Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is in the middle of her second term and is facing harsh criticism from the Brazilian people. According to CNN, there has been commission about impeaching President Rousseff.
After initially being elected in 2011, President Rousseff was highly liked among the majority of the population. However, allegations were made against her for hiding a decrease in budgets as well as appointing the former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as her chief of staff only days after he was accused and questioned by federal police regarding a corruption incident. These stunts have many Brazilian citizens questioning her leadership of their country. She is currently facing the growing risk of impeachment.
The summer Olympics are to be held in Rio, Brazil in a few months and the city is already struggling economically. All eyes are on Brazil due to the combined controversy of corruption within their government and stagnant economy.
According to CNN, only half the tickets for the Olympic games have been sold, and it’s only four months away. CNN reports that “the lack of sales raises questions about whether tourists will come to the games to make Brazil’s investment to host worthwhile. There are also questions whether the Olympic facilities will be built in time considering budget shortfalls.” Given the condition that the country’s economic level is already at, all the attention is at President Rousseff to attempt to bring the country up out of their downfall that has reported to be the “the worst since the 1930s.”
This past Wednesday a special commission met in order to discuss the acts of impeaching President Rousseff. It was decided that the lower house of the Brazilian Congress is going to vote for her impeachment sometime in the next coming weeks. She has been accused of “abusing her powers” as well as not fulfilling her duty as a president. News France 24 reported that after the vote on Monday “The latest survey of the 513 deputies by Estadao daily on Sunday showed 289 in favor, still short of the 342 needed to carry the motion. The count showed 115 opposing impeachment, with 172 required to impose a defeat.” There have been reports of Brazilian citizens protesting in the streets awaiting the Senate’s decision.
President Rousseff, who is the first woman to be elected to office in Brazil had only a 10% approval rating in December of 2015, recorded by the Washington Post. Many of whom voted for her believed and supported The Workers Party of Brazil- a fairly center left political party, but months into her second term many believed President Rousseff did not share the same ideology.
Brazil and the rest of the world await for a decision to be made concerning the remainder of her presidency. Many hope that the the country will be able to recover from its current hardships.
