Brazil’s Senate votes to remove President Roussef

Brazil President, Dilma Rousseff

In a marathon 20-hour session that lasted until the early hours of the morning Wednesday, Brazil’s Senate voted to move forward with the impeachment of leftist President Dilma Rousseff.

With a vote of 59 to 21, the senators overwhelmingly chose to indict Roussef for allegedly manipulating government accounts. The trial will be held by the end of the month — the week after the end of the Olympics.

A two-thirds vote — just 54 senators — is needed to impeach Rousseff.

[Brazil impeachment process on hold over voting questions]

Rousseff faces impeachment on charges that she used improper loans from government banks to fund popular social programs. Rousseff’s opponents said she deceived Congress and the Brazilian public by concealing budget gaps brought on by her poor management of the economy.

Rousseff insists that she did nothing wrong and that the budgetary tactics have been a standard practice of Brazilian presidents.

Her supporters have described the effort to have her removed as a right-wing conspiracy to stymie her populist policies aimed at helping the country’s underprivileged.

Brazil’s lower house of parliament voted April 17 to proceed with an impeachment trial, amid record low approval ratings for Rousseff, the worst economic slump since the 1930s, and a spreading Zika epidemic.

Roussef was suspended in May and succeeded by her former running mate, conservative Michel Temer, who has urged the impeachment process to move forward to break the country’s political deadlock.

Roussef has accused him of being behind the move to unseat her.

Comments

Houthis Claim Attack on Central Israel in Response to Gaza ‘Massacres’

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has taken a concerning regional turn as the Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for an attack on central Israel. The group announced this as part of their escalating response to what they describe as "massacres" in Gaza amid the Israeli military’s operations in the strip. Details of the Attack The Houthis, a Shiite militant group with ties to Iran, declared that they launched missile and drone strikes targeting Israel. While the exact impact of these attacks remains unclear, reports suggest that Israel’s defense systems intercepted several threats over its airspace. This marks a significant escalation as the Houthis widen their involvement in the conflict beyond their typical operations within Yemen and neighboring Saudi Arabia. The Houthis’ Justification In their statement, the Houthis framed the attack as retaliation for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which they characterized as indiscriminate bombings resultin...

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...

Fire: UniJos Senate convenes emergency meeting on Monday

Fire at the University of Jos Library University of Jos is to convene an emergency senate meeting on Monday to review the level of damage done to the institution by the Saturday night inferno. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sebastian Maimako, disclosed this on Sunday after inspecting areas affected by the incident. The fire, which lasted for more than six hours, destroyed the Library Complex that equally houses the faculties of management and social sciences. The fire also destroyed examination scripts, books and very crucial materials. Consequently, the vice-chancellor said “the Senate will meet tomorrow (Monday) to take a decision about the unmarked examination scripts that were burnt.” On the cause of the inferno, Maimako said investigation had commenced, adding that “nothing has been confirmed yet. We are still investigating.” The vice chancellor said the school was already working with federal authorities toward establishing a main fire station since the mini fire station in t...

Global Naija Info

Search This Blog