BRASILIA, Brazil, Sept. 1 (UPI) — In Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, supporters of Dilma Rousseff set fires, damaged property and clashed with police Wednesday night after the Federal Senate removed her from the presidency through impeachment.
Police lined the streets and fired tear gas to quell any violent protesters, O Globo reported.
Michel Temer, Rousseff’s vice president, will serve the remainder of Rousseff’s term, which ends Jan. 1, 2019. Temer attempted to calm the streets by saying that Rousseff’s impeachment is “a moment of hope, to rebuild trust in Brazil. Uncertainty has come to an end. It’s time to unify the country.”
“I am not saying it is an easy task, since we have almost 12 million people unemployed in this country,” Temer said. “It’s a scary number, and there is nothing less dignified than unemployment.”
Brazil’s Federal Senate on Wednesday voted 61 to 20 in favor of removing Dilma Rousseff from the presidency over accusations she broke budget laws.
Rousseff was accused of covering up budget deficits by taking out unauthorized loans from state banks and of spending money without congressional approval during the 2014 presidential campaign.
Rousseff on Thursday filed an appeal and an injunction request to Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court to block the impeachment decision from taking effect over alleged irregularities. The injunction request also asks Temer be placed back as interim president.
