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| Brazil crisis: Rousseff loses lower house impeachment vote | Brazil crisis: Rousseff loses lower house impeachment vote |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Brazil's lower house has voted to start impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff over charges of manipulating government accounts. | Brazil's lower house has voted to start impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff over charges of manipulating government accounts. |
| The "yes" camp comfortably won the required two-thirds majority, after a lengthy session in the capital. | The "yes" camp comfortably won the required two-thirds majority, after a lengthy session in the capital. |
| The motion will now go to the upper house, the Senate, which is expected to suspend Ms Rousseff next month while it carries out a formal trial. | The motion will now go to the upper house, the Senate, which is expected to suspend Ms Rousseff next month while it carries out a formal trial. |
| She denies tampering with the accounts to help secure her re-election in 2014. | She denies tampering with the accounts to help secure her re-election in 2014. |
| Her supporters describe the vote as a "coup against democracy" and the ruling Workers' Party has promised to continue its fight to defend her "in the streets and in the Senate". | Her supporters describe the vote as a "coup against democracy" and the ruling Workers' Party has promised to continue its fight to defend her "in the streets and in the Senate". |
| But Ms Rousseff is an unpopular leader in a country facing a severe economic crisis, the BBC's Wyre Davis reports from Brazil. | But Ms Rousseff is an unpopular leader in a country facing a severe economic crisis, the BBC's Wyre Davis reports from Brazil. |
| How big was the blow? | How big was the blow? |
| Impeachment supporters netted 367 votes in the lower house of Congress, well above the 342 they needed. | Impeachment supporters netted 367 votes in the lower house of Congress, well above the 342 they needed. |
| The "no" camp took 137 votes, seven deputies abstained and two did not show for the ballot. | The "no" camp took 137 votes, seven deputies abstained and two did not show for the ballot. |
| Victory came loud and colourful as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators were watching the vote live on huge TV screens on city streets across the country. | Victory came loud and colourful as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators were watching the vote live on huge TV screens on city streets across the country. |
| Rousseff opponents, who turned out in fancy dress, and the green and yellow of the national flag, partied to music, blowing trumpets and vuvuzelas. | Rousseff opponents, who turned out in fancy dress, and the green and yellow of the national flag, partied to music, blowing trumpets and vuvuzelas. |
| It was a humiliating moment for Brazil's first woman president. | |
| What comes next? | What comes next? |
| Early next month, the Senate will vote on whether to put the president on trial. | Early next month, the Senate will vote on whether to put the president on trial. |
| If the vote passes, she will be suspended and replaced by her Vice-President, Michel Temer. | If the vote passes, she will be suspended and replaced by her Vice-President, Michel Temer. |
| The actual Senate trial could last up to six months. | The actual Senate trial could last up to six months. |
| If two-thirds of senators vote to impeach, Dilma Rousseff is out of office for good. | If two-thirds of senators vote to impeach, Dilma Rousseff is out of office for good. |
| However, she would have two chances to appeal. | However, she would have two chances to appeal. |
| What is Rousseff accused of doing? | What is Rousseff accused of doing? |
| Brazilian governments are required to meet budget surplus targets set in Congress, which investors regard as a measure of economic health. | Brazilian governments are required to meet budget surplus targets set in Congress, which investors regard as a measure of economic health. |
| Ms Rousseff is accused of allowing creative accounting techniques involving loans from public banks to the treasury, which artificially enhanced the budget surplus. | Ms Rousseff is accused of allowing creative accounting techniques involving loans from public banks to the treasury, which artificially enhanced the budget surplus. |
| She argues that she did nothing criminal, saying many other presidents, mayors and state governors had used the same creative accounting techniques and had never been punished for it. | She argues that she did nothing criminal, saying many other presidents, mayors and state governors had used the same creative accounting techniques and had never been punished for it. |
| But her opponents in the streets during Sunday's vote were unforgiving. | But her opponents in the streets during Sunday's vote were unforgiving. |
