No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeBrazilBrazil's Rousseff scores court win in impeachment case

Brazil’s Rousseff scores court win in impeachment case

BRASÍLIA – Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Congress must restart impeachment proceedings against Dilma Rousseff from scratch and overhauled the procedure, in a badly needed win for the embattled president.

In an 8-3 decision, the judges annulled an opposition-dominated impeachment commission established by secret ballot in the lower house last week and ordered the procedure be restarted in an open vote.

It also gave the final word on whether to open an impeachment trial to the Senate, where Rousseff has greater support.

Rousseff is accused of fudging the government’s accounts during her re-election campaign last year. The 68-year-old leftist maintains the budgeting maneuvers were accepted practice.

Under the court’s ruling, a new commission to decide whether or not to impeach her must now be created in an open vote by the lower house. If the commission recommends impeachment, the decision will then pass to the full lower house — and then, the judges ruled, to the Senate.

The march towards the unpopular president’s possible ouster was stalled by her allies in Congress, who say opposition legislators violated the constitution in their rush toward impeachment. They claimed the impeachment commission illegally insisted on secret votes while picking its members, and that it was stacked with Rousseff opponents.

On Dec. 8, the Supreme Court ordered the commission to freeze its work until the challenge was resolved.

The speaker of the lower house, Eduardo Cunha, oversaw the controversial session to form the commission and is an architect of the impeachment drive. Cunha himself has been charged with taking millions of dollars in bribes.

The political crisis and a separate corruption scandal involving state oil giant Petrobras have exacerbated the malaise gripping Brazil, whose economy, the world’s seventh largest, is mired in a deep recession.

Trending Now

Uncertainty Dominates Costa Rican Voters Ahead of 2026 Elections

A new poll from the University of Costa Rica's Center for Political Research and Studies (CIEP-UCR) paints a picture of widespread indecision among Costa...

Belize Signs Safe Third Country Deal with US for Asylum Seekers

Belize and the United States have sealed a deal that positions Belize as a temporary host for migrants pursuing asylum in the U.S., according...

U.S. Strikes Drug Boat in Pacific Near Colombia, Killing Two

The United States military carried out its first strike in the Pacific Ocean against a boat suspected of drug trafficking, killing two people near...

Why This U.S. Expat in Costa Rica Chooses Local Over Headlines

In the weeks leading up to my trip to the US, I scanned several news sites both left-leaning and right-leaning to better inform myself...

Panama Canal to Build Two Ports by 2029, Boosting Capacity

The Panama Canal plans to build two ports for $2.6 billion by 2029 amid uncertainty over the future of Hong Kong–based concessionaire Hutchison Holdings,...

Costa Rica Shaken by a Quake with No Injuries Reported

A strong earthquake struck near Quepos late last night, sending tremors across parts of our country and even into our neighbor Panama. The quake,...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica