Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was suspended today to face impeachment, ceding power to her vice-president-turned-enemy Michel Temer.
The Brazilian Senate voted on Thursday in favour of putting President Dilma Rousseff on trial for breaking budget laws by 55 votes to 22.
When officially notified later on Thursday morning, Brazil’s first woman president will be suspended, ending 13 years of rule by the leftist Workers Party.
Vice President Michel Temer will become acting president during her trial.
Rousseff allegedly used accounting tricks to hide large budget deficits.
The trial will determine whether Rousseff can serve out her second term, or whether her ally-turned-enemy, Temer, will remain in the top job through December 2018 until the end of term.
The result represents a victory for the pro-impeachment camp. The vote was significantly higher than the simple majority of 41 needed to suspend her. It sends a signal that Rousseff faces an uphill battle to return to power.
(With inputs from Reuters, PTI and AP.)
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