Brazil

Days of heavy rains brought on by El Nino have caused three major rivers to swell, and authorities have reported at least six weather-related deaths.

A state of emergency is in force in Paraguay, the worst hit nation, where 130,000 people have fled their homes.

In northern Argentina, some 20,000 people have left their homes.

Dry weather is forecast for the Brazil-Uruguay border region in the next few days, but in Paraguay and Argentina water levels are still expected to rise.

Paraguay

Alexandre de Moraes, the head of the Sao Paulo State Public Safety Department said at a news conference that police are trying to determine if Thursday night's shootings in the suburbs of Osasco, Barueri and Itapevi, on the western outskirts of Sao Paulo, are related.

He said 15 of the victims were shot dead in Osasco, three were killed in Barueri and one in Itapevi. Seven people were wounded and are hospitalized.

The ratings agency says in a statement emailed on Tuesday that it has kept Brazil's BBB- long-term foreign-currency sovereign credit rating and the country's BBB+ long-term local-currency sovereign credit rating.

However, the ratings outlook was lowered to negative because of political and economic risks facing the country and the possible impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff.