- Michel Temer takes reins with pledge to rebuild country
- Vote in favour of suspension passes by 55 votes to 22
- A warrior to the end: Rousseff as the sinner and saint of Brazil
We are wrapping up our live coverage of a momentous couple of days in Brazilian politics now. Thanks for reading. Our latest report from Brasilia, as Michel Temer unveils his new (100% white male) cabinet, is here:
Related: Michael Temer takes reins as Brazil's president with pledge to rebuild country
Scenes on Brazilian TV showed the violent scuffle outside the Presidential Palace as a group of anti-Temer protesters attempted a lie-in on the ramp up to the building. A guard sprays a female protester in the face and then beats her on the leg with a baton.
From a reporter leaving after the Temer speech:
Sneezing from the pepper spray still in the air from earlier when protesters tried to storm up ramp of presidential palace.
Temer lauded the importance of the slogan on national flag “Order and Progress,” during his first speech.
Brazil’s new president said he hadn’t expected it to be such a raucous celebration during the swearing in (thanks to the large crowds and constant cheering), noting that it was a time for seriousness.
I declare my absolute institutional respect to Madam Dilma Rousseff. We need to restore respect to institutional decorum
In Rio di Janeiro, some residents of Jardim Botânico - a middle class neighorbood just next to the fancy beach ‘burbs of Copacabana and Leblon - are creating their own protest during Temer’s speech.
A panelaço (ppl banging pots & pans) threatens to drown out Temer in my middle class Rio 'hood - wasn't expecting that. Getting bigger
Inside, Temer is still giving his first talk as president, but is struggling with his voice. Clearly the long night of the impeachment has caught up with him, his voice cracking constantly and at times unable to speak.
Temer referenced Lava Joto, the corruption investigation, and said it must be protected.
Michel Temer is literally choking on his own voice in his first speech as Brazil's new head of state. Not at all symbolic
Female protesters attempting to enter the presidential palace were sprayed with tear gas by police, according to reporters outside.
The women were attempted to enter where president Michel Temer is currently speaking.
O momento do ataque contra a equipe da Globo pic.twitter.com/nE4U5DCJhQ
New president Temer is now speaking, with a lot of emphasis on building the economy.
Temer: my first word to Brazilian people is "confidence". Says will recuperate economy.
The new ministers - 22 of them, all male - are being sworn into their roles.
A lot of testosterone in the Palacio do Planalto now, I can't see any women in the picture with Michel Temer, his ministers and allies.
Just in case you weren’t sure, Temer was announced officially to reporters.
"Senhores e senhoras, o presidente da republica, Michel Temer"
Michel Temer finally arrives at the presidential palace to speak to reporters for the first time as president of Brazil.
Fireworks outside presidential palace as Temer enters to all the smartphones in Brazil
Hopefully Temer’s first presidential press conference goes better than a radio interview he did today, where he mistook an Argentinian radio presenter for the country’s president, Mauricio Macri.
“How are you President? ... I want to visit you soon,” Temer told a reporter from the El Mundo radio station, according to a Reuters report.
A small crowd of protesters have gathered outside the building in Brasilia where Michel Temer will soon host his first press conference as interim president.
Size of anti-Temer demo outside Gov building before his first press conference: very small. pic.twitter.com/5gpOevkzUN
Lots of ppl @ #Temer's first appearance as sitting #Brazil president pic.twitter.com/8ku4DeSlL0
Barely one day as president, and already interim president Michel Temer is hit with a scandal. It seems someone hacked the phone and internet accounts of Marcela Temer, the new first lady of Brazil, stole intimate photographs (it’s unknown exactly what the pictures show), and then attempted to extort the Temers.
As Reuters reports:
Brazilian police have arrested three people on charges of hacking the internet account of the wife of Brazil’s interim president and attempting to extort money after stealing intimate photographs, the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper said on Thursday.
The newspaper said that police had arrested the hacker, his wife and his sister-in-law on Wednesday. A police spokesman declined to comment, saying that the case was ongoing.
Brazil’s interim president Michel Temer, who was vice-president under Dilma Rousseff, will soon address the public. While we wait for that, let’s have a little look at some juicy tidbits on the new president.
From a Guardian profile published last month:
Compared with the colorful firebrands that make the most noise in the Brazilian political world, the 75-year-old constitutional lawyer cuts a quiet and somewhat gothic figure with grey, slicked-back hair, a stately bearing and a young beauty queen of a wife who has her husband’s name tattooed on her neck.
...The youngest of eight children in a family of Lebanese Christians who migrated to São Paulo in the 1920s, Temer studied law and entered congress in 1987. A calm and methodical organiser and moderator, he quickly rose to a senior position in a party known for dealmaking rather than ideology.
He is the author of Anonymous Intimacy, a book of sensual verses inspired by his wife, Marcela, who was a 20 year-old aspiring beauty queen when she became Temer’s third wife in 2003.
...He is sometimes mocked as “The Butler” because he is said to resemble a character in a campy horror movie, and is the kind of restrained figure who seems to knows much but say little in public.
A report says Globo, a major TV network in Brazil, has asked its stars to “go lightly” in public on social media about the Senate’s vote on impeachment proceedings.
But Globo presenter and actress Monica Iozzi is tweeting and posting about the impeachment, including this retweet of a message written by actress (formerly in Globo telenovelas) Patricia Pillar.
Usurpador da República pic.twitter.com/QNECLzcjmP
Journalist Glenn Greenwald, who lives just outside of Rio de Janeiro, insinuates in this tweet that the impeachment of Rousseff was simply a move by opponents to oust her party from power.
If you were a PT opponent, what would you do in the face of 13 years of this? Just accept it? Or find another way? pic.twitter.com/wUqavwQjwC
The Cato Institute, a libertiarian think tank created by the billionaire Koch brothers, says the impeachment proceedings against Rousseff offer a rare chance for politicians to be held accountable against corruption.
Ian Vasquez, director of the Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, said in a statement:
Nobody is surprised that corruption exists at high levels in Brazil. The real story in Brazil is that institutional and policy changes in that country over the past several decades have led to a situation in which some of the most powerful member’s of Brazil’s political establishment and business elite are now being legally tried and convicted for wrongdoing. All of Latin America is watching in surprise at, and applauding, this level of accountability that judicial systems in the region rarely attain. The coming impeachment of Rousseff will not solve Brazil’s problems, but the strengthening of the rule of law that it represents puts the country on a stronger path for stability and development.
Here’s a rundown of President Temer’s new cabinet.
Brazil's new agriculture minister, Blairo Maggi, is a billionaire soy tycoon. I spoke to him once. From my book: pic.twitter.com/vQtVbHUUh0
During Dilma Rousseff’s last hours in office, supporters of her impeachment trial and pro-Rousseff campaigners gathered outside the Brazilian congress to await the senate vote. Reporter Ana Terra Athayde was there.
