Brazilian President Michel temer survives a corrutption vote in Congress
Brazilian lawmakers have voted against putting President Michel Temer on trial on corruption charges.
Prosecuters have accused him of obstructing justice and leading a criminal organisation.
However the lower house of Congress voted to throw out the charges against the centre-right leader who investors hope will bring Brazil’s budget deficit under control.
After 172 lawmakers voted to throw out the charges, Temer’s opponents could no longer reach the 342 votes – or two thirds of the seats – required to authorize the top court to put him on trial.
Allies said Brazil could not afford the political upheaval of removing a second president in little over a year, as Latin America’s largest economy struggles to overcome deep recession. Temer succeeded impeached leftist president Dilma Rousseff in 2016.
In Brazil, the criminal President installed when they removed the elected President was protected again today by Congress. This is how: https://t.co/uibMlSkjbP
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) October 25, 2017
The vote means that Temer is safe from prosecution while he remains president. But he is still subject to investigation and possible trial after his term ends in 2018.
Temer has denied any wrongdoing in the cases brought against him, which have arisen from a sprawling investigation that has uncovered systemic graft across top levels of Brazilian society.
The Guardian: Accused of corruption, popularity near zero – why is Temer still Brazil’s president? >> https://t.co/4UNPxyqFCi
— MVM_News (@MVM_News) October 25, 2017