Brazil protesters demand Rousseff impeachment
by Alonso Soto,
2016-03-14 06:54:20.0
THOUSANDS of protesters poured onto the streets of major cities yesterday to demand the removal of President Dilma Rousseff amid Brazil’s worst political and economic crisis in a generation.
The demonstrations are the latest in a wave of antigovernment rallies that lost momentum late last year, but could gain strength as a sweeping corruption inquiry nears Ms Rousseff’s inner circle.
The magnitude of the protests yesterday could be decisive in convincing a divided Congress to back ongoing impeachment proceedings against Ms Rousseff. The leftist leader is blamed by many in Brazil for sinking Latin America’s largest economy into its worst recession in at least 25 years.
Polls show that more than half of Brazilians favour the impeachment of Ms Rousseff.
Tensions ahead of the demonstrations were high after Sao Paulo state prosecutors requested the arrest of Ms Rousseff’s political mentor and predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, on a number of charges of money laundering.
A demonstration in the capital Brasilia was peaceful with thousands wearing the national yellow soccer jersey and holding banners that read "Dilma out" and "Impeachment now".
Protesters inflated a giant doll of Mr Lula wearing a striped prison uniform and chained to a ball that read "Operation Carwash", the name of the investigation centred on state oil company Petrobras.
No official figures were immediately available, but authorities expect the demonstrations to be as big as the antigovernment rallies of March last year, which gathered as many as 1-million people.
Reuters
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. Picture: REUTERS
THOUSANDS of protesters poured onto the streets of major cities yesterday to demand the removal of President Dilma Rousseff amid Brazil’s worst political and economic crisis in a generation.
The demonstrations are the latest in a wave of antigovernment rallies that lost momentum late last year, but could gain strength as a sweeping corruption inquiry nears Ms Rousseff’s inner circle.
The magnitude of the protests yesterday could be decisive in convincing a divided Congress to back ongoing impeachment proceedings against Ms Rousseff. The leftist leader is blamed by many in Brazil for sinking Latin America’s largest economy into its worst recession in at least 25 years.
Polls show that more than half of Brazilians favour the impeachment of Ms Rousseff.
Tensions ahead of the demonstrations were high after Sao Paulo state prosecutors requested the arrest of Ms Rousseff’s political mentor and predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, on a number of charges of money laundering.
A demonstration in the capital Brasilia was peaceful with thousands wearing the national yellow soccer jersey and holding banners that read "Dilma out" and "Impeachment now".
Protesters inflated a giant doll of Mr Lula wearing a striped prison uniform and chained to a ball that read "Operation Carwash", the name of the investigation centred on state oil company Petrobras.
No official figures were immediately available, but authorities expect the demonstrations to be as big as the antigovernment rallies of March last year, which gathered as many as 1-million people.
Reuters
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