LatinNews Daily - 08 September 2023

* The Brazilian state-owned bank Banco do Brasil has announced that it has donated R$500,000 (US$100,453) to support relief efforts in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), where storms have been causing severe floods since 2 September. The state government declared an emergency in 79 municipalities on 6 September, while the federal government officially recognised the public emergency on 7 September. The state news agency Agência Brasil reported that the death toll of the storms has reached 41, as of 7 September, with 25 people reported missing and over 122,000 people in total affected by the storms. The RS governor, Eduardo Leite, has announced R$1.5m in funding for the reconstruction of infrastructure in the some of the worst affected municipalities, such as Muçum and Roca Sales. The RS state finance secretariat announced that the state-owned bank Banrisul would temporarily freeze the debts of affected individuals and businesses, while the RS environment & infrastructure secretariat will continue monitoring the damage on energy installations, telecommunications, and other infrastructure. The RS logistics & transport secretariat has also reported that 12 sections on five major motorways have been partially or completely blocked or damaged.