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| Brazil is tense as lawmakers prepare to vote on president’s impeachment | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| BRASILIA — An impeachment showdown in Brazil’s lower house of Congress on Sunday has South America’s largest country on edge, as lawmakers prepared to vote on a measure to oust unpopular President Dilma Rousseff. | |
| Her opponents say they have secured the two-thirds majority needed to impeach her in Brazil’s 513-member Chamber of Deputies. Lawmakers will cast their votes one by one in a special legislative session broadcast on live television, with final results not expected until the evening. | Her opponents say they have secured the two-thirds majority needed to impeach her in Brazil’s 513-member Chamber of Deputies. Lawmakers will cast their votes one by one in a special legislative session broadcast on live television, with final results not expected until the evening. |
| If the impeachment measure is approved, it would require only a simple majority to clear Brazil’s Senate, where Rousseff’s chances for survival are even slimmer. Rousseff would be suspended from the presidency, Vice President Michel Temer would be sworn in, and senators would have 180 days to conduct impeachment hearings before a final vote to determine her fate. | If the impeachment measure is approved, it would require only a simple majority to clear Brazil’s Senate, where Rousseff’s chances for survival are even slimmer. Rousseff would be suspended from the presidency, Vice President Michel Temer would be sworn in, and senators would have 180 days to conduct impeachment hearings before a final vote to determine her fate. |
| Whether Rousseff can survive, the impeachment push against her has produced a political crisis that amounts to a stunning reversal of fortune for a country where everything seemed to be going right a few years earlier, when the Brazilian economy was purring. | Whether Rousseff can survive, the impeachment push against her has produced a political crisis that amounts to a stunning reversal of fortune for a country where everything seemed to be going right a few years earlier, when the Brazilian economy was purring. |
| Now the country is mired in its worst economic slump since the 1930s. A frightening Zika epidemic continues to spread. And with the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro fewer than four months away, the country’s leaders are entirely consumed with the political crisis and a sweeping corruption scandal. | Now the country is mired in its worst economic slump since the 1930s. A frightening Zika epidemic continues to spread. And with the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro fewer than four months away, the country’s leaders are entirely consumed with the political crisis and a sweeping corruption scandal. |
| [A historic impeachment vote has Brazil divided] | [A historic impeachment vote has Brazil divided] |
| Rousseff isn’t accused of stealing, but opponents say she should be impeached because her administration allegedly tried to cover up budget gaps with funds from government banks. She denies any wrongdoing. | Rousseff isn’t accused of stealing, but opponents say she should be impeached because her administration allegedly tried to cover up budget gaps with funds from government banks. She denies any wrongdoing. |
| The halls of Congress here in the capital have become an arena of bruising political combat in recent days, with lawmakers shouting, “Dilma Out!” and with Rousseff’s supporters denouncing the impeachment push as “a coup.” | The halls of Congress here in the capital have become an arena of bruising political combat in recent days, with lawmakers shouting, “Dilma Out!” and with Rousseff’s supporters denouncing the impeachment push as “a coup.” |
| More quietly, both sides have been furiously lobbying the few dozen lawmakers who have yet to say how they will vote Sunday, lining up support by dangling high-level cabinet jobs and other perks. But it’s precisely this sort of backroom dealmaking that has left so many Brazilians angry at their leaders, and a throw-the-bums-out national mood does not bode well for Rousseff’s chances. | More quietly, both sides have been furiously lobbying the few dozen lawmakers who have yet to say how they will vote Sunday, lining up support by dangling high-level cabinet jobs and other perks. But it’s precisely this sort of backroom dealmaking that has left so many Brazilians angry at their leaders, and a throw-the-bums-out national mood does not bode well for Rousseff’s chances. |
| “We are very certain of victory,” said Antônio Imbassahy, leader of the center-right Brazilian Social Democratic Party. Lawmakers, he said, were “in sync with the feelings of the Brazilian people.” | “We are very certain of victory,” said Antônio Imbassahy, leader of the center-right Brazilian Social Democratic Party. Lawmakers, he said, were “in sync with the feelings of the Brazilian people.” |
| Late Saturday night, opposition party leaders said they had lined up 360 deputies to vote for impeachment, which would give them a comfortable margin of victory and send a clear signal about Rousseff’s deep unpopularity. Her approval rating has slumped to 13 percent in recent polls. | Late Saturday night, opposition party leaders said they had lined up 360 deputies to vote for impeachment, which would give them a comfortable margin of victory and send a clear signal about Rousseff’s deep unpopularity. Her approval rating has slumped to 13 percent in recent polls. |
