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| Dilma Rousseff in New York declares no grounds for impeachment | |
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| The Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff, has told journalists in New York there is “no legal foundation” for her impeachment as she took her fight for political survival into the international ring. | The Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff, has told journalists in New York there is “no legal foundation” for her impeachment as she took her fight for political survival into the international ring. |
| Related: The real reason Dilma Rousseff’s enemies want her impeached | David Miranda | Related: The real reason Dilma Rousseff’s enemies want her impeached | David Miranda |
| After losing a lower house vote that puts her just weeks away from being ejected from office, on Friday Rousseff repeated claims that she was the innocent victim of a “coup” and said she would only give up the fight if the electorate voted against her. | After losing a lower house vote that puts her just weeks away from being ejected from office, on Friday Rousseff repeated claims that she was the innocent victim of a “coup” and said she would only give up the fight if the electorate voted against her. |
| Rousseff’s appeal to the Guardian and a handful of other foreign news organisations appears to be a last-ditch attempt to win away after losing catastrophically at home. | Rousseff’s appeal to the Guardian and a handful of other foreign news organisations appears to be a last-ditch attempt to win away after losing catastrophically at home. |
| As a result of recession, political upheaval and a huge corruption scandal, her government is deeply unpopular with the Brazilian media, the country’s Congress and in public opinion. But Rousseff has not been charged with any crime and many are uneasy that she is being impeached on a technicality by opposition politicians who stand accused of far more serious wrongdoing. | As a result of recession, political upheaval and a huge corruption scandal, her government is deeply unpopular with the Brazilian media, the country’s Congress and in public opinion. But Rousseff has not been charged with any crime and many are uneasy that she is being impeached on a technicality by opposition politicians who stand accused of far more serious wrongdoing. |
| Rousseff warned that removing her from office would have serious consequences for the Brazilian political process. | Rousseff warned that removing her from office would have serious consequences for the Brazilian political process. |
| “I am willing to fight to ensure that Brazil will not be a country where the democratic rule is broken,” she said, speaking from Brazil’s official residence in Manhattan. “I am a victim of a plot.” | “I am willing to fight to ensure that Brazil will not be a country where the democratic rule is broken,” she said, speaking from Brazil’s official residence in Manhattan. “I am a victim of a plot.” |
| “In the past, coups were carried out with machine guns, tanks and weapons. Today all you need are hands that are willing to tear up the constitution,” she said. | “In the past, coups were carried out with machine guns, tanks and weapons. Today all you need are hands that are willing to tear up the constitution,” she said. |
| Outside, dozens of supporters waved signs that read “Defend democracy” and “Stop the coup”. Close by, another group of protesters supporting impeachment gathered, carrying signs that read “It’s not a coup, it’s justice”. | Outside, dozens of supporters waved signs that read “Defend democracy” and “Stop the coup”. Close by, another group of protesters supporting impeachment gathered, carrying signs that read “It’s not a coup, it’s justice”. |
| Related: Dilma Rousseff impeachment: what happens next in Brazil | Related: Dilma Rousseff impeachment: what happens next in Brazil |
| Rousseff is accused of using dubious accounting tricks to fund welfare and other government programs ahead of the last election. She rebutted these charges in painstaking detail, saying that such tactics were common not just in Brazil but other countries. | Rousseff is accused of using dubious accounting tricks to fund welfare and other government programs ahead of the last election. She rebutted these charges in painstaking detail, saying that such tactics were common not just in Brazil but other countries. |
| She said if impeachment was approved by the Senate she would report to the international community “that this is a coup”. She said it would be up to the international community what they did with that information but added: “There is no possibility that my voice may be constrained.” | She said if impeachment was approved by the Senate she would report to the international community “that this is a coup”. She said it would be up to the international community what they did with that information but added: “There is no possibility that my voice may be constrained.” |
| The president said that the leadership of some nations had privately expressed sympathy and she was prepared to demand the suspension of Brazil from the Mercosur bloc of South American nations if there was a breakdown in the democratic process. | The president said that the leadership of some nations had privately expressed sympathy and she was prepared to demand the suspension of Brazil from the Mercosur bloc of South American nations if there was a breakdown in the democratic process. |
| In Brazil the opposition has criticised Rousseff for taking her lobbying efforts overseas. They fear she is trying to discredit and delegitimise any administration that replaces her. | In Brazil the opposition has criticised Rousseff for taking her lobbying efforts overseas. They fear she is trying to discredit and delegitimise any administration that replaces her. |
| The opinion battle has moved into the US media. The Brazilian vice-president Michel Temer – who is poised to replace Rousseff – told the Wall Street Journal the president was damaging Brazil’s reputation and undermining its chances of securing foreign capital. | The opinion battle has moved into the US media. The Brazilian vice-president Michel Temer – who is poised to replace Rousseff – told the Wall Street Journal the president was damaging Brazil’s reputation and undermining its chances of securing foreign capital. |
| In an interview with the New York Times, he said: “I’m very worried about the president’s intention to say Brazil is some minor republic where coups are carried out.” | In an interview with the New York Times, he said: “I’m very worried about the president’s intention to say Brazil is some minor republic where coups are carried out.” |
| Three of the country’s 11 supreme court judges have also rebuked the president for using the word “coup” to describe a process that they say is permissible under the constitution. | Three of the country’s 11 supreme court judges have also rebuked the president for using the word “coup” to describe a process that they say is permissible under the constitution. |
| Rousseff said she had only come to New York to sign the Paris climate change accord at the United Nations on Friday. During her speech at the UN general assembly, Rousseff hardly mentioned the turmoil at home and mostly discussed her nation’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Toward the end of her remarks, however, she observed that Brazil was facing a “grave moment”. | Rousseff said she had only come to New York to sign the Paris climate change accord at the United Nations on Friday. During her speech at the UN general assembly, Rousseff hardly mentioned the turmoil at home and mostly discussed her nation’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Toward the end of her remarks, however, she observed that Brazil was facing a “grave moment”. |
| Regardless of what happened in the political realm, she said in the interview with a handful of foreign media organisations, she would support the coming Olympic Games in Rio. “Neither I personally nor any member of my administration would ever propose a boycott of the Olympics,” she said. “You can rest assured that the upcoming Olympics will be a success.” | Regardless of what happened in the political realm, she said in the interview with a handful of foreign media organisations, she would support the coming Olympic Games in Rio. “Neither I personally nor any member of my administration would ever propose a boycott of the Olympics,” she said. “You can rest assured that the upcoming Olympics will be a success.” |
| But how she will reconcile this with her own battle for survival remains unclear. If senators decide to investigate her impeachment, which is likely in mid-May, Rousseff will have to step aside for 180 days until they make a final judgment. This means that by the time the Olympics begin in August, she will probably be deprived of power and awaiting her fate. | But how she will reconcile this with her own battle for survival remains unclear. If senators decide to investigate her impeachment, which is likely in mid-May, Rousseff will have to step aside for 180 days until they make a final judgment. This means that by the time the Olympics begin in August, she will probably be deprived of power and awaiting her fate. |
| Rousseff said she was undaunted: “I will fight until free, [and] direct elections are held if I am removed from office,” she said, calling that scenario “a hypothetical situation” that she did not believe would occur. | Rousseff said she was undaunted: “I will fight until free, [and] direct elections are held if I am removed from office,” she said, calling that scenario “a hypothetical situation” that she did not believe would occur. |