Interim president Michel Temer released the names of his cabinet team.
But after the country’s first female president, the new round of ministers is distinctly male.
Michel Temer is Brazil's new President and he's already under fire for all white male Cabinet. pic.twitter.com/qpRZHTSfyz
A great Portuguese portmanteau: Michel Temer's all-male cabinet, the misogynistry https://t.co/j8Xf9GipEG
In a just released video, Dilma Rousseff declares there is “no reason” for her to be impeached as, she says, she committed no crime, received no bribes and wasn’t involved in corruption.
This is the moment Rousseff received a consoling hug from her predecessor as president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva outside the presidential palace.
Exclusivo: o momento em que Lula abraça Dilma na saída do Planalto. pic.twitter.com/XWEFuHoMLj
Dilma fala à multidão 12/05/2016 pic.twitter.com/f3ROnZ4cBK
Not sure if this is how Temer would have imagined his ascendancy to power.
Brazil media says @MichelTemer fell asleep near end of 20 hr senate session, was awoken by fireworks and realized he was now president
Here are some more quotes from Rouseff’s press conference.
I may have made mistakes but I did not commit any crime.
I never imagined that it would be necessary to fight once again against a coup in this country.
It’s the most brutal of things that can happen to a human being to be condemned for a crime you didn’t commit.
Never will I stop fighting.
The new interim president has announced his cabinet. It is reportedly 100% male (for the first time since 1979) and 100% white.
A lista dos ministros do governo de Michel Temer: pic.twitter.com/9zloSAUzeM
Meanwhile, Temer is officially the interim president.
(AI) Michel Temer assina notificação de posse como presidente interino encaminhada pelo Senado. pic.twitter.com/pz2B1Nf73j
Rousseff has been making another speech to supporters outside the presidential palace, with her predecessor standing beside her.
According to Reuters she told supporters she feels their energy and warmth but said it is a tragic time for Brazil’s young democracy. She repeated that she is the victim of a great injustice.
Rousseff outside palace w/ supporters, says "tragic time" for Brazil; Lula beside her pic.twitter.com/e1qu0xlxYc
Here are some more striking pictures of the suspended Brazilian president leaving the building:
Staff in presidential palace watch Dilma greet crowds on her final day in office (for now at least) pic.twitter.com/4DMUtNVPyc
Intense scene as Dilma exits palace. Shouts of "Globo, coup monger!" [Globo then cut the audio] pic.twitter.com/buy0D843TZ
Rousseff has left the presidential palace:
She's causing minor pandemonium as she moves into a crowd of supporters outside; very stressed security team. Lula is in melée
Dilma greets supporters outside Planalto presidential palace as she prepares to leave office due to suspension. pic.twitter.com/9D990NPy7b
The outgoing president has referenced her battle against cancer, in stressing her determination to fight impeachment.
But the impeachment, she says, is a greater pain, because it is unjust.
Dilma: lived through many defeats and grand victories. Time to fight once again vs coup against democracy.
.@dilmabr calls on supporters to continue to fight for democracy and mobilize.
"I never imagined having to once again fight against a coup in my country."
No tears from Dilma as she leaves but a few red eyes among supporters - and not just because of all night debate.
Rousseff says she has been subjected to a coup by her political opponents and will continue to fight impeachment.
Brazil's Dilma Rousseff defiant in news conference, saying her govt was victim of "unending sabotage" by opponents pic.twitter.com/E4ue9GsVYX
Dilma says she is victim of sabotage and open conspiracy. Says committed no crime and is being removed in a coup.
Rousseff: "I never took bribes. Rather I fought against corruption ... this is a process against an honest person"
.@dilmabr says that this coup is intended to undermine social advances. Says she never repressed protests. Says new govt has no legitimacy
.@dilmabr says she is proud of being first female president of #brazil. She says she will continue to fight impeachment and will not resign
The suspended Brazilian president says democracy is at stake.
Dilma: what's at stake is not just my mandate but respect for the streets, the victories of past 13 years, the future of the country.
.@dilmabr says that what is in play in impeachment is a respect for polls and social advances. She says this is a fraud and a coup.
Rousseff is poised; says "whats at stake here is the outcome of ballot boxes". Lists school enrollment, new housing, expansion of healthcare
Rousseff begins.
Rousseff enters, her cabinet chants, "Dilma, the warrior for the Brazilian nation"
AO VIVO: Dilma fala após afastamento. Acompanhe https://t.co/9BYS5GQbUD#G1pic.twitter.com/nIOg36iFjr
Ministers who served in Rousseff’s government as well as congress members from her party. are lining up behind the podium where she will speak.
Cabinet ministers & Workers' Party senators gather for Dilma's (temporary?) farewell press conference at Planalto. pic.twitter.com/47A7B5LNks
Lula na praça dos três poderes, agora
Abraça o povo pic.twitter.com/Z8l6NzYYfR
Rousseff is due to speak shortly.
You can watch it live on Periscope:
AO VIVO no #Periscope: Vamos ouvir a presidenta Dilma sobre a decisão do @SenadoFederal! https://t.co/WY6p1ltox8
Protesters chant “Temer, traitor” in the video below. And beneath the video is an unflattering cartoon of the man who has stepped into Rousseff’s shoes.
"Temer traidor, ô."https://t.co/OrbFZls7SV
The president of the International Olympic Committee is upbeat about this Summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, despite recent events in Brazil.
Thomas Bach said:
there is strong support for the Olympic Games in Brazil and we look forward to working with the new government to deliver successful games in Rio this summer.
We have seen the great progress being made in Rio de Janeiro and we remain confident about the success of the Olympic Games in August.
Dilma Rousseff is yet to talk - two posts on her Facebook page, however, give her reaction to the vote to suspend her. “É GOLPE” - It’s a coup.
Here are some Rousseff supporters
"We are with you, the fight continues" supporters of suspended #Brazil president wait for her to speak pic.twitter.com/VlRnggSNvi
Brazil’s shrinking economy is widely considered to be one of the reasons behind Rousseff’s downfall. Reuters reports that Temer is making plans to address the problem.
Brazil’s interim President Michel Temer will announce on Thursday measures to rebalance depleted fiscal accounts and generate new jobs in a country mired in its worst recession in decades, one of his top advisers told Reuters.
Temer will take office on Thursday after the Senate voted to suspend President Dilma Rousseff for up to six months to face trial for allegedly breaking budgetary laws.
Memes of Rousseff leaving office are emerging on social media.