| [Brazil, the rise and fall of a giant] | [Brazil, the rise and fall of a giant] |
| During the past two days, the president’s supporters and opponents in Congress have taken turns speaking — and shouting — during televised proceedings that frequently erupted in rowdy scenes. Rousseff’s supporters waved signs reading, “There Will Be No Coup,” while their partisans spoke, as the other side hoisted placards demanding an “Impeachment Now.” | During the past two days, the president’s supporters and opponents in Congress have taken turns speaking — and shouting — during televised proceedings that frequently erupted in rowdy scenes. Rousseff’s supporters waved signs reading, “There Will Be No Coup,” while their partisans spoke, as the other side hoisted placards demanding an “Impeachment Now.” |
| As the momentum for impeachment appeared to grow, a spokesman for the leader of Rousseff’s Workers’ Party in the Chamber was no longer expressing confidence that they had enough votes to block her removal. | As the momentum for impeachment appeared to grow, a spokesman for the leader of Rousseff’s Workers’ Party in the Chamber was no longer expressing confidence that they had enough votes to block her removal. |
| Thousands of anti-impeachment demonstrators are camped out near a soccer stadium here in the capital, including many from activist groups, unions and left-wing movements that belong to Rousseff’s coalition. | Thousands of anti-impeachment demonstrators are camped out near a soccer stadium here in the capital, including many from activist groups, unions and left-wing movements that belong to Rousseff’s coalition. |
| The hubbub, conversation and music was more akin to a pop festival or a country fair than a political demonstration. | The hubbub, conversation and music was more akin to a pop festival or a country fair than a political demonstration. |
| Maria da Silva, 47, traveled from Maceio, in northeastern Brazil, where she works for the bus drivers’ trade union. She said the lives of tens of millions of poorer Brazilians like her improved immeasurably under Workers’ Party governments. | Maria da Silva, 47, traveled from Maceio, in northeastern Brazil, where she works for the bus drivers’ trade union. She said the lives of tens of millions of poorer Brazilians like her improved immeasurably under Workers’ Party governments. |
| “There is more opportunity for the poor,” she said, adding that she had been able to buy her house through a government financing scheme that built low-cost housing. “To take out [Rousseff] and put the others in will be horrible,” she said. “This is a coup.” | “There is more opportunity for the poor,” she said, adding that she had been able to buy her house through a government financing scheme that built low-cost housing. “To take out [Rousseff] and put the others in will be horrible,” she said. “This is a coup.” |
| It’s an emotionally charged term for many in this country, which was under military rule from 1964 to 1985. But those working to remove Rousseff before the end of her second term, in 2018, say this movement is different and entirely democratic. | It’s an emotionally charged term for many in this country, which was under military rule from 1964 to 1985. But those working to remove Rousseff before the end of her second term, in 2018, say this movement is different and entirely democratic. |
| A thousand or so pro-impeachment demonstrators are camped here in a city park, many wearing the yellow-and-green jerseys of Brazil’s national soccer team. On the whole, they are more middle class and lighter-skinned, reflecting some of the racial and economic undercurrents in the impeachment battle. | A thousand or so pro-impeachment demonstrators are camped here in a city park, many wearing the yellow-and-green jerseys of Brazil’s national soccer team. On the whole, they are more middle class and lighter-skinned, reflecting some of the racial and economic undercurrents in the impeachment battle. |
| Tiago Medina, 28, was in a group that had traveled from Porto Alegre, in Brazil’s more-prosperous south, a bastion of anti-Rousseff sentiment. He said the pro-impeachment side is made up of people “who defend the values of freedom, with less state intervention in the economy.” | Tiago Medina, 28, was in a group that had traveled from Porto Alegre, in Brazil’s more-prosperous south, a bastion of anti-Rousseff sentiment. He said the pro-impeachment side is made up of people “who defend the values of freedom, with less state intervention in the economy.” |
| Medina said their movement is part of the rightward shift across Latin America after more than a decade of dominance by leftist leaders. “We’re standing up for liberal values,” he said. | Medina said their movement is part of the rightward shift across Latin America after more than a decade of dominance by leftist leaders. “We’re standing up for liberal values,” he said. |
| Read more: | Read more: |
| How Brazil’s impeachment process works | How Brazil’s impeachment process works |
| How the darling of the developing world came undone | How the darling of the developing world came undone |
| Zika’s terrifying path | Zika’s terrifying path |
| Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world | Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world |