Brazilian president faces impeachment trial
Brazilian president faces impeachment trial
Brazil President Dilma Rousseff is expected to face an impeachment trial with the country’s senate expected to vote in favour of the process.
If a majority vote is found among the 81 members of the senate found Rousseff will be automatically suspended from office.
Rousseff, the first female president of Brazil, had made a last-ditch appeal to the Supreme Court to stop proceedings, but the move was rejected.
The president is accused of illegally manipulating finances to hide a growing public deficit ahead of her re-election in 2014. It is a charge she denies.
Former football player Romario – now a senator for the Brazilian Socialist Party – said the country was going through “a very serious crisis”.
A senate trial for impeachment could last up to 180 days. Two thirds have to find the president guilty for her to removed from office permanently.