On 16 March President Dilma Rousseff made a reshuffle of her government and appointed former President and corruption alleged Lula da Silva as Chief of Staff, the highest public position after the President. The move was expected as rumours emerged earlier in the week. Following the news, the Brazilian Real dropped further and the Central Bank Governor is said to resign soon due to the concern of the implication this will have for economic policies. The appointment is expected to generate even more protests in the already politically and economically instable Brazil.

Lula da Silva is alleged to have been responsible for corruption scandals linked to the state-owned oil giant Petrobras. Last weekend millions of Brazilians went to the street to protest against current President Dilma Roussef, calling for her impeachment.

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For more on the Petrobras corruption scandals in Brazil and its dire economic situation click here and here.
For economic facts and figures on Brazil click here and here.