#TchauQuerida: Dilma Rousseff é afastada e internet não perdoa; veja memes - https://t.co/Xag23n9BYVpic.twitter.com/f06txbtYHn
Only two members of Rousseff’s cabinet will stay under Temer, says NPR’s south America correspondent:
Only two ministers are staying on from @dilmabr govt -- the Sports minister who is getting ready for @olympics2016& Central Bank President
Another newspaper front page shows a picture of Temer being hung on the wall to replace one of Rousseff.
A capa do Correio Braziliense #impeachmentpic.twitter.com/1c3546YpiJ
Senate president Renan Calheiros says that Rousseff will remain in the presidential residence despite being impeached and suspended by the senate. From AP:
Now that lawmakers have voted to impeach Rousseff, the chamber has up to 180 days to conduct a trial and then vote whether to remove her permanently.
Calheiros says that in the meantime Rousseff will have security guards, health care, and the right to air and ground travel, as well as staff for her personal office. He also says she’ll receive a salary, though he didn’t specify what it would be.
“A chancer for Temer” (described by AP as “one of the country’s least popular politicians), reads the front page of the digital edition of one of Brazil’s newspapers.
Estadão libera edição digital de graçahttps://t.co/nfMpMcMgd5pic.twitter.com/njrlzOQ5Zk
This shows how each individual senator voted:
Veja como votou cada senador na sessão do impeachment: https://t.co/HywngLG9YQpic.twitter.com/HLcdExrT9W
I’m now handing the blog over to my colleague Haroon Siddique, who will be keeping you up to date with any reaction to today’s monumental vote.
Temer’s cabinet is also rumoured to include Blairo “soybean king” Maggi, who is tipped for Minister of Agriculture. In recent weeks he has been “advancing a constitutional amendment that would effectively extinguish the requirement for environmental approvals on public building work,” the Globe and Mail reports.
According to the Globe and Mail, Temer’s rumoured cabinet is entirely male and and entirely white. Stephanie Nolan writes:
Temer’s choice for the key post of finance minister is Henrique Meirelles, an economist and politician who served as a popular central bank president from 2003-11.
Like him, everyone else on the rumoured cabinet list is male, and white, in a country that is 53-per-cent black and mixed race. Many come from the powerful agribusiness and rural landowner bloc in Congress, and are associated with a dramatically different legislative agenda than that of Ms. Rousseff’s party.
#Temer's rumoured cabinet is entirely male, and entirely white (#Brazil, 53% mixed race, and 52% female.) https://t.co/5k9z0ZIKno
What does impeachment mean exactly in Brazil? The New York Times attempts to answer that question.
In Brazil, Ms. Rousseff has not yet been impeached, legal scholars say.
“In Brazil, the term impeachment is used only after a conviction is made in the trial,” said Daniel Vargas, a law professor at Fundação Getulio Vargas in Rio de Janeiro.
Senator Romero Juca, from the opposition Democratic Movement Party, has said the 55-22 vote to impeach Rousseff suggests it would be very difficult for her to win her mandate back during the impeachment trial. He said:
It was a painful process, a process that has changed Brazil but it is necessary to change Brazil. People today are having difficulties. Thousands of people are losing their jobs every day, companies are closing. Life is getting worse. It’s not possible to continue the way things are.
If you are living in Brazil, we’d like to hear your views on the latest events. What are your concerns about the political situation and the future of the country? Tell us by clicking on the blue contribute button. You can also share your stories, photos and videos with the Guardian via WhatsApp by adding the contact +44(0)7867825056.
These photographs of the marathon Senate session and voting are worth a look.
As fotos da Agência Senado da sessão histórica estão bem legais, vê só. https://t.co/JIiBnvSExx
Senator Humberto Costa of the Workers Party talks about the vote and future opposition to the government of Michel Temer:
Após a votação, o senador Humberto Costa explicou como será a oposiçao ao governo de Michel Temer - https://t.co/SzAfpFFE2F
So what do we know about Vice President Michel Temer, the man poised to become Brazil’s new leader? Reuters have put together a brief biography of a man who has spent decades in politics and is known for his quiet yet calculating demeanour, fine suits, and a penchant for poetry.
While Rousseff is known for her ‘in-your-face’ style, those who have worked with Temer say he is serene and possesses a rare trait in Brazilian politics - the patience to listen to allies and adversaries alike.
The challenge before him is daunting. Brazil is mired in its worst recession since the 1930s and he will have to make rapid moves to restore confidence. Rousseff and her ruling Workers Party (PT) have branded Temer a traitor and say that impeachment amounts to a coup.
Michel Temer will be president for at least the next six months, including during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Apparently loves the shot put
Fireworks are reportedly going off in Brazil.
Fireworks in Brasília as Brazil wakes up to interim president Michel Temer.
People woken by fireworks and tooting of car horns at 6:30 am in parts of São Paulo as celebrations begin over ousting of Dilma Rousseff.
Read Jonathan Watts’ full report on Dilma Rousseff’s suspension from office, what one politician called the “saddest day for Brazil’s young democracy”:
Related: Brazil president Dilma Rousseff suspended from office as senate votes to impeach
Less than halfway through her elected mandate, Dilma Rousseff has been stripped of her presidential duties for at least six months after senators voted 55-22 to impeach her and put her on trial.
After what one politician called the “saddest day for Brazil’s young democracy”, a majority of the senators voted after a late-running impeachment debate that they would vote to suspend the Workers’ party leader, putting economic problems, political paralysis and alleged fiscal irregularities ahead of the 54 million votes that put her in office.
Here is the latest take from the Associated Press on the voting results, which is seen as a victory for the pro-impeachment camp.
Brazil’s Senate has voted 55-22 to impeach the South American giant’s first woman president.
President Dilma Rousseff is accused of using accounting tricks to hide large budget deficits.
This is the moment the results of the vote were announced, a historic moment in Brazil that brings to end 13 years of rule by the leftist Workers Party.
Com 55 votos SIM - Dilma Rousseff é afastada da Presidência da República. RCN NEWS https://t.co/gHWNKhnIwxpic.twitter.com/WCWFSz2Sb4
The charges against Dilma Rousseff will now be investigated in committee for up to 180 days. Vice President Michel Temer will assume power during this period.
The vote has concluded with 55 votes in favour of suspension and 22 against.
Brazil's Senate has voted to suspend president Dilma Rousseff from office by 55 to 22.
“You can vote now”, the president of the Senate says three times.
And it's actually happening: Brazil impeachment vote in senate. For real, now.
"Cada qual terá que responder na história por sua parte de erros ou acertos", diz presidente do @SenadoFederal#EquipeLídice
Cardozo warned Brazil will become the “biggest banana republic on the planet” if impeachment passes.
