Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff condemned the “fascist methods” of opponents seeking her ouster and said the country's current political crisis would leave a “scar” if not resolved democratically. In an interview with several foreign media groups, Rousseff said she was being pressured to resign because her rivals wanted “to avoid the difficulty of removing -- unduly, illegally and criminally -- a legitimately elected president from power”.
The attempt by Uruguay to draft a strong Mercosur and Unasur resolution in support of embattled Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff has foundered. Argentina is only prepared to express support for Brazil's institutions while Chile and Paraguay have balked at the idea of personalizing the issue in Rousseff and her Workers Party.
Unasur, the Union of South American Nations is divided on how to address the Brazilian situation: while Uruguay, Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia have agreed on a strong statement in support of president Dilma Rousseff, Argentina expressed 'institutional support' and Chile abstained.
The Brazilian opposition parties, meeting in the Lower House of Congress sped up the impeachment process against president Dilma Rousseff by holding a session on Friday, a day that lawmakers are normally away from Brasilia.
Embattled former Brazilian president Lula da Silva on Friday released an open letter calling for “justice” as he affirmed he is the victim of “unjustified acts of violence.”“Justice, it is only justice what I expect for me and everybody within the framework of in-force democratic rule of law,” Lula said a day after he was sworn-in as the chief of staff of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and a judge in that country issued an injunction blocking his appointment.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's supporters took to the streets on Friday to fight back at attempts to oust her, as a flurry of court battles raged over her controversial cabinet appointment of predecessor Lula da Silva. Waving the red flags of the ruling Workers' Party, (PT) tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in the country's largest city, Sao Paulo, greeting Lula with thunderous cheers when he was hoisted onto a parked truck to address the crowd.
A Brazilian court has found Barcelona striker Neymar guilty of tax fraud and ordered him to pay 188.8 million Reais (US$ 52.2) in back taxes, interest and penalties according to reports on the local media on Friday.
The Argentine government expressed its concern about the impact the Brazilian political crisis will have on trade between the two countries. Argentina and Brazil are the principal partners in the Mercosur common market, which also includes Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela. Brazil and Argentina are mutually principal destinations for their manufactured goods, meaning that bilateral trade is crucial for both.
Former leader Lula da Silva was sworn in as President Dilma Rousseff's chief of staff on Thursday amid a deepening crisis in Brazil as protests against his appointment continued for a second day and a judge sought to block the move.
Brazilian share prices surged on Thursday to close 6.6% higher, a seven-year record, after fresh setbacks to populist President Dilma Rousseff raised the prospect of her being driven from power.