BRASILIA, BRAZIL (BDCi) – As a result of President Dilma Rousseff’s visit to the United States, the U.S will open two more consulate offices in Belo Horizonte and Porto Alegre.
Besides the embassy in Brasilia, there are already consulates in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Recife.
There are very practical reasons for the new consulates and a direct order from president Barack Obama to make it easier for Brazilians to travel to the U.S. The number of Brazilians visiting the U.S has skyrocketed as the local economy has stabilized, there are more jobs and more income, and the real has gotten much stronger against the dollar. As a result, Brazilians are flocking to the U.S where they spend billions, mostly in Florida.
The American Embassy reports that in March this year a record 115,269 visaas were issued to Brazilians, an increase of 62%, compared to the same month last year.
By: Natania Levine Courtesy: agenciabrasil.ebc.com Photo: diplomacy.state.gov 17 April 2012
9:10 a.m P.D.T