"A se confirmar o impeachment com essas acusações, o Brasil irá se transformar numa república de bananas", diz Eduardo Cardozo
A vote is imminent. You can watch a livestream below:
José Eduardo Cardozo defende Dilma. Ato final. Em cerca de 15 minutos os 77 senadores presentes votam o impeachment pic.twitter.com/kp1qIh2uHn
Speeches from senators are now over, and the Attorney General Jose Eduardo Cardozo is speaking in defence of Rousseff. The vote is now nearing, with a majority expected to vote in favour of impeachment.
After 20 hours of discussion, 49 senators in favour of impeachment, 20 against. Two undefined.
“There’s no crime of responsibility” says attorney general, Jose Cardozo, for the 1736454th time.
Brazil Attorney General Cardozo now speaking in final defense of #Dilma in senate. He's been 1 of most impressive figures thru this process
In a session of the Senate in Brasilia now around 20 hours long, senators have been making speeches ahead of a vote that will decide whether President Dilma Rousseff will be suspended from her role.
Less than halfway through her elected mandate, Dilma Rousseff appears set to be stripped of her presidential duties for at least six months after a majority of senators said they would vote to impeach her and put her on trial.
After what one politician called the “saddest night for Brazil’s young democracy”, more than half of the 81 senators declared in a late-running impeachment debate that they would vote to suspend the Workers’ party leader, putting economic problems, political paralysis and alleged fiscal irregularities ahead of the 54 million votes that put her in office.
Related: Brazil president Dilma Rousseff set to be impeached in senate vote
Senator Cássio Cunha Lima tweets that he now expects the vote to take place at 7am local time (11am BST/8pm AEST/6am EDT) – more than 20 hours after the senate session started:
A sessão prossegue. Creio que a votação ocorrerá após às 7h. https://t.co/EgVzPlzGub
Latest tally of how senators have declared they will vote:
Senator Humberto Costa, of Rousseff’s Workers’ party, speaks now.
He says the impeachment is a means for those defeated in the 2014 general election to get their hands on power, usurping the votes of regular Brazilians.
Senator José Serra is up now. He’s likely to become a minister if/when Temer steps up to the presidency. Serra tells the senate that to continue with Rousseff as president would be a bigger tragedy than impeachment.
Impeachment isn’t an exceptional event, he says, but a constitutional solution:
Senador @joseserra_: "O impeachment não é uma medida de exceção. É uma solução constitucional."
The 62nd senator to speak, Walter Pinheiro, is now at the lectern.
Some 71 senators are due to make speeches ahead of the vote. At 15 minutes each – the limit – we would still be more than two hours away from a formal result.
For those joining our coverage 18 hours into the senate session (this is not a joke), here’s a helpful recap via Reuters:
President Dilma Rousseff, who has been in office since 2011, has seen her popularity crushed by Brazil’s worst recession since the 1930s and a two-year probe into a vast kickback scheme at state-run oil company Petrobras.
Rousseff was chairwoman of Petrobras when much of the graft occurred, but she has not been accused of corruption.
I’m resurfacing this eye-opening read from the Guardian’s Latin America correspondent, Jon Watts, which spells out the rocky road ahead:
If the suspension of Rousseff goes ahead – as it now looks set to – the presidential line of succession will have been decimated in the past week, with possibly more to come.
Senators must still vote formally on the move to impeach Rousseff.
Senator Blairo Maggi is the 58th senator to speak and the 41st to declare he will vote in favour of impeachment.
Assuming senators vote later as they have said they will, Dilma Rousseff will be suspended from office for 180 days while congress decides if she will be permanently ousted.
Bancada petista assiste a discurso de Blairo, o 41 pelo afastamento de Dilma. pic.twitter.com/ByTKUwCBaz
Brazilian TV network Globo reports that three senators are not expected to vote today.
Two – Eduardo Braga and Jader Barbalho – are on sick leave, it says, and another, Pedro Chaves dos Santos, has not yet taken office.
Forty senators have now declared that they intend to vote for the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff.
In a full senate of 81, just one more vote would be needed to secure her suspension. Not all senators have attended the session so far.
Paulo Paim, speaking now, says he will vote against the move to impeach, the 16th senator to do so.
Latest tally:
In a lengthy session of the Senate in Brasilia, senators have been speaking ahead of a vote that will decide whether President Dilma Rousseff will be suspended from her role.
Associated Press files this dispatch from the late-night sitting:
Brazilian senators have a long way to go to finish their debate on whether to impeach President Dilma Rousseff.
The chamber is still crowded, although there are more aides than senators themselves. Older senators have gone off for naps and are having their aides call when their time to speak is about to come.
Pro- and anti-Rousseff demonstrators have been waiting outside the government buildings for the conclusion of the Senate session – which could still be some hours away.
Polls have found a majority of Brazilians in favour of impeaching Rousseff, though many remain concerned about those likely to succeed her.
Latest tally of the 50 senators who have spoken so far:
We reach a milestone of sorts with the 50th senator to come forward to make a speech: Paulo Rocha.
Seventy-one senators are slated to have their 15 minutes at the podium before voting officially starts.
Lindbergh Farias, a senator for Rousseff’s Workers’ party, is up now and despite the late hour – it’s currently 1.30am in Brasilia – is making an impassioned speech, saying the prospective Temer government is “born bankrupt” and “paving the way towards fascism”.
“We will not recognise this government,” he says.
Lindbergh: "Não vamos reconhecer esse governo. Temer será o primeiro presidente a assumir como ficha suja" #ImpeachmentDay#SeEuFosseDilma
Someone at the Associated Press is suffering from lack of sleep, if the headline on its latest report is anything to go by:
Debate on future of Brazil’s president drones into 2nd day
Fernando Bezerra Coelho, a former minister in Rousseff’s administration, has said he will vote to impeach her.
The removal of the president “will not resolve the serious political and economic crisis experienced by the country”, Lídice da Mata adds.
She says Temer will struggle with a lack of legitimacy should he become president.
Socialist party senator Lídice da Mata has been speaking. She says “all presidents and dozens of governors” have committed the acts for which Rousseff is now condemned.
She adds that Temer’s move to assemble his new government before the impeachment process was even completed was a move that would make even House of Cards protagonist Frank Underwood blush.
“atitude que faria corar Frank Underwood da série House Off Cards em que vice dos EUA conspira p/derrubar presidente eleito” #EquipeLídice
We have now reached 34 senators announcing their intention to vote for impeachment, 10 against, and one – Collor – who made a speech but didn’t show his hand.
Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who was president of Brazil from 1995 to 2003, has been speaking on CNN. He thinks the senate vote will go against Rousseff:
Probably the decision will be to continue to proceed with the impeachment process.
I was reluctant at the beginning because i know how hard is the process of impeachment … Now is different. Brazil is a sound democracy [and] the constitution is very clear.
