Fast Cash Eludes Brazil With New Hurdles to Energy Auctions

A Brazilian government plan to sell billions of dollars in national energy assets to reduce the country’s deficit has hit a series of roadblocks this week -- first from Congress and now from the Supreme Court. Two Supreme Court injunctions Wednesday and congressional delays on Tuesday have raised new hurdles to the privatization of state-run power company Eletrobras as well as for the planned sale next month of some of its troubled units. “This will probably be dragged on for the next government to deal with,” Pedro Galdi, an investment analyst with Mirae Asset Wealth Management, said in a phone interview from Sao Paulo after the congressional move Tuesday.