanza ends which it should use to catch up.

by John Fitzpatrick

One of the great dangers in following Brazilian politics is that you can become extremely cynical and thick skinned. After a daily diet of corruption, sleaze, greed, lies and incompetence, nothing surprises you any more.  The press might print a dozen stories every day involving crooked Congressmen, state governors, mayors, policemen, lawyers, judges, trade unionists, soldiers and businessmen but you know that not a single culprit will be punished. There might be the odd sacking or reprimand but the overwhelming majority know they are safe to continue with their activities. In these circumstances it is not surprising that the “good” guys have to turn a blind eye at best and remain as clean as they can or, as must often happen, give in and succumb to the temptations. This is what has happened to President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva. These thoughts came to me as I watched Lula greet ex-President Fernando Henrique Cardoso at the wake for Cardoso´s wife, Ruth, in São Paulo on June 25.  It was touching to see the long abraço the two men gave each other and when Lula looked down at Ruth Cardoso´s face I wondered if he was recalling the days when he and Cardoso were on the same side fighting for the return to democratic rule.