| "We fought a lot to sack this corrupt government, which destroyed our industry, jobs and left chaos in all social classes," demonstrator Marisa Cardamone, 75, told AFP news agency in the Brazil's financial centre, Sao Paulo. | "We fought a lot to sack this corrupt government, which destroyed our industry, jobs and left chaos in all social classes," demonstrator Marisa Cardamone, 75, told AFP news agency in the Brazil's financial centre, Sao Paulo. |
| Why is she so unpopular? | Why is she so unpopular? |
| Today Dilma Rousseff presents a sorry contrast to her popular predecessor and mentor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whom she succeeded in 2011. | Today Dilma Rousseff presents a sorry contrast to her popular predecessor and mentor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whom she succeeded in 2011. |
| Political consultant Luciano Dias identified three main mistakes she made in office, when he spoke to the Associated Press news agency. | Political consultant Luciano Dias identified three main mistakes she made in office, when he spoke to the Associated Press news agency. |
| "She took too many resources from the private sector, she was arrogant with Congress for a long time and her economic policies were just wrong," he said. | "She took too many resources from the private sector, she was arrogant with Congress for a long time and her economic policies were just wrong," he said. |
| Ironically, however, even her opponents tend to acknowledge her reputation as an honest politician in a political world mired by corruption investigations. | Ironically, however, even her opponents tend to acknowledge her reputation as an honest politician in a political world mired by corruption investigations. |
| Who are the alternatives? | Who are the alternatives? |
| Many of the congressmen sitting in judgement have been accused of crimes too: | Many of the congressmen sitting in judgement have been accused of crimes too: |
| All three are from the PMDB - the largest party in the coalition, which abandoned Ms Rousseff to support the impeachment. They deny the allegations against them. | All three are from the PMDB - the largest party in the coalition, which abandoned Ms Rousseff to support the impeachment. They deny the allegations against them. |
| "I'm happy because I think Dilma had to go but I'm also both sad that it came to this and also really worried that the next president could be even worse,'' Patricia Santos, a 52-year-old small business owner among the demonstrators outside Congress, told AP. | "I'm happy because I think Dilma had to go but I'm also both sad that it came to this and also really worried that the next president could be even worse,'' Patricia Santos, a 52-year-old small business owner among the demonstrators outside Congress, told AP. |
| Are these dangerous days for Brazil? | Are these dangerous days for Brazil? |
| There is no suggestion that the fight promised by the Workers' Party "in the streets and in the Senate" will be anything but political, though Brazilians are certainly bitterly divided. | There is no suggestion that the fight promised by the Workers' Party "in the streets and in the Senate" will be anything but political, though Brazilians are certainly bitterly divided. |
| Passions are so high on both sides that the authorities erected a makeshift 2m (6.5ft) high metal wall, stretching for 1km (0.6 miles), to keep thousands of rival demonstrators apart outside Congress in Brasilia. | Passions are so high on both sides that the authorities erected a makeshift 2m (6.5ft) high metal wall, stretching for 1km (0.6 miles), to keep thousands of rival demonstrators apart outside Congress in Brasilia. |
| Ms Rousseff and her allies have accused their opponents of mounting a coup. "This fascist congress wants to lead a coup d'etat against Brazil's democracy but they will not succeed," one protester told AP. | |
| In the hours after the vote (central Brazil is three hours behind GMT), two of the top hash tags on Twitter in Brazil were #AlutaComecou ("the struggle begins"), used by both sides, and #ValeuCunha ("Thank you, Cunha") - addressed to the parliamentary speaker. | |
| There was no immediate comment from the president herself but her chief of staff, Jacques Wagner, accused parliament of "threatening to interrupt 30 years of democracy in the country", which was under military rule until 1985. | |
| Are the Olympics likely to be affected? | Are the Olympics likely to be affected? |
| Olympics chiefs say preparations for the Games in Rio this August are on track. | Olympics chiefs say preparations for the Games in Rio this August are on track. |
| "We have been moving forward with our ongoing work despite the complex environment politically and economically," said Nawal El Moutawakel, who heads the International Olympic Committee's coordination commission. | "We have been moving forward with our ongoing work despite the complex environment politically and economically," said Nawal El Moutawakel, who heads the International Olympic Committee's coordination commission. |
| "This is not creating an impact on the Games as we have been delivering on time," he was quoted as saying by AFP a few days before the impeachment vote. | "This is not creating an impact on the Games as we have been delivering on time," he was quoted as saying by AFP a few days before the impeachment vote. |