Wikileaks cable reveals secret anti-government lobbying by former Brazil central bank chief

A Reuters scoop on March 25 shook up the Brazilian establishment with an exclusive report on how former central bank chief Henrique Meirelles sought Washington’s support as he lobbied for more independence from Lula’s government in 2006. A leaked U.S. diplomatic cable showed that Meirelles, a key figure in the emergence of the South American giant as a global economic power, had sought to persuade then U.S.Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to intervene in his power battle with Brazil’s finance minister. Brazilian newspapers seized on the story, publishing it immediately on their websites and then prominently in print editions, all with credits for Reuters. Bloomberg picked up the story, also crediting Reuters. The story showed the sensitivity towards U.S. interference in a country that sees the United States as a regional rival. It also came at a crucial moment for Meirelles who is awaiting confirmation to run the preparations for Brazil’s Olympics Games. He is still expected to get the job.