Brazil lowers diesel price after truckers’ pressure

Brazil’s President Michel Temer, under pressure from a week-long national truckers’ strike, said on Sunday he was cutting the cost of diesel by 46 Brazilian cents a liter.

The cut was to be frozen for 60 days, Brazil’s leader said in televised remarks, as the strike paralyzes much of the country’s economic infrastructure. Temer also agreed to four other demands that the truckers made.

“We have done our part to ease the problems and suffering,” Temer said in an eight-minute address, mentioning that he heard reports that millions of animals could die of hunger if the crisis did not ease.

The average price of diesel was 3.36 reals (92 US cents) in January, and rose to 3.6 reals (99 US cents) before the strike, according to news portal G1. On May 26, the price of diesel in Brazil hit 3.8 reals ($1.05).           /kga