Brazil's Economy Minister Joaquim Levy fanned speculation Friday that he could soon be leaving his post, in what would be yet another blow to the crisis-hit government of President Dilma Rousseff.
At a breakfast press conference with reporters, the fiscally conservative economist struck a valedictory tone that appeared to hint at his departure without addressing the gossip head on.
Speculation that Levy is on his way out the door was thought to have contributed to a three percent plunge in the markets here on Friday.
Levy, an orthodox economist, formerly worked at the International Monetary Fund. Some news report, unsubstantiated as yet, say Rousseff already has been looking for his successor.
Levy said that "if we have not finished, at least we intended" to get Brazil's rocky economy back on track. "That gives us some comfort," he said.
He did not directly answer questions as to whether he has raised his possible departure with the government.
Rousseff, meanwhile, is currently fighting calls for her impeachment amid a sprawling corruption scandal involving the state-run oil giant Petrobras, and with the economy mired in a worse-than-expected recession.
Political chaos is adding to Brazil's economic woes, with GDP down 4.5 percent in the third quarter year-on-year, and the national currency, the real, down one-third against the dollar this year.
Brazil’s Economy Minister Joaquim Levy fanned speculation Friday that he could soon be leaving his post, in what would be yet another blow to the crisis-hit government of President Dilma Rousseff.
At a breakfast press conference with reporters, the fiscally conservative economist struck a valedictory tone that appeared to hint at his departure without addressing the gossip head on.
Speculation that Levy is on his way out the door was thought to have contributed to a three percent plunge in the markets here on Friday.
Levy, an orthodox economist, formerly worked at the International Monetary Fund. Some news report, unsubstantiated as yet, say Rousseff already has been looking for his successor.
Levy said that “if we have not finished, at least we intended” to get Brazil’s rocky economy back on track. “That gives us some comfort,” he said.
He did not directly answer questions as to whether he has raised his possible departure with the government.
Rousseff, meanwhile, is currently fighting calls for her impeachment amid a sprawling corruption scandal involving the state-run oil giant Petrobras, and with the economy mired in a worse-than-expected recession.
Political chaos is adding to Brazil’s economic woes, with GDP down 4.5 percent in the third quarter year-on-year, and the national currency, the real, down one-third against the dollar this year.
