Brazil President loses impeachment vote

(Vatican Radio) Brazil's lower house of Congress voted late last night to impeach President Dilma Rousseff, delivering a major blow to a long-embattled leader.

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President Rousseff is fighting for her political life. On Sunday night the Brazilian leader failed to fend of impeachment proceedings when the majority in the country’s Chamber of Deputies voted to oust her.

The measure will now go to the country’s Senate. If by a majority the Senate votes to  put the president on trial, Rousseff will be temporarily suspended which would mean Vice President Michel Temer would take on her duties.

The President is accused of using accounting tricks in managing the federal budget to maintain spending and shore up support.

In a television address before the vote, she said that the case being examined against her in Congress “was the greatest legal and political fraud in the history of the country”, asking the Brazilian people to continue to defend democracy.”

But it’s not over yet for Dilma Rousseff. She still has cards to play.

She could appeal to the Supreme Federal Tribunal, Brazil's highest court, on the grounds that the accusations are unsafe and she could also lobby senators before their vote and rally her Workers Party to action.

This political crisis comes at a critical time for Brazil. It is grappling with a contracting economy and on the health front the Zika virus, which can cause birth defects, has gripped the northeastern part of the country.

It also remains to be seen whether President Rouesseff will still be on the world stage when Brazil hosts the Olympics games in August.