Don't worry...
The Bovespa has been volatile for many years, with +/-5% the norm for trading days. The currency has also normally been pretty volatile, however it has been very much the last couple of week.
And the Brazilian economy has in fact shunted trade from the US gradually over the last years, with much more exports to the Middle East and Asia.
If this hadn't been the case - the situation would have been very bad - and imagine if Brazil had not converted debt to national currency, or paid off so much debt.
Therefore, Brazil is much better off than could have been the case if fiscal conservativeness had not prevailed. Also, internal growth is pretty strong - and most likely will give at least +3.5% next year.
What happened during the last 12 months was that the entry level for investing on the Bovespa was reduced significantly, and you could get in for around USD 50... that meant that a lot of small investors were being added. In the long run, this is a good thing - but with the turmoil now - it surely has been bad for the "psychology."
Last month, a lot of foreigners fled the Bovespa - and also so last year of June-July... so there were already -7% drops etc from time to time... Recently the BM&F commodity exchange and the Bovespa merged, and that certainly also exacerbate the current effects.
I remember around 2002, when there were -80% drop in profits for companies YoY. Brazil is pretty used to wild volatility, although they have enjoyed very strong growth the last years.
I think the overall situation in Brazil is fundamentally very good, as very large agricultural exporters and owners of the largest natural resources in the world. Growth is very good still.
