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Brazil: Speaker Eduardo Cunha leaves government | Brazil: Speaker Eduardo Cunha leaves government |
(34 minutes later) | |
The Speaker of Brazil's lower house of Congress, Eduardo Cunha, has announced he is leaving the governing coalition. | |
The defection, and Mr Cunha's threat to take his party with him, is a blow to embattled President Dilma Rousseff. | |
Mr Cunha has accused the government and Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot of conspiring to incriminate him in a widening corruption scandal at state-run oil firm Petrobras. | |
Without Mr Cunha's PMDB party, Ms Rousseff has no majority in Congress. | Without Mr Cunha's PMDB party, Ms Rousseff has no majority in Congress. |
"I cannot accept that the government uses its machinery to seek the political persecution of those who turn against it," Mr Cunha said in Brasilia. | "I cannot accept that the government uses its machinery to seek the political persecution of those who turn against it," Mr Cunha said in Brasilia. |
His defection followed allegations made this week by a jailed former consultant to Petrobras, Julio Camargo, that Mr Cunha had demanded a $5m (£3.2m) bribe to push through contracts for equipment. | |
Mr Cunha has denied any involvement, and said Ms Rousseff and Mr Janot were unfairly dragging congressmen into the Petrobras investigations. | Mr Cunha has denied any involvement, and said Ms Rousseff and Mr Janot were unfairly dragging congressmen into the Petrobras investigations. |
His name had appeared earlier this year alongside those of dozens of other congressmen on a list of people whom the police reportedly wanted to interview in relation to the scandal. | His name had appeared earlier this year alongside those of dozens of other congressmen on a list of people whom the police reportedly wanted to interview in relation to the scandal. |
The real losers in Brazil's Petrobras scandal | The real losers in Brazil's Petrobras scandal |
Thirty-four congressmen and one state vice-governor are under investigation for taking bribes. | Thirty-four congressmen and one state vice-governor are under investigation for taking bribes. |
Investigators allege firms paid corrupt officials in order to get lucrative Petrobras contracts. | Investigators allege firms paid corrupt officials in order to get lucrative Petrobras contracts. |
President Dilma Rousseff, who chaired Petrobras when much of the corruption is believed to have taken place, has been cleared of involvement. | President Dilma Rousseff, who chaired Petrobras when much of the corruption is believed to have taken place, has been cleared of involvement. |
Analysts say Mr Cunha's opposition to Ms Rousseff could become a major obstacle for any legislation proposed by her government, at a time when it is trying to introduce public spending cuts to stave off recession. | Analysts say Mr Cunha's opposition to Ms Rousseff could become a major obstacle for any legislation proposed by her government, at a time when it is trying to introduce public spending cuts to stave off recession. |
Mr Cunha, an evangelical Christian, is seen as a possible presidential candidate in 2018. | Mr Cunha, an evangelical Christian, is seen as a possible presidential candidate in 2018. |
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