Brazil’s currency drops to weakest level yet as Lula’s fiscal measures debated

Associated Press

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s real has fallen to its weakest level against the dollar since the currency was introduced in 1994, undercut by investors’ frustration with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s efforts to rein in government spending. A bill backed by Lula that aims to slash $11 billion in government spending is being debated in Brazil’s lower house of Congress. But some market players have said it is insufficient to shore up Brazil’s finances. The real shed 2.8% of its value against the U.S. dollar Wednesday, depreciating to 6.26 per dollar. It’s the weakest the currency has been in nominal terms since its adoption in an economy with a history of boom-and-bust cycles and bouts of high inflation.