Dilma Rousseff is the first female president in Brazil. Unfortunately, the Senate impeachment interrupted her powers, ending the era of the Workers’ Party, which lasted 13 years. Yesterday, Mrs. Rousseff has been thrown out of the President’s Office, the reason is simple — corruption in the fantastic scale. The impeachment process is complete, Brazil will start a new presidential election.
Dilma Rousseff failed to persuade senators and prove her innocence to the plundering of the treasury and multiple cases of bribery of officials at all levels of government. Her 14-hour speech in her defense has had little influence: the impeachment took place, Rousseff is no longer President of Brazil.
Following a crushing 61 to 20 defeat in the upper house, she will be replaced for the remaining two years and four months of her term by Michel Temer, a centre-right patrician who was among the leaders of the campaign against his former running mate.
In a separate vote, the senate voted 42 to 36 not to bar Rousseff from public office for eight years.
Rousseff was defiant after being ousted: “They think they’ve defeated us, but they’re wrong. I know we will all fight.”
Despite never losing an election, Rousseff – who first won power in 2010 – had seen her support among the public and in congress diminish as a result of a sharp economic decline, government paralysis and a massive bribery scandal that has implicated almost all the major parties. But Rousseff told supporters in Brasilia:
“Right now, I will not say goodbye to you. I am certain I can say, ‘See you soon.’”
