Rousseff: I have nothing to hide
August 30, 2016, 12:32 am

Rousseff contemplates her fate as she attends her impeachment trial on August 29 [Xinhua]

She is facing charges of doctoring accounts to hide the size of the public budget deficit and has been suspended since early May while investigations continued.

Rousseff said she had nothing to hide from the investigation or the Brazilian people and that her conscience was clear.

She said she had been “unjustly accused” as part of a coup attempt to remove her from office and roll back the social welfare and anti-poverty programs which benefited the least privileged in Brazilian society.

“It is not known what will happen with the social welfare agencies that we modernized to increase services over the past few years. However, the interim minister said that the agencies are vacant spaces. Is he going to close the agencies? That is absurd,” Rousseff had previously cautioned.

“I can’t help but taste the bitterness of injustice,” she told members of the Senate, before thanking those among them who defended her and voted against the impeachment trial.

She warned that her impeachment trial put Brazilian democracy at risk.

“I call on you to vote against impeachment, vote for democracy,” she told Senators.

But she also warned that she won’t allow the forces against her to muzzle her determination.

“Don’t expect from me the obliging silence of cowards,” she said.

Following her 45-minute speech, Senators had a maximum of five minutes to cross-examine her. The proceedings are likely to last well into the night.

For her impeachment and forced resignation to go through, 54 of the 81 senators must vote in favor.

According to local newspapers, 52 senators have said they will vote to have Rousseff impeached once the trial is over.

Many senators say they are yet undecided.

A final verdict is expected later this week.

The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies