Page 11 - Aruba Today
P. 11
WORLD NEWS A11
Tuesday 22 March 2016
Brazil poll shows strong support
for president’s impeachment
JENNY BARCHFIELD the entire political estab- ment proceedings. Woman shows poster written in Portuguese “There will not be a
Associated Press lishment, Silva held onto his Former President Cardozo, coup” next to a picture of Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff, dur-
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A ranking as the best presi- meanwhile, said in an inter- ing a rally in her support and of former President Luiz Inacio Lula
new poll published Sunday dent Brazil ever had, with view published Sunday by da Silva, in Brasilia, Brazil, Friday, March 18, 2016.
suggested strong support 35 percent of the survey’s O Estado de S. Paulo that
for the impeachment of respondents picking him, impeachment is a way out Associated Press
embattled Brazilian Presi- compared with the 16 per- of the country’s problems.
dent Dilma Rousseff in a cent who chose his prede- “With the government’s the Summer Olympics in Zika virus, which health ex-
politically polarized coun- cessor, President Fernando incapacity to function August while struggling perts believe may cause a
try mired in an economic Henrique Cardoso. that one sees today, her with an economic crisis devastating birth defect in
recession and a corruption A Supreme Court justice on (Rousseff’s) ability to hold and an outbreak of the newborns.q
probe that has ensnared Friday suspended Silva’s firm and make the govern-
much of the county’s politi- nomination to the Cabinet ment work, I think the path
cal brass. post, and the full Supreme is impeachment,” said Car-
The poll by the respected Court will have to decide dozo, who governed the
Datafolha agency, pub- whether he can take of- country from 1995-2002.
lished in the Folha de S. fice. The political turmoil comes
Paulo newspaper, said Under Brazilian law, Cabi- as Brazil prepares to host
68 percent of people sur- net members cannot be in-
veyed want to see law- vestigated, charged or im-
makers vote to impeach prisoned unless authorized
Rousseff. by the Supreme Court.
That’s up 8 percentage The Datafolha survey was
points since February, carried out on March 17
with the jump was highest and 18, with face-to-face
among the rich, who sup- interviews with 2,794 peo-
ported Rousseff’s impeach- ple in171 cities and towns.
ment by 74 percent. The margin of error is plus or
Just 10 percent rated Rous- minus 2 percentage points.
seff’s agoverment good or The effort to impeach
excellent, with 69 percent Rousseff over allegations
calling it bad or terrible. of fiscal mismanagement
The ratings of her prede- moved forward last week
cessor, former President when the lower house cre-
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, ated a special commission
were also down — possi- on the matter.
bly dented by controversy Rousseff backers say im-
over his appointment as peachment is a power
Rousseff’s chief of staff, a grab by opponents who
move critics said was a bid themselves have been sul-
to shield him from corrup- lied by an unrelated probe
tion allegations. into kickbacks and bribery
Fifty-seven percent said at the state-run oil compa-
they disapprove of him — ny Petrobras. Eight of the
a dramatic drop from the 65 members of impeach-
near-90 percent approval ment commission are cur-
rating he had when leav- rently facing charges, as
ing office in 2010. is the speaker of the lower
But in a sign of the depth house, Eduardo Cunha,
of Brazilians’ disgust with who opened the impeach-
