SAO PAULO, April 7 (Reuters) - Latin American e-commerce

giant MercadoLibre ( MELI ) plans to invest 34 billion reais

($5.8 billion) this year in its top market, Brazil, from 23

billion reais last year, local marketplace head Fernando Yunes

said on Monday.

At an event with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at one

of the firm's distribution centers near Sao Paulo, Yunes also

said the company will create about 14,000 jobs this year in

Brazil, reaching more than 50,000 employees in the country by

the end of the year.