JB: I'm glad to hear that.
MLM: We have seen the serious consequences of undermining democracy in Honduras and Paraguay in recent years, and we hope the international community, especially in the United States, expresses support for the democratic process that elected President Dilma Rousseff in Brazil.
Dilma Rousseff 2011
(Image by (From Wikimedia) Roberto Stuckert Filho/Presidência da República, Author: Roberto Stuckert Filho/Presidência da República) Details Source DMCA
JB: Do you have any predictions for what will happen regarding Rousseff's impeachment and the Brazilian presidency?
MLM: Last night, the Brazilian Senate voted to continue the impeachment process, and in a few weeks the senators will have the final vote. But the senators in favor of the impeachment didn't even discussed the charges against president Dilma because most of them already had a position even before the beginning of the trial. It's clear that there is no legal basis for the impeachment. The majority of senators are from conservative parties that have not been able to win presidential elections since 2002, and many of them are facing charges for corruption. So, the main reasons for the impeachment are to take power without elections and to stop investigations of corruption.
JB: Sounds like a win-win for them. Pretty upsetting. Anything you'd like to add before we wrap this up?
MLM: I would like to emphasize the importance of international attention and support for the democratic process that elected president Rousseff. Brazil's democracy is at risk and this will have serious consequences in the whole region.
JB: Thanks so much for talking with me, Maria. While the interim government is attempting to use the Olympics to sweep this political mess under the rug, we can use the same Olympic forum to capture the attention of readers for whom Brazil is not usually on their radar screen.
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