It’s quite different to what I did and President Lula … it’s quite a clear case of impeachment … It’s obvious that this is against the constitution.
There is an enormous amount of corruption, not only within government but sustained by people within government … People don’t trust any more the political system, political life.
Since President Rousseff was not able to regain confidence … why was she proceeding the way she was? She was increasing the lack of confidence.
So far, 41 of the 71 senators who have indicated they will speak in the debate (of the 81 senators in total) have said their piece.
Of these 41:
Dilma Rousseff has been preparing for defeat by planning her exit from the presidential palace, Reuters reports:
Aides said she will dismiss her ministers on Thursday morning and tell them not to help a transition to a Temer government because she considers her impeachment illegal.
With a change of government imminent, Michel Temer plans to swear in new ministers on Thursday afternoon, Senator Romero Jucá, head of his Brazilian Democratic Movement party (PMDB), told reporters.
An updated tally: so far 29 senators have said they will vote in favour of impeachment.
Nine have said they will vote against.
Former president Fernando Collor de Mello, who himself faced impeachment by the senate in 1992, speaks of a “country in ruins” at the “apex of a crisis”.
Collor na tribuna. Momento histórico da política brasileira pic.twitter.com/LkfPVYFMte
At the moment, though, we are watching Senator Armando Monteiro make his speech. He was a minister in Rousseff’s government and opposes impeachment, which he says would “cause a serious institutional rupture” in Brazil.
O senador @ArmandoPTB fala agora sobre o golpe:"Estaremos provocando a uma grave ruptura institucional do País"
Fernando Collor de Mello, the first democratically elected president of post-military Brazil, is due to speak next.
He himself faced impeachment in 1992 – though he resigned before being disqualified by a vote in the senate – and as a senator is one of those facing investigation as part of the Petrobras scandal for allegedly taking kickbacks.
Collor, ex-president who was impeached himself but bounced back as a senator, coming up next. #impeachmenthttps://t.co/MC5DEV2OQY
Sousa says there is a “sexist, misogynist aspect” to the action against Rousseff:
E há o componente sexista, misógino, dessa conspiração. Disseram: “mulher não pode”, principalmente a Dilma.
Perhaps unsurprising, Regina Sousa (PT) only black woman in Brazil senate, 1st speaker in hrs (days?) to raise role of gender in impeachment
Next up is Senator Regina Sousa, of Rousseff’s own Workers’ party, who unsurprisingly says she will oppose what she describes as a “coup”:
A Senadora Regina Sousa será a próxima a discursar. Ela historiará e denunciará o golpe. Tweetaremos drops do discurso aqui.
A oposição decidiu que Dilma não governaria. Como não há um crime, culparam a crise. Ora, já vivemos crises piores sem depor o governante!
Because those 15-minute speeches just aren’t long enough, some senators carry on even after the microphone is cut off:
Senador Hélio José (PMDB-DF) continua discursando depois de ter microfone cortado https://t.co/mFIW0zZ6ropic.twitter.com/5fIadr82HE
And with the 35th senator to speak – Cássio Cunha Lima– we’ve now reached the halfway point of the 70 whose names were on the list to make a speech today. Only 11 hours in.
Senator Hélio José is speaking now. He is the 34th senator to make a speech. José is a member of Temer’s PMDB and says the debate in the senate today has been “high level” and “brilliant”.
Associated Press sends this dispatch on unrest outside the senate tonight:
Protesters supporting Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff have clashed with police on the lawn outside the Senate as senators debated whether to impeach the leader.
It wasn’t clear what sparked the short but intense confrontations. Police used pepper spray to drive back protesters. Demonstrators largely from feminist groups threw firecrackers at police lines.
Pepper spray earlier in front of Congress #impeachmentpic.twitter.com/jwmSvxZJx4
On the Senate floor, Communist party senator Vanessa Grazziontin expressed worry about what she called spiralling levels of “unnecessary violence” directed at pro-Rousseff demonstrators.
A wall erected down the center of the lawn separated several thousand Rousseff supporters from a similar-sized group of pro-impeachment protesters. On the pro-impeachment side, a Carnival-esque spirit reigned, with demonstrators sipping beers while decked out in the yellow and green jersey of Brazil’s beloved national soccer team.
Get your snacks in: senate leader Renan Calheiros is saying the proceedings could continue until 5am local time (4am ET/9am BST/6pm AEST).
Do @gcamarotti: Renan prevê sessão que vota o impeachment até 5h da manhã de quinta https://t.co/rxb7FwVBRCpic.twitter.com/Gvd1VcfLLc
Senator Vanessa Grazziotin is speaking now. She has previously called for the impeachment process to be suspended.
Tonight she tells senators that voting for Rousseff’s removal would be a fraud against the laws of democracy:
Vanessa Grazziotin: Caso este Plenário aprove o processo, estaremos diante de uma das maiores fraudes ao Estado Democrático de Direito
Quanta hipocrisia, quanta mentira! O que eles querem é também acabar com a Lava Jato #equipevanessa
Senate speeches latest: we now have 25 senators who have declared themselves in favour of impeachment, and five against.
A reminder: a simple majority is enough to see Rousseff suspended. On a full complement of 81 senators, with all members present, that’s 41 votes needed to impeach.
Rousseff and Jaques Wagner, former defence minister, watch the crowds from inside the Planalto palace:
O ministro Jaques Wagner e a presidente Dilma foram flagrados na janela do Planalto https://t.co/PlpljN03UEpic.twitter.com/nmo42WSudN
Brazilian newspaper O Globo reports that current vice-president (and presumptive president in the event of Rousseff’s impeachment) Michel Temer is pressing ahead with the assembling of his new government, with the appointment of a new attorney general, Fábio Medina Osório.
The current attorney general, José Eduardo Cardozo, is expected to leave with Rousseff.
China’s censors aren’t keen to share the news of the impeachment vote:
Bizarrely, Chinese TV censors spiked @BBCWorld story on Brazil impeachment vote this morning. Clearly not Temer fans pic.twitter.com/e7HmLrhPXH
Hello, this is Claire Phipps picking up the live blog reins to take you through to the Senate vote in – I hope – a few hours’ time.
In the first 10 (10!) hours of this session, 30 senators had their say, fewer than half of those scheduled to speak. Senate leader Renan Calheiros has now pledged not to take a recess and push the proceeding through to a vote. But it looks as if it will be the early hours of Thursday morning, Brazil time, before the result is official.
Ten hours into Brazil’s Senate debate about ousting President Dilma Rousseff from office, the pro-impeachment forces look certain to win tonight’s vote. Rousseff stands accused of illegally using government funds to mask the true state of the Brazilian economy.
