Dilma

Impeaching Rousseff, analysts warn, could plunge Brazil into further political crises and divide the country already beleaguered by economic contraction [Xinhua]
With the largely successful Rio summer Olympics at an end, Brazilians are forced to return to the sobering political reality of their country.
President Dilma Rousseff will be put on trial by the end of the week on charges of mismanaging the federal budget and breaking a number of fiscal policy rules during her reelection campaign.

There is no simplifying Brazil’s political or economic situation. Anyone “certain” about the outcome is sure to get smacked in its crossfires sooner or later. Corruption might be bi-partisan in the United States, legalized in many cases, but in Brazil, it’s the full multi-party monty. Eduardo Cunha, the Lower House speaker gunning for President (and political rival) Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment,  has just been fingered by the Panama Papers for stashing millions in Switzerland.

This weekend, millions of Brazilians took to major city streets (again) to protest the hydra of corruption gushing from Petrobras, Brazil’s largest oil company and the government amidst deepening economic recession. Calls for the impeachment of sitting Workers’ Party (PT) president (and former Chair of Petrobras), Dilma Rousseff filled the air.  (I can’t wait to see the frenetic state of things when I swing by there  in two weeks for talks and book research.)