(CNN) Brazil's political crisis has spiraled closer to a tipping point, with the government appearing at risk of implosion months before the Rio Summer Olympics begin.
President Dilma Rousseff's odds of being impeached appear stronger than ever now that the country's largest political party said it's pulling out of her coalition government.On Wednesday, the Supreme Federal Court will reconvene and consider the pressing issue of whether to approve Rousseff's appointment of controversial former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to be her chief of staff.
Regardless of which way the court rules, protests are likely to flare up.
All this political turmoil comes as the world hones in on Brazil over its handling of the Zika virus and the upcoming Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Here's the latest on the Brazil crisis and what it means:
Who are the players?
Brazilian Democratic Movement Party: The country's largest political party announced Tuesday that it's leaving the President's coalition government. That means Rousseff probably won't have enough votes in the National Congress to avoid impeachment proceedings.
Why did the party leave? It is concentrating on "returning to its origins, finding its traditions and taking a position in favor of Brazil and the Brazilian people," said Sen. Romero Juca, the group's second in command.President Dilma Rousseff: A corruption scandal has marred the President's second term and spurred mass protests, but Rousseff has denied the allegations against her. Most recently, she's been criticized for appointing Lula da Silva, popularly known as "Lula," to be her chief of staff.
Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva: Critics say Rousseff's appointment of Lula da Silva to her Cabinet effectively shields him from a corruption investigation. The Supreme Federal Court will meet Wednesday to deliberate on whether to approve his assignment.
House Speaker Eduardo Cunha: He launched the effort to impeach Rousseff. But Cunha is under scrutiny by the Ethics Committee over accusations he failed to disclose the existence of offshore bank accounts to the Brazilian internal revenue service. If found guilty, he'll likely lose his post.
Vice President Michel Temer: He's the leader of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, which just left Rousseff's coalition government. It's unclear whether Temer will resign, but #RenunciaTemer (Temer Quit) became a trending topic online as social media posts pushing for the vice president to step down surged.
How did we get here?
The latest crisis began when federal police took Lula da Silva in for questioning as part of a long-running corruption investigation.
A few days later, Rousseff his handpicked successor and protege named him chief of staff, a move that largely protects him from prosecution. The crisis could get a lot messier for both Brazil and the world.
If impeaching proceedings move forward, they would essentially freeze Rousseff's government for 180 days while the President fights these efforts. During that time, a caretaker government would step in -- possibly headed by the vice president, assuming he doesn't resign.
All this uncertainty comes as Brazil grapples with its longest economic downturn since the 1930s. Brazil is also ground zero for the Zika virus, which the World Health Organization says "is now spreading explosively."Brazil has reported more than 4,000 cases of microcephaly a neurological disorder in which babies are born with small heads in infants born to women infected with Zika while pregnant.
And in less than four months, Brazil will host the Summer Olympics. It's unclear what the government will look like when the world descends on Rio de Janeiro.
No comments:
Post a Comment