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Outraged Rousseff swears to put up a fight

Braslia – Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff said on Monday that she is “outraged” by a vote in Congress to authorise impeachment proceedings against her and vowed to keep fighting.

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As of now, the lower house of Brazil’s legislature voted 367-137 Sunday to impeach Ms. Rousseff. I will not be beaten, I will not be paralyzed.

“I am totally against corruption, regardless of which party does it”, says Geiza Silva, a medical technician from Rio de Janeiro’s suburbs, demonstrating in Copacabana last night in favor of keeping Rousseff in office. Following a two-thirds vote of the Senate to impeach, Temer would serve out the current term which ends in 2018.

But her potential successor would have to take tough measures that could prove unpopular amid a tense political environment in Latin America’s economic powerhouse.

Rousseff criticized Congress for treating her differently to her predecessors in relation to the so-called “fiscal maneuvers”.

Calheiros quit as Senate boss, taking enough heat out of the attacks to gather votes and dodge impeachment.

The accounting practice, commonly known in Brazil as “pedaladas”, or pedalling, is accepted in many countries and had always been used by previous Brazilian governments, she said.

The floor of the lower house was a sea of Brazilian flags and pumping fists as dozens of lawmakers carried in their arms the deputy who cast the decisive 342nd vote, after three days of a marathon debate.

While Rousseff insisted her relationship with the Senate is much better than with the Chamber of Deputies, the administration appears to have its work cut out.

Brazilians clamoring for President Dilma Rousseff’s ouster like to refer to the scandal-tainted politician who launched the impeachment drive in Congress as their “favorite villain”.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff lost the first of two rounds of voting that will decide whether or not the 68-year-old is ousted just months before the Summer Olympics.

Holding it’s 54th General Assembly in São Paulo, the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) said it was “closely monitoring” events and it expects the democratic rule of law to prevail. They expressed opposition towards Rousseff’s impeachment, saying an “illegitimate government will have no peace”. While many Brazilians are eager to “throw the bums out” and clean up politics at any cost, analysts say, many express uncertainty over exactly what paths are open to them or who can lead the charge.

There was expected to be a euphoric reaction from the financial markets which have been betting on a Rousseff exit and the advent of a more business-friendly government to kickstart Brazil’s flailing economy.

“If (Temer) becomes president, I will campaign for his impeachment the next day”, Gomes recently told reporters.

“I want to see all the corrupt politicians in jail”, said Gerivaldo Oliveira, a taxi driver in the capital.

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“Now Brazil needs to climb out of the bottom of the well and we have to resolve the situation as quickly as possible”, he said.

A protester kneels with mock coffins of house speaker Eduardo Cunha and Vice President Michel Temer with'Out coup-plotter signs in Porto Alegre