January 1: An apparentgang riot atColônia Agroindustrial prison inGoiânia results in nine deaths and 14 inmates injured. Authorities report 233 prisoners escaped; 29 were recaptured, and 109 prisoners returned voluntarily.[1][2]
January 3:Petrobras announces it would pay $2.95 billion to settle ashareholder lawsuit in the United States stemming from the bribes and kickbacks in theOperation Car Wash scandal. The company said in a filing with theUS Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it had been a victim of dishonesty but that it had decided that it was in its best interest to settle and minimize uncertainty and risk.[3]
January 24: An appeals court upholds the corruption conviction ofLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva, by far the frontrunner in the upcomingpresidential election. His sentence has also increased to twelve years and his lawyers plan to appeal. Lula has also expressed intentions of campaigning for office until physically prevented from doing so.[9][10]
February 10: Police say they have found no evidence to support the charge thatMichel Temer caused a benefit toRodrimar SA, who operate thePort of Santos, Latin America's busiest port. A refusal was also shown, after a video made by cooperating witnessRocha Loures of a conversation on the subject with Temer's legal advisor.[14]
February 16: Federal intervention begins inRio de Janeiro. This is the first federal intervention since the 1988 constitution, as GeneralWalter Braga Netto is appointed state intervenor.[18]
March 21: Ablackout that lasts more than 5 hours affects theNortheast Region and theNorth Region, as well as some cities in all regions partially. The electric energy collapse is caused by human error, after programming an erroneous circuit breaker at theBelo Monte substation.[24]
April 7: FormerPresidentLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva gives a public address alongside his impeached successorDilma Rousseff at a steelworkers' union building inSao Bernardo do Campo, saying he will comply with an arrest warrant, despite maintaining his innocence. Lula surrenders to police and arrives inCuritiba to begin a 12-year sentence for corruption, after two failed appeals to have the warrant withdrawn.[32][33]
May 1:Edifício Wilton Paes de Almeida, a 26-story tower block inSão Paulo, is destroyed by a fire and consequent collapse. Neighbouring buildings are also damaged by fire. Occupied by about 90 families, firefighters point to at least one victim in the rubble and 34 missing. Authorities warn the casualty toll is "likely to be high".[35][36][37]
May 21-May 25:Truck drivers go on a national strike for five straight days. Drivers are protesting against the increase in fuel prices, the end of tolls for suspended axles, and tax reform related to truck driving. The stoppage has affected public and private bodies.[38][39][40]
June 11: TheTemer administration creates theUnified Public Security System (SUSP) to integrate security and intelligence bodies; standardize information, statistics and procedures; among several other measures aimed at integrating thesecurity forces.[41]
