Rising petrochemical prices have buoyed the long-term prospects for Brazil's Braskem even as the company is racing against the clock ​to deal with looming interest payments on its debt, Reuters reported. The petrochemical producer, with operations ‌in Brazil, the U.S. and Mexico, is considering whether to seek an injunction to avoid a painful debt restructuring, as the stronger ​market outlook is not enough to provide short-term relief. Brazilian newspaper Valor ​was first to report that Braskem could file a petition seeking ⁠protection from its creditors.

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Brazil's federal audit court TCU deferred its ruling on the Banco Master case despite the conclusion of an internal audit amid elements under review by ​other authorities that are necessary for its decision, the judge overseeing the ‌case said on Tuesday. In February, Reuters had already reported that the TCU audit did not give any recommendations regarding the central bank's conduct in the liquidation of Banco Master in November amid a sharp ​liquidity crisis and alleged sale of fraudulent credit portfolios.
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Brazil's new Finance Minister, Dario Durigan, plans to adjust the ministry's communication strategy and postpone ​tax measures, including rules on crypto taxation, as the ‌country heads into a presidential election this year, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Durigan, who took office on Friday after ​Fernando Haddad stepped down to run for Sao Paulo governor, ​intends to prioritize microeconomic legislation while delaying divisive fiscal ⁠plans to avoid losing political capital in Congress, the ​sources said.
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Brazil's Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (SID) jumped 10.9% in Monday's trading after saying it reached agreement for a group of banks to extend the company a $1.2B loan, easing concerns about its ability to meet near-term obligations, SeekingAlpha.com reported. The credit line is expected to be partially secured by certain assets designated for sale and can be increased to $1.4B, Bloomberg reported, citing a regulatory filing.
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Alliança Saúde has turned to the courts for temporary protection as it faces mounting debt obligations, BitGet.com reported. The company is proactively requesting judicial assistance to manage approximately 155 million reais in principal and interest payments scheduled for April and October. This move follows a clear signal from credit markets: Fitch Ratings recently lowered Alliança's rating to CCC+, citing insufficient liquidity as of September 2025 to meet these payments. Rather than a last-minute reaction, this is a calculated step to pause and reassess, prompted by the downgrade.
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A court in Buenos Aires has ordered the blocking of prediction market platform Polymarket in Argentina, according to reports in local media, Decrypt.com reported. The order, issued by Judge Susana Parada following an investigation led by prosecutor Juan Rozas from the city’s specialized gambling prosecution office, directs telecom authorities to implement network-level access restrictions and requires the removal of the Polymarket app from Google and Apple’s app stores in the country.
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The conflict in the Middle East may force the hand of Brazil’s central bank, and not in a good way. The central bank has heavily foreshadowed a rate cut on March 18. However, the escalating war in the Middle East may throw cold water on those plans, and Brazil’s market rally, the Wall Street Journal reported. “If oil prices start climbing high or [if] they stay high, then, yes, the central bank might hold,” Juan Egaña, a strategist at BCA Research, said. "Brazilian markets have rallied so much in expectation that monetary easing is coming,” said Egaña.
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Brazilian sugar and ethanol producer Raizen said on Wednesday that it had reached an out-of-court agreement with creditors and bondholders to restructure approximately 65.1 billion reais ($12.61 billion) in debt obligations, Reuters reported. The joint venture between oil ​major Shell and Brazilian conglomerate Cosan had been in months-long talks seeking ways to strengthen ​its capital structure and tackle its significant debt burden. Raizen said in a securities filing ⁠that creditors holding 47% of its unsecured debt had already endorsed the plan.
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Brazil has seen an increase in the volume of judicial restructurings, including those involving large business groups, BNAmericas.com reported. The number of companies in Brazil under bankruptcy protection reached 5.680 at the end of 2025, compared with a total of 4.233 companies, according to data from RGF Associados, a company specialized in judicial recovery. Currently, the interest rate in Brazil is at 15%, the highest level since mid-2006, amid the Central Bank’s attempt to keep inflation within the target set by the monetary authority.
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Evidence that two senior regulators at Brazil's central bank secretly advised embattled banker Daniel Vorcaro has sent shockwaves through the capital Brasilia, threatening to drag the institution deeper into a snowballing scandal, Reuters reported. The revelations add to a widening blast radius surrounding Vorcaro, owner of the liquidated Banco Master, whose downfall has exposed ​a network of influence and conflicts of interest shaking trust in some of Brazil's most powerful institutions.
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