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.