Brazil: President Rousseff Ousted
By a 61-20 vote, the Brazilian Senate voted moments ago to oust Dilma Rousseff as the country's president over charges of illegally manipulating government accounts.
Rousseff, who has been suspended since May as part of the impeachment process, also awaits a separate vote by the Senate to further suspend her from public office.
She had intervened on the Senate floor during a marathon session on Monday and compared the treatment of her detractors to the torture she underwent during the military regime of the 1970s. She also implied that former running mate turned adversary and then-acting leader Michel Temer was an "usurper" plotting with her opponents to enact a "coup" against her.
Rousseff has faced numerous major obstacles since she was reelected by a narrow margin in October 2014. Brazil's economic boom had reversed and entered a deep recession, while the "Lava Jato" corruption probe ensnared the political elite. As a result, critics have accused her of mismanaging the economy and doing little to prevent corruption under her government.
Rousseff's popularity plunged to roughly 10% in a poll conducted in late June but now interim President Temer has not fared much better. For example, Temer was soundly booed during his brief appearance at the opening ceremonies of the Rio Games earlier this month. Now he has a little more than two years to attempt to quell political tensions exacerbated by the proceedings against Rousseff, and flip a Brazilian economy expected to continue weakened at least for the rest of this year.
Online Sources (English) - The Latin Americanist, The Guardian, BBC News
Rousseff, who has been suspended since May as part of the impeachment process, also awaits a separate vote by the Senate to further suspend her from public office.
She had intervened on the Senate floor during a marathon session on Monday and compared the treatment of her detractors to the torture she underwent during the military regime of the 1970s. She also implied that former running mate turned adversary and then-acting leader Michel Temer was an "usurper" plotting with her opponents to enact a "coup" against her.
Rousseff has faced numerous major obstacles since she was reelected by a narrow margin in October 2014. Brazil's economic boom had reversed and entered a deep recession, while the "Lava Jato" corruption probe ensnared the political elite. As a result, critics have accused her of mismanaging the economy and doing little to prevent corruption under her government.
Rousseff's popularity plunged to roughly 10% in a poll conducted in late June but now interim President Temer has not fared much better. For example, Temer was soundly booed during his brief appearance at the opening ceremonies of the Rio Games earlier this month. Now he has a little more than two years to attempt to quell political tensions exacerbated by the proceedings against Rousseff, and flip a Brazilian economy expected to continue weakened at least for the rest of this year.
Online Sources (English) - The Latin Americanist, The Guardian, BBC News
Post a Comment