President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced on February 9, 2026, at approximately 5:00 PM UTC a R$ 1.4 billion investment from the Government of Brazil for two new factories and modernization of two others at the Butantan Institute to strengthen the national health industry, as stated in his official X post while en route to the institute. Lula specified the funds will support production at the São Paulo-based Butantan Institute, according to his X post from @LulaOficial at https://x.com/LulaOficial/status/2020829241588547712, published within the reporting window from 4:45 PM to 5:15 PM UTC. No details on the exact timing of the on-site announcement or factory specifics were provided in the post. The announcement occurs amid ongoing political tensions, including a Liberal Party (PL) lawsuit filed earlier on February 9 accusing Lula's administration of fiscal maneuvers, as previously reported.