My colleague Claire Phipps in Sydney is going to take over our live coverage for the second half of this marathon debate and vote. Here’s where things stand at the moemnt
The Senate debate has little of the chaos of House’ vote last month, during which lawmakers pledged their decisions to family members, freemasons and the chief torturer of Brazil’s military dictatorship – under which Dilma Rousseff was herself tortured.
Instead the senators seem intent on turning the impeachment debate into something between a classroom and one very, very long advertisement for re-election. After each of the senators gets a turn (we’re about a third of the way through) there are speeches to sum up the pro- and anti-impeachment arguments. Then the Senate finally votes.
Senate hearing just turned into a high school class. Senate leader said, "If people don't turn off their cellphones, I'm calling a time-out.
Scene in Brazil Senate is not circus of the lower house vote on impeachment, but get sense many senators speaking w next campaign ad in mind
Another hour, a Dilma defender may lose his or mind and say Yes, vote for impeachment! just to shut them up.
Three Brazils: red in support of the president against impeachment, yellow and green in support of her ouster, and a Congress whose senators, many of whom are accused of corruption, are debating criminal charges against the president.
Divided Brazil. Tear gas clashes on red side of wall. Drunken dance party on yellow side. pic.twitter.com/tsQkm6jRy6
Is there a political class that loves to hear itself talking more than this lot in Brasília?
So President Dilma is planning on talking to press at 10am tomorrow. But we may not have the final vote by then… 21 x 4
Jon Watts is still out with the crowd on the streets, where he’s met some of the people who were exposed to the teargas fired by police.
Anti impeachment protester in Brasilia carried off for treatment. Friends say she couldn't breathe due to tear gas. pic.twitter.com/2s7jJGzBBV
Neves expounds at length about how “the Workers’ Party is going back to ancient ways”, raising many of the arguments he made while campaigning against Rousseff in 2014. His vote should not be in doubt.
The president’s office has meanwhile said that Rousseff will speak to the press at 10am local time Thursday morning, not immediately after the vote as originally planned.
Aécio Neves is giving the victory speech he couldn't in the 2014 election.
One of the senators supposed to vote today is the president Brazil impeached in the 90s. He hasn't shown up yet.
The AP has been talking to some of the senators who’ve declared their vote – none are mincing words about their feelings.
“To improve the life of the nation we need to remove them[(Rousseff’s Workers’ Party] at this time,” Senator Magno Malta told a scrum of journalists outside the Senate floor. “We will start to breathe again and the doctor will say the nation has given signs of life and will be stable soon.”
“The great day has come” to “extract the nation from the claws of the Workers’ Party,” said Senator Ataides Oliveira, the fifth of 63 Senators slated to speak during the debate
Aecio: We’re here to vote against a person, not against a political party.
Back inside the Senate, the anti-Rousseff coalition inches toward the halfway mark of declared votes needed for impeachment.
Eduardo Amorim says Brazil is a “country without credibility”, votes for impeachment. 19 x 4
Brazilian police have set up barricades and a line of officers outside the Senate in Brasilia, where Jon Watts saw brief clashes between officers and protesters. Inside Congress the senators have again come to order for debates. Jon reports from the streets:
Police just fired a few volleys of teargas at anti impeachment protesters outside the Senate. The protesters threw rocks and fireworks. Hard to say which side started. But seems to have calmed for the moment.
Protestors taunting police pic.twitter.com/dnd4cc2m2H
My colleague Jon Watts is with the crowds outside Congress in Brasilia, where police have fired teargas canisters after supporters of the president threw a few fireworks, he reports.
Police fire tear gas after anti impeachment protesters throw fireworks during rally outside Senate in Brasilia.
Police firing tear gas at pro Dilma protestors outside senate in Brasilia pic.twitter.com/lGspNaB3fQ
Some technical difficulties setting up a giant inflatable Dilma outside FIESP, Paulista pic.twitter.com/zXXeTy46P3
The parliamentary watchdog newspaper Congresso em Foco has published a list of Senators who are under investigation or have had their cases archived by the Supreme Court. Alleged corruption does not discriminate by beliefs: according to the watchdog there are 24 active investigations for 81 senators, 14 of which involve the “Car Wash” bribery scandal of oil giant Petrobras.
Senators under investigation as of 25 April 2016:
Senate leader Renan Calheiros calls for a break in the floor speeches. The pro-impeachment forces have nearly half the votes – declared, at least – they would need to oust Dilma Rousseff from the presidency in a full Senate vote.
With all the senators present they would need 41 votes to impeach Rousseff and put her on trial for using government finances to mask woes in the economy.
We're at 17 Senators spoken in favour of impeachment of #Dilma, 4 against, if you're counting
As twilight turns to night in Brasilia, protesters line up in yellow and green to show a “Wall of Shame” with their leaders’ faces on it to Ana Terra Athayde’s camera.
Rousseff has found another ally on the floor. Workers’ Party senator Jorge Viana Acre tells the chamber: “This impeachment throws the votes of millions of Brazilians in the trash!”
“We’re living in institutional anarchy in our country,” he adds – Rousseff’s Workers’ Party seems grateful to have someone’s defense to tweet out.
"Nós estamos vivendo a anarquia institucional neste país" - JorgeVianaAcre (PT-AC): https://t.co/osez6gDyRD
Senator Agripino Maia is making a long and convoluted speech about state banks and his experiences with them, related to the impeachment vote in only a very roundabout way.
He is not helping anybody who wants to actually impeach or defend the president.
Fun #Brazil Senate stats:
80% White Men
58% Under Criminal Investigation
60% Come from Political dynasties
13% Unelected (alternates)
Brazilian politicians use their 15 minutes of fame to take short cuts to irrelevance.
Ângela Portela, of the president’s Workers’ Party, says she’ll vote against impeaching Dilma Rousseff. She’s only the second to declare herself with the president in the Senate today, making the declared tally, so far, 15 for impeachment and two against.
The Senate needs a simple majority of the senators present, meaning 41 votes if all 81 senators are present. Senate leader Renan Calheiros has said he will not vote to stay neutral. If not all the senators are present the tally necessary for impeachment is lower: there are 73 senators in the chamber at the moment, for instance, then only 38 senators need vote for impeachment.
Brazil impeachment vote in senate looking like 15 x 2 so far. Reports the actual vote will take place at 2am.
Senate leader Renan Calheiros has said he will not vote whether to impeach Dilma Rousseff, saying that he wants to stay neutral as the president of the chamber.
But he was already using the past tense when he spoke of the sitting president of the country, and started speaking in the future tense of vice-president Michel Temer, who is of the senator’s Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB).
Two more say they’ll vote for impeachment. Senator Sergio Petecão admits: “I won’t say we should expect it to solve all the problems.”
