Key Rousseff impeachment vote annulled in Brazil

(CNN)Brazil’s scandal-plagued government is in deeper chaos after the interim speaker of the Lower House on Monday annulled a key vote that could have led to President Dilma Rousseff facing impeachment. It’s now unclear if the Senate may take up the Lower House vote this week to move ahead with proceedings that could remove Rousseff from power for six months. Brazil is set to host the Olympics in August.The Lower House had voted overwhelmingly for the investigation, and could push for that again, or the Supreme Court could overturn the Speaker’s mandate. And separately, the Senate impeachment commission leader says that panel may proceed with their own vote on heading toward an impeachment trial regardless.

When Rousseff became Brazil’s first woman president in 2010, she had high approval ratings. She is very unpopular now, predominantly because Brazil is suffering through a recession and a bribery scandal involving state-run oil company Petrobras and dozens of politicians in her party and governing coalition. Rousseff is not implicated in the scandal, but millions of Brazilians are demanding she be removed.

However, she is accused of breaking budgetary laws by borrowing from state banks to cover a shortfall in the country’s deficit and pay for social programs. She has said she’s done nothing unlike what her predecessors have done over the years.

Rousseff has publicly defended her record on numerous occasions.

“I think there is a very strong element that has to do with the fact that I am a woman,” Rousseff told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in late April. “They have often said that I was a very harsh woman.”

“And I have always replied as follows, ‘Yes, I am a harsh woman, surrounded by cute, polite, gentle and kind men,” Rousseff said with a wry smile. “Only women are described as being harsh in office when they take a position.'”

News from cnn.com

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