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Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff appeared undaunted and confident in a brief press conference to address the news that the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies had opened impeachment proceeding against her.
“I received with indignation the decision of the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies to process the impeachment request that acts against a mandate democratically given to me by the Brazilian people," said Rousseff on Wednesday.
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#Dilma | The claims behind this impeachment are inconsistent #ImpeachmentDilma https://t.co/daMxsvQQq0 pic.twitter.com/qE4aow6jI5
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish)
December 2, 2015
Referring to the allegations that she had manipulated its accounts in 2014 to disguise a widening fiscal deficit as she campaigned for re-election, Rousseff said, “A suspected misuse of public money does not hang over me, I do not have accounts abroad. I never coerced nor tried to coerce institutions in an effort to satisfy my interests.”
Eduardo Cunha, speaker of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, accepted a request to begin impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff, triggering the process that could potentially remove her from power.
Cunha's decision to begin impeachment proceedings is being widely interpreted as a retaliatory move after three lawmakers from Rousseff's party stated that they would vote to remove Cunha from his position.
The Ethics Council of the Chamber of Deputies is currently reviewing its own request to remove Cunha from his post as speaker over allegations that he lied to the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry about his assets, claiming he did not have any foreign bank accounts.
Acho que a opinião pública nacional está absolutamente esclarecida de que é uma retaliação.
— Humberto Costa (@humbertocostapt)
December 2, 2015
“I think the national public opinion is absolutely clear that this is a retaliation.”
During her brief speech, President Rousseff referred to rumors in the Brazilian press that she would strike a deal with Cunha to avoid impeachment if she had her party keep the speaker in his post.
“I would never accept nor agree with any kind of bargain, much less those which try to go against democratic institutions of my country, block justice or offend the ethical and moral principles that should govern public life,” declared Rousseff.
Two-thirds of the Chamber must authorize the impeachment for it to proceed to the Senate.
"I am convinced and am absolutely sure that the process being conducted by the Chamber of Deputies against me will not proceed," said Rousseff.
Members of Rousseff's Workers Party quickly came to the defense of the president, describing efforts to remove her as a coup.
“Cunha has announced the opening of impeachment processes. There will not be a coup d'etat, Cunha. You are not going to tear the Constitution! Everyone to the streets to resist,” tweeted the Workers Party congressional representative from Rio Grande do Sul, Paulo Pimenta.
Several lawmakers from the Workers Party called the move an attempt at “blackmail,” as Cunha began the impeachment proceedings after members of the Workers Party said they would support efforts to have Cunha removed from his post.
Chantagem contra a democracia! Inaceitável ato de Cunha q abriu o Impeachment pq ñ teve o apoio do PT para salvar - se no Conselho de Ética.
— Maria do Rosario (@_mariadorosario)
December 2, 2015
“Blackmail against democracy! Unacceptable act that Cunha opened the Impeachment because he did not have the support of the PT to save himself in the Ethics Council.”
Jefferson Lima, the head of the Workers Party youth wing, was unequivocal in his denunciation.
"We will not accept any coup attempt and we will keep up our mobilization process in unity with social movements, to do this real and necessary confrontation,” said Lima.