Petecão is of the Social Democratic Party, which has taken many lawmakers who’ve left Brazil’s rightwing Democrats, and he was formerly of a center-nationalist party.
Senator Cristovão Buarque is up. He's voting yes. "It's the left that aged, not me," he says. pic.twitter.com/i5rWARpe2j
During impeachment proceedings, Brazil Senate President plays the role of annoyed schoolteacher: "I recommend that you all pay attention..."
If you’re catching up … we’re now at 13 senators who’ve declared for impeachment, one in defense of Dilma Rousseff. The Senate needs a simple majority of present senators to impeach the president, which would be 41 with all 81 senators present.
Senate speeches, Cliff Notes version:
shout-outs
this difficult moment
unemployment
Dilma, Lula
corruption
What country is this?
I vote yes
The senators of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) have agreed to give up their speaking time, my colleague Jon Watts reports from the Senate floor.
There are six of them so that saves 90 minutes – but barring more sacrifices from dozens of other senators, we’re still on schedule to finish hours from now.
Senador Telmário Mota preciso em suas palavras: Querem mudar no tapetão o resultado das urnas.
Senate vote is 11 x 1 for impeachment so far. Worse than Brazil in the World Cup, worse than Ed Cunha in Supreme Court.
Rousseff has found at least one friend in the Senate and a few outside it. Senator Telmário Mota took the podium to ask: “What country is this?”
“We want a country that respects the law and the constitution and democracy,” he said. “This impeachment was born of revenge, hatred and revenge.”
Senador Telmário Mota (PDT/RR) pergunta: "Que país é esse?" https://t.co/rwxW256blVpic.twitter.com/7QiTc4jGeD
"Democracy, yes! No coup!" pic.twitter.com/7faxe5AsNe
Inside Congress, a football (soccer) star turned senator, Romário de Souza Faria, has taken the podium.
“It’s undeniable that the country is going through a very serious crisis,” he says. “The crisis has a political element, but it’s not limited to this.”
Por isso, votarei pela admissão do processo de impeachment.
Senator Magno Malta is at the podium, the ninth senator of 68 who were slated to speak – Brazilian press are reporting that the Senate may skip some speeches to get to the actual vote.
Malta is not wasting his opportunity. He too is in favor of impeachment. He’s waving an accusatory finger at the Senate and shouting at his colleagues about the dire state of Brazil, comparing corruption to diseases: “like diabetics, we have to amputate the limb”.
Brazil senator currently speaking says Rousseff is "gangrene" & needs to be amputated.
Many Brazilians have blamed Rousseff for dragging the economy into the worst recession in decades, and her impeachment hinges on related charges: using government funds to hide signs of trouble.
Senators Lúcia Vânia and Zexe Perella have also brought up the economy: they’re the sixth and seventh senators to speak in favor of impeachment today.
Her disastrous handling of the government budget (and ensuing fudging of the numbers, for which she is facing impeachment), her refusal to engage in a new wave of economic reform, and her mismanagement of the corruption scandalat state-run oil company Petrobras have destroyed much of the goodwill and stability that previous governments in Brazil had painstakingly built over the past 20 years.
Based on his probable picks for finance minister and other key cabinet positions, Temer will be much less likely than Rousseff to meddle in areas of the economy such as interest rates, or the rate of return for investors on infrastructure projects, that are best left to independent regulators or the private sector.
Temer may even take on longstanding obstacles to growth such as Brazil’s tax code (which the World Bank has called the world’s most complex) and the gaping hole in its pension system.
Six senators have taken turns so far at the Senate podium (of a planned 68 ) to argue for and against impeachment. Most have spoken about the economic crisis – unemployment and inflation are hovering near 10% – and Rousseff’s handling of it.
Two senators asked to delay the proceedings in Rousseff’s favor before the formal turns at debate began, but they were overruled, and the supreme court later rejected Rousseff’s appeal to halt the vote.
Now a senator is showing a bar chart while he gives his remarks. #impeachmentpic.twitter.com/EMwaGZKBuJ
The Senate is back at long last from its extended lunch break, with leader Renan Calheiro chatting idly before starting off the session to impeach the president.
“We can’t really rush history,” he says, per Folha’s Leandro Colon.
Renan batendo papo com senadores antes de recomeçar sessão pic.twitter.com/Y2yV59uN5a
Humberto Costa, the leader of the Workers Party in the Senate, has all but admitted defeat for Dilma Rousseff, whose second term seems on the verge of an abrupt early end to the party’s hold of the presidency.
“There are no other paths for us but opposition,” he just said in a televised interview.
Esse processo de impeachment é claro: de um lado, nós temos a democracia. Do outro, o golpe. pic.twitter.com/0NZgMsIQUa
Rousseff will address Brazil after the Senate votes on her impeachment, perhaps reading the signs so far as a near certainty that Congress will put her on trial.
Dilma to address the nation after vote https://t.co/UEw4SC0Tz7
Confirmada a saída da #Dilma, o balanço será este: em 52 anos, apenas 4 presidentes eleitos diretamente. Desses, metade sofreu #impeachment
The senators take their time.
Senate taking an extended lunch break here. No rush. Nothing big on the agenda. Only impeaching the president...
People wait in the shade for Senate vote in 84°F Brasília. pic.twitter.com/vG7c2UpMIl
With few senators standing up for Rousseff so far – though we are only five speakers into a supposed 68 planned – impeachment and suspension are looking more and more likely. At the Senate in Brasilia my colleague Jon Watts runs through the possibilities of what would happen next.
If the suspension of Rousseff goes ahead, the presidential line of succession will have been decimated in the past week, with possibly more to come.
Brazil’s supreme court has rejected her last minute appeal to stop the impeachment vote. The president’s senatorial allies had argued this morning that the Senate should at least wait until the supreme court had ruled on the appeal, which was likely Rousseff’s last opportunity to prevent an ouster.
Brazilian Supreme Court rejects government request to annul impeachment. Escape routes closing for Dilma.
Teori Zavascki impede anulação do processo de impeachment de Dilma. Entenda e leia a íntegra https://t.co/FGblDo4Czlpic.twitter.com/KWFtHDXpXD
Senator Ataides Oliveira, the last speaker before the Senate ended its first session, harkened back to the antics of the House of Deputies when it was his turn at the podium. He called for impeachment with arms waving, fists clenched and exhortations shouted to oust Rousseff from office.
This senator just busted into an actual operatic ~vibrato~ while denouncing Dilma Rousseff pic.twitter.com/jc9ZHTragb
Compared to the rambunctious, overwhelming vote to impeach Dilma Rousseff in the House last month, the mood is considerably more sombre in the Senate, my colleague Jon Watts reports from the floor of the chamber.
