Brazil's Temer Says He Expects to be Booed During Olympics

Michel Temer, Brazil's interim president, said he is ready to be booed during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, which are set to begin on August 5.

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Temer said he expected the negative reaction during an interview with the local newspaper Zero Hora.

He also said it is his responsibility to inaugurate the games, as his former ally and rival Dilma Rousseff was suspended from office and will not attend the ceremony.

Rousseff has been suspended for 180 days and is waiting for the final decision by the Senate in the impeachment process against her. If she loses the trial she will be permanently removed from office. Meanwhile, a report by the Public Prosecutor’s office found that she is not guilty of any crime. 

The International Tribunal for Democracy ruled there is no legal basis for impeaching Rousseff, who had not been found guilty of any criminal act or in violation of the constitution.

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As part of a joke, Temer said Rousseff and certain other officials will not be attending the ceremony, meaning he will suffer the criticism himself.

A recent survey revealed that former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is the favorite for the 2018 presidential election, while Temer stands behind him with an approval rating of just 11 percent.

Temer is serving as interim president but has been banned from running for public office for eight years.