SAO PAULO, April 15 (Reuters) - Latin American

e-commerce giant MercadoLibre ( MELI ) is planning to hire 6,500

people in Brazil this year, President Luiz Inacio Lula da

Silva's office said on Monday, after he met with the firm's top

executive in the country.

That would increase MercadoLibre's ( MELI ) staff in Brazil, its main

market, by 28% from the previous year to some 29,000 employees.

The new roles will be focused mainly on logistics and

technology, according to a government statement.