“All the people here are broken hearted. We don’t want this, but it is unavaoidable. Brazil has come to a stop since last year,” claimed Senator Marcelo Crivella, who, outside of standing for the Brazilian Republican Party is also a gospel singer and bishop of the evangelical Universal Church of the Kingdom of God.
Watchdog group Aos Fatos notes that 14 lawmakers are under investigation for corruption and graft in the Petrobras scandal, in which the state-run oil giant, businesses and lawmakers are accused of passing around $2bn worth of bribes for contracts.
Journalist Rachel Glickhouse translates the linked tweet.
Brazil's Senate: 14 legislators under investigation as part of Petrobras scandal; half plan to vote for impeachment. https://t.co/EOtnnXn0Je
Senator Ana Amélia Lemos has invoked Pope Francis in her time on the floor, quoting him: “I hope that Brazil will follow the path of harmony and peace.” Then she pulls out a copy of the Brazilian constitution as a prop.
Lemos supports impeachment, and has fought back adamantly against critics and Rousseff supporters who say impeachment is a “coup”.
.@anaamelialemos cita declaração de hj do papa Francisco: "Desejo que o Brasil siga pelo caminho da harmonia e da paz".
While Brazilian newspapers have found that around 50 senators plan to vote for a trial, it’s not clear that Dilma Rousseff’s enemies have enough votes to bar her from office, the AP reports.
A survey by Folha of Sao Paulo suggests there are only 41 senators willing to remove her permanently, 13 fewer than needed. The House voted 367-137 last month in favor of impeachment.
“Dilma will be impeached for a variety of reasons,” said Marcos Troyjo, a professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. “And the possibility of her coming back is zero.”
“The people involved abused and took advantage of the opportunity to steal money in an absurd way,” said Tiago Gomes da Silva, a 33-year-old standing in line at an unemployment office in Rio de Janeiro. “This had to come to an end. And the actual government is directly linked to this.”
“The problem in Brazil was the inflation,” Carlos Antonio Porto Goncalves, economics professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, said of Rousseff’s first years as president. “And the government, to fight inflation, raised interest rates to extremely high levels so demand decreased, and the recession came.”
“She is a woman with a knife in her boot,” said Alexandre Barros, a political consultant in Brasilia, using a popular phrase in Portuguese to describe tough women. “But she is not a politician.”
A protester has shown up at Congress wearing a word that needs no translation. He points out that vice-president Michel Temer has also been found to have broken the law.
Impeach the lot of them, he says. Temer could very well have an abbreviated term– as could other lawmakers accused of corruption, taking bribes and other crimes.
First protesters arrive in front of Congress. This man thinks that Temer (VP) should also face an impeachment trial. pic.twitter.com/4jSvQTrfCv
"The poorest will suffer the most" in case there's a change in government, says this pro-Dilma protester pic.twitter.com/QQgInJcefU
Senate president Renan Calheiro has denied requests by Gleisi Hoffmann and Vanessa Grazziotin to delay the impeachment until the supreme court decides the president’s appeal over it.
Renan nega pedidos de Gleisi e Vanessa para adiar votação do impeachment no Senado. Ao vivo https://t.co/j1rchrriRfpic.twitter.com/QCVAfAvwGw
On what could be the last morning of her presidency, Dilma Rousseff went for a stroll … with what appear to be rheas.
Em dia de votação, Dilma prefere fazer caminhada à tradicional pedalada https://t.co/QNOZz1yAHppic.twitter.com/kLKyEChw8A
Jota notes that there are 56 senators currently holding the quorum, though there are 81 senators in all. To impeach Rousseff her enemies need a simple majority of the senators present, not necessarily 41 needed with a full session. Voting’s expected to begin this evening.
Corrigindo com ajuda dos seguidores: admissibilidade será aprovada com MAIORIA SIMPLES -mais da metade dos presentes, não 41 necessariamente
Vice-president Michel Temer, of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, is waiting in the wings today to take over from Dilma Rousseff should she be impeached.
Rousseff has declared her running-mate and former ally a “usurper”, but his party is feeling good. They’re calling today the “day of hope”.
É HOJE o dia da Esperança! Melhoria na qualidade de vida para todos os brasileiros. #UnidosComBrasil#SomosTemerpic.twitter.com/9pOer06L6z
“O impeachment é impensável, geraria uma crise institucional. Não tem base jurídica e nem política"
Senator Gleisi Hoffmann has asked the Senate president to postpone the vote on impeachment until the supreme court has decided on Rousseff’s appeal against the legality of the procedure.
Hoffmann was Rousseff’s chief of staff during her first term, from 2011-2014.
Gleisi pede a Renan que adie a votação do impeachment no Senado até que o STF julgue recurso do governo contra o processo
The Senate session is finally underway, with the chamber’s president Renan Calheiro leading off with a long speech. There’s a steady din of senators chattering behind him. Portuguese speakers can follow along on Senate TV live here.
My colleague Jon Watts is in the room, with God himself, according to Calheiro.
Senate leader starts impeachment debate against Dilma, "with the protection of god I initiate our work." pic.twitter.com/ScRJzGIGcs
The men and women of Brazil’s congress are a motley lot: several of their leaders are themselves accused of corruption, including Senate president Renan Calheiro.
The Economist has compiled many of the strange reasons that federal deputies have given for their votes for and against impeachment so far, with translations.
Senate president Renana Calheiro is talking to the press in Brasilia, and said that the first session has already been delayed 45 minutes. Live looks at the Senate show around half of the senators haven’t arrived on time for one of the most consequential votes in modern Brazilian history.
Sessão do impeachment já tem atraso de 45 minutos. Renan diz agora a jornalistas que "torceu" para que processo não chegasse ao Senado
Still no quorum to start session of #Brazil Senate - due to vote on #impeachment motion against president pic.twitter.com/jAjTTFBgkU
My colleagues Jon Watts and Ana Athayde are in Brasilia helping cover the vote, and have sent along a quick guide of what we can expect from the Senate today.
Hello and welcome to our rolling coverage of the impeachment of Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, who faces being forced out of office by an unruly Congress that has accused her of illegally manipulating government accounts.
Rousseff’s nemesis in the affair is Eduardo Cunha, the machiavellian speaker of the House who is himself accused of corruption and has been suspended from his post. Similarly tangled up in the scandal are the former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his chief of staff (allies of Rousseff), vice-president Michel Temer, who was last week fined for violating campaign law, and two more enemies of the president. Senate president Renan Calheiros is being investigated in a bribery investigation involving Brazil’s state-run oil company, Petrobras, and opposition leader Aécio Neves has been criticzed for his family’s secret bank account in Lichtenstein.
Related: A warrior to the end: Dilma Rousseff a sinner and saint in impeachment fight
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