The presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Uruguay have confirmed their participation in an urgent meeting of the Union of South American Nations, also known as UNASUR, in Peru on April 18 to express support for Venezuelan President-elect Nicolas Maduro, MercoPress reported.

China and Brazil on March 26 signed an accord to use their own currencies in bilateral trade, Reuters reported.

Brazil is urging the Venezuelan government to hold elections as quickly as possible if Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez dies, unnamed senior Brazilian officials said Jan. 14, Reuters reported.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has signed a bill that will redistribute future oil wealth among Brazil's 27 states, Reuters reported Nov. 30.

Brazil's ruling Workers' Party won 635 mayoral races across the country, including in Sao Paulo, AFP reported Oct. 29. The total is up from the 558 the party won during the last municipal elections in 2008. The end of the municipal campaign season will allow the parties to begin focusing on national-level policy questions, including a controversial oil royalties reform bill.

Brazil's economy, as well as foreign direct investment in the country, are on the rise, the Brazilian central bank officials said Oct. 23, Reuters reported. The officials added that the annual growth rate is expected to reach 4 percent in the second half of 2012 and foreign direct investment will likely rise to $6 billion.

It will be hard for Paraguay to rejoin Mercosur and Unasur before next year's presidential election, Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota said Oct. 23, Mercopress reported.

Paraguay will begin exploring for hydrocarbons in the country's Chaco region in December 2013, an oil consultant said Oct. 17 after meeting Oct. 16 with President Federico Franco, Mercopress reported.

Brazil will deploy 7,500 troops to the country's borders with Bolivia and Peru for Operation Agata 6, the Brazilian government announced Oct. 9, Fox News reported.