Thursday, September 1, 2016

Historic Senate trial impeaches Brazil leader Rousseff


Anyone remember the infamous trial in the Philippines back in 2000 when the Senate majority decided to impeach then-President Joseph Estrada due to graft and corruption? Well, that similar story does apply in Brazil where a majority of the Senate voted in favor of ousting the suspended President Dilma Rousseff accused of breaking fiscal laws and mishandling the country's budget.

Rousseff, age 68, was Brazil's first female president when she took office five years ago and won her second term two years ago with a majority of over 54 million votes. She is a former guerrilla fighter who was jailed and tortured during the country's dictatorship in the 1970s, and drew a connection between her past and the current situation.

Following her removal from office, Vice President Michel Temer, who was served as the interim president since her suspension, was sworn in Wednesday afternoon as the new president for the remainder of her term through 2018. He formed a Caninet member comprising of white males, which sounds controversial in Brazilian headlines.

With Rousseff now ousted from power, what's next for her? She once said she will retire at her Porto Alegre home in southern Brazil.


Screengrab: tvsenago/NBC News

No comments: