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Brazil President Dilma Rousseff removed from office by Senate | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Brazil's Senate has voted to remove President Dilma Rousseff from office for manipulating the budget. | Brazil's Senate has voted to remove President Dilma Rousseff from office for manipulating the budget. |
It puts an end to the 13 years in power of her left-wing Workers' Party. Ms Rousseff denied the charges. | |
Sixty-one senators voted in favour of her impeachment and 20 against, meeting the two-thirds majority needed to remove her from the presidency. | Sixty-one senators voted in favour of her impeachment and 20 against, meeting the two-thirds majority needed to remove her from the presidency. |
Acting President Michel Temer will serve out Ms Rousseff's term, which ends on 1 January 2019. | Acting President Michel Temer will serve out Ms Rousseff's term, which ends on 1 January 2019. |
Mr Temer, from the centre-right PMDB party, is expected to be officially sworn in later on Wednesday. | Mr Temer, from the centre-right PMDB party, is expected to be officially sworn in later on Wednesday. |
'See you soon' | |
Ms Rousseff did win one battle on Wednesday - a Senate vote on banning her from public office for eight years failed to pass, meaning she could in theory return to politics. | |
Pledging to appeal against her impeachment, she told her supporters: "Right now, I will not say goodbye to you. I am certain I can say: 'See you soon.'" | |
She added: "They have convicted an innocent person and carried out a parliamentary coup." | |
Venezuela's leftist government reacted to the vote by removing its ambassador and freezing relations with Brazil. | |
Ms Rousseff was suspended in May after the Senate voted to go ahead with the impeachment process. | |
She was accused of moving funds between government budgets, which is illegal under Brazilian law. | She was accused of moving funds between government budgets, which is illegal under Brazilian law. |
Her critics said she was trying to plug deficit holes in popular social programmes to boost her chances of being re-elected for a second term in October 2014. | Her critics said she was trying to plug deficit holes in popular social programmes to boost her chances of being re-elected for a second term in October 2014. |
Ms Rousseff fought the allegations, arguing that her right-wing political rivals had been trying to remove her from office ever since she was re-elected. | |
Dilma Rousseff | Dilma Rousseff |
She said that she was being ousted because she had allowed a wide-ranging corruption investigation to go ahead, which resulted in many high-profile politicians being charged. | |
Analysis by Daniel Gallas, BBC South Americas Business Correspondent | Analysis by Daniel Gallas, BBC South Americas Business Correspondent |
Dilma Rousseff's impeachment trial in the Senate has raised important questions about Brazil's democratic institutions. | Dilma Rousseff's impeachment trial in the Senate has raised important questions about Brazil's democratic institutions. |
Was she ousted for having committed a crime - or was that just a pretext to remove a president who had lost control of the economy and politics? | Was she ousted for having committed a crime - or was that just a pretext to remove a president who had lost control of the economy and politics? |
Her fiscal manoeuvres were thoroughly examined during the sessions, but it was not just that which was on trial. | Her fiscal manoeuvres were thoroughly examined during the sessions, but it was not just that which was on trial. |
Her government policies, her U-turn on the economy after the election and corruption in her party were constantly part of the debate. | Her government policies, her U-turn on the economy after the election and corruption in her party were constantly part of the debate. |
Also, as the trial unfolded, Michel Temer's interim government started its work reforming the economy and outlining new policies. | Also, as the trial unfolded, Michel Temer's interim government started its work reforming the economy and outlining new policies. |
Senators - and Brazilians - knew that the question of condemning Ms Rousseff went beyond just deciding technically whether she was guilty or not. | Senators - and Brazilians - knew that the question of condemning Ms Rousseff went beyond just deciding technically whether she was guilty or not. |
Read Daniel Gallas' analysis in full | Read Daniel Gallas' analysis in full |
But senators who voted in favour of her impeachment said it was Ms Rousseff and the Workers' Party who were corrupt and needed to go. | But senators who voted in favour of her impeachment said it was Ms Rousseff and the Workers' Party who were corrupt and needed to go. |
Brazilians have been divided on the issue, with many expressing their support and loyalty to Ms Rousseff while others have taken part in large demonstrations demanding that she stand down. | Brazilians have been divided on the issue, with many expressing their support and loyalty to Ms Rousseff while others have taken part in large demonstrations demanding that she stand down. |
Mr Temer, who will govern until 1 January 2019, has promised to boost Brazil's economy, which is going through its longest and deepest recession in the past quarter of a century. | Mr Temer, who will govern until 1 January 2019, has promised to boost Brazil's economy, which is going through its longest and deepest recession in the past quarter of a century. |
His critics have already warned that he plans to cut many of the popular social programmes introduced by the Workers' Party. | His critics have already warned that he plans to cut many of the popular social programmes introduced by the Workers' Party. |