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WORLD NEWSThursday 7 April 2016
Report recommends impeachment of Brazil president proceed
J. BARCHFIELD alition at least through the
M. SAVARESE
Associated Press vote in the lower house.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The
special investigator for a The development came
congressional commission
recommended Wednes- following last week’s an-
day that the impeachment
process against Brazilian nouncement that the
President Dilma Rousseff
move forward, saying there country’s biggest party, the
is evidence she violated fis-
cal laws. Brazilian Democratic Move-
Rousseff is accused of
manipulating budget ac- ment Party, would leave
counts to allow her admin-
istration to boost spending the coalition. That was a
to shore up votes ahead of
her 2014 re-election cam- major blow but it didn’t
paign. She has vehemently
denied committing any spark the pullout of other,
crime and says prior presi-
dents made use of similar smaller parties that many
accounting techniques.
She calls the impeachment political observers had ex-
effort an attempted coup.
The investigator for a lower pected.
house commission weigh-
ing her impeachment said Analysts say securing the
there were grounds to ad-
vance with proceedings support of those parties will
against Rousseff, who be-
sides impeachment is bat- be key to Rousseff’s bid to
tling low poll numbers, a
shrinking economy and an fend off impeachment.
outbreak of the Zika virus,
all as the country gears up On Tuesday, Rousseff said
to host the Olympic Games
in August. she would delay announc-
“The facts show serious indi-
cations of unconstitutional- ing any Cabinet reshuffle
ity, illegality and fiscal irre-
until after the lower house
votes, prompting some
Opposition deputies show posters that read in Portuguese “Impeachment Now” and an inflatable critics to accuse her of us-
doll in the likeness of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in prison garb, during the presenta-
tion that analyzes the impeachment process against Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff, in Brasilia, ing the posts as bargain-
Brazil, Wednesday, April 6, 2016.
ing chips to secure parties’
(AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
votes against impeach-
ment. Impeachment
sponsibility,” Jovair Arantes week, but even if the panel “Some will call me a hero committee member Paulo
said in a nearly 130-page voted against it, the im- and others a villain or a
report. peachment process would putchist. These labels don’t Maluf, a Progressive Party
Arantes’ conclusion had be subject to a vote in the worry me,” Arantes wrote.
been widely anticipated as entire lower House of Dep- “My main worry was to car- legislator from Sao Paulo,
he is a close ally of house uties. That vote is expected ry out an impartial job, with
Speaker Eduardo Cunha, later this month. If two- an easy conscience.” told the newspaper Folha
a nemesis of Rousseff who thirds of the 513 legislators Despite the recommenda-
has been the driving force vote for impeachment, the tion, Rousseff’s chances de S. Paulo that “the gov-
behind the impeachment proceedings move forward of surviving looked slightly
process. The commission with a trial in the Senate. better Wednesday after ernment is involved in a
is scheduled to vote on Arantes defended his rec- the Progressive Party an-
whether to adopt his rec- ommendation at a rowdy nounced it would remain process of buying and sell-
ommendation early next committee session. in Rousseff’s governing co-
ing that is detestable.”
Maluf himself has been
convicted of money laun-
dering in France and can-
not leave Brazil because he
is on an Interpol wanted list.
q
Puerto Rico governor signs into law bill for debt moratorium
DANICA COTO Bank, which is running out fare of Puerto Ricans. atorium, saying time was when bondholders had
Associated Press of money and could face “This legislation provides us running out to address the come to the island in effort
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) insolvency amid a de- with the tools to address the bank’s situation. They said to negotiate a restructuring
— Puerto Rico’s governor cade-long economic crisis. highest priority of needs, they would file a separate deal.
signed into law on Wednes- The bank issues loans and providing essential servic- bill later to deal with the ex- The bank has only $562 mil-
day a bill that allows him to oversees debt transactions. es to our people, without emption. The bill would al- lion in liquidity and faces
declare a fiscal emergen- Gov. Alejandro Garcia Pa- fear of retribution,” he said. low the bank to enter into a $400 million payment
cy and implement a tem- dilla said Puerto Rico is in- “This legislation also helps receivership if needed. in May that the governor
porary debt moratorium to solvent and criticized U.S. the Government Develop- “If we didn’t approve the has warned will likely not
prevent a shutdown of ba- Congress and investors for ment Bank address its dif- bill today, the bank would be made. The bill would
sic government services in not stepping up to help the ficult situation in an orderly be in danger,” Representa- impose a moratorium until
the U.S. territory. U.S. territory. He said the manner.” A group of legis- tive Charlie Hernandez told January 2017 and protects
The law aims in part to help government was forced to lators dropped attempts to reporters following criticism the government from be-
protect the island’s Gov- approve the bill to protect amend the bill to exclude that the measure was hast- ing sued for defaulting on
ernment Development the health, safety and wel- some bonds from the mor- ily approved at a moment payments.q
