Dubai, Arab Emirates - Brazil got a lot of praise over the weekend at the International Monetary Fund meeting in Dubai. US Secretary of Treasury, John Snow, for example, said Brazil could be a model for other nations. And he called president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and minister of Finance, Antonio Palocci, examples of political leadership, saying their performance in the search for solutions to economic problems was nothing short of remarkable.

Investors and international bank analysts joined the chorus of praise saying that in spite of a vulnerable situation, due to debt, Brazil was on track to sustained growth. (AB)