Rousseff arrives in Senate for impeachment showdown

Brasília / AFP

Suspended president Dilma Rousseff arrived on Monday at Brazil’s Senate for a dramatic finale to an impeachment trial likely ending 13 years of leftist rule in Latin America’s biggest country.
Rousseff, 68, was greeted by cheering supporters as she arrived in the Senate to testify for the first time in her defense, just hours before senators were to start voting on her fate.
“Dilma, warrior of the Brazilian homeland!” the crowd of supporters shouted.
Rousseff is accused of having taken illegal state loans to patch budget holes. Momentum to push her out is also fueled by deep anger at Brazil’s historic recession, political paralysis and a vast corruption scandal centered on state oil giant Petrobras. The first female president of Brazil, who says she did nothing worthy of impeachment, was to speak for about half an hour from the podium, then face questioning from allies and opponents.
It was unclear whether Rousseff would repeat her explosive claim on the Senate floor that the trial is a coup d’etat aimed at destroying her Workers’ Party and restoring the right to power.
However, the packed Senate chamber crackled with tension.
Rousseff came to the showdown accompanied by heavyweight allies, including her presidential predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and a dozen former cabinet members.
A small crowd of loyalists gathered from early morning outside the Senate and supporters shouted “Dilma come back!” from cars as they drove past the building’s entrance. However, there appeared to be little Rousseff could say to save her presidency. Closing arguments will begin after her testimony Monday, followed by voting, possibly extending into Wednesday. Opponents say they will easily reach the needed two-thirds majority—54 of 81 senators — to remove her from office.
In that case, Rousseff’s former vice president turned political enemy, Michel Temer, will be confirmed as president until elections in 2018.