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- WORLD, Page 67World NotesBRAZILWounding the "Emperor"
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- When describing his radical plan to reform Brazil's
- out-of-control economy, President Fernando Collor de Mello used
- to state his goal by quoting Spanish conquistador Hernan
- Cortes: "To win -- or to win." But in recent months the
- supremely confident Collor, 41, has notched precious few
- victories. The inflation rate, after being cut from 80% a month
- to less than 10%, is back to 17%. Interest rates are sky-high;
- unemployment is rising. Last week Collor got more bad news. In
- runoff elections for 15 governorships, progovernment candidates
- lost in the biggest and most influential states, including Sao
- Paulo.
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- Last month the leader of Collor's party in Congress
- resigned, grousing that the President was behaving like "an
- unthroned emperor." Now Collor must establish a dialogue with
- Congress. That dialogue may result in wage hikes and other
- measures that could carry Brazil into a new round of
- hyperinflation.
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