It looks like it's still on for April 10th. You can check the official Brazilian page for visa requirements (which I can't post as a newbie here).



My original post laid out my plan and I was able to follow through. As I recall, the visa application website was giving people a lot of trouble last year, which was the reason for the delay. I had a couple of minor problems -
The images you upload (current passport and separate photo) must be in a photo format - not PDF.
The photo has some very strict requirements --- like the size in pixels. After I had used Photoshop to get my photo to the right amount of pixels, I uploaded it and found out that the website does the resizing for you.

Other than that - it went smoothly with payment confirmed within a few hours, application validated by the next morning, and e-Visa issued by evening.

You will have to carry FOUR copies of your visa - to board the airplane in the US, to give to Brazilian officials upon arrival, and the reverse when you leave Brazil.

Later this month, I am traveling to the US and my return flight has a layover in São Paulo. I will be bringing my visa copies even though it isn't required YET. I will come back here and report my experience.

Note: Being a Mercosur resident does not override the visa requirement. When Chile had a fee for certain nationalities it was hit or miss whether your Mercosur member ID card exempted you. If you weren't, you just had to pay the fee. In this case, ASSUMING a Mercosur exemption may mean being denied boarding.