With the economy booming, poverty falling, and an avid new middle class hitting the supermarkets and malls, Brazil is in a sweet spot. Once a pushover for fi nancial turmoil, Brazil survived the Great Recession largely unscathed and grew at the blistering pace of 10 percent in the fi rst six months of 2010 (though it may cool to 6 or 7 percent by year´s end). With new offshore discoveries boosting its estimated oil reserves to at least 9 billion barrels –and possibly much more- the national oil giant, Petrobras, raised $67billion in late September, the biggest publicshare offering in global fi nancial history. Officials are gussying up the country for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, and arguing over what to do with all the cash and glory that such international showcases bring.