LatinNews Daily - 21 November 2025

*Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has nominated the solicitor general, Jorge Messias, who serves the federal government’s legal counsel, to assume a seat on the supreme court (STF). The seat was left vacant after the retirement of former justice Luís Roberto Barroso (2013-2025), who stepped down from the top court on 18 October. However, reports in the national press suggest that Messias’ nomination could sour relations between Lula and the current senate president, Davi Alcolumbre, whose preferred choice would have been his political ally Rodrigo Pacheco, a qualified lawyer who served as senate president from 2021-2025. Alcolumbre has reportedly suggested that he will not give Lula a hand by rallying support among senators to approve Messias’ nomination. Media outlets such as national daily Folha de São Paulo have also highlighted that, hours after Lula’s announcement yesterday to nominate Messias, Alcolumbre scheduled a plenary vote on 25 November for a bill that could undermine the fiscal goals of the Lula government – legislation that proposes increasing retirement payments for healthcare workers. According to news website G1, the proposal could add a strain of at least R$20bn (US$3.7bn) on the public coffers over the next decade.

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