There is considerable evidence to back his boast. After decades of boom and bust, Brazil has witnessed phenomenal growth since 2000. The primary force is surging commodity prices. The currency is strong, employment is robust, and, after a five-year period of listless or negative growth, the construction sector is explosive.

According to a recently released survey by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, after suffering more than a decade of decline the construction sector grew more than 7% in 2006, the most recent year with available figures. The study found construction firms performed $70 billion in activities and services and accounted for 1.5 million jobs.