Brazil’s Dilma to face trial after Senate indicts her

Former President of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff will face trial in an impeachment process after Brazilian Senate voted against her on charges of breaking the law. The senate members voted 59 to 21 in favor of indicting Dilma. If she is convicted, she will definitely have to move from office and acting President Michel Temer will remain in his position as President until the next election in 2018. With such high opposition, she is likely to be convicted.

The vote shows the opposition to Ms. Rousseff has gained strength. In the impeachment voting, the senate voted 55 to 22 in favor of the impeachment proceedings. To put her on trial the senate needed just a simple majority but to convict her Senate needs a two-third majority, which is five votes less than the opposition secured today. Mr. Temer, Rousseff’s conservative former vice-president who took office in May, has urged senators to wrap up the trial quickly so he can move ahead with a plan to cap public spending, reform an overly generous pension system and restore confidence in government finances.

However, he himself isn’t out of the woods. The scandal that has taken down Rousseff has rocked the country to the core. Corruption allegations have already forced the resignation of three of Mr. Temer’s cabinet members and he could also be implicated. In plea bargaining testimony published by local media over the weekend, jailed construction magnate Marcelo Odebrecht reportedly claimed Mr. Temer had received illegal campaign funding.

Ms. Rousseff’s impeachment has led to a rally in the Brazilan assets but that may not sustain if Mr. Temer goes down too. Brazilian Real which declined to 4.1 per dollar in January has now strengthened to 3.14 area.