Costa: Dilma will have more votes in the plenary session.

Senator Humberto Costa (PT-PE) said today (10) that he believes it is possible for the ousted President Dilma Rousseff to get enough votes to avoid her impeachment In the final Senate vote. According to the senator, some parliamentarians are choosing to vote in favor of impeachment to avoid "pressure" at this time, but are hinting at the possibility of changing their position.

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, the Senate approved, by a vote of 59 to 21, the opinion of Senator Antonio Anastasia (PSDB-MG) that upheld the charges against Dilma. To avoid impeachment, the Workers' Party member needs to secure the votes of at least 27 senators, as Renan Calheiros, the Senate president, has said he will not vote. "Some voters opposed to the government in these initial assessments we've had are now determined to vote for the president's return, but voting now would mean remaining at the mercy of the pressures and blackmail from the government [of interim president Michel Temer] for an entire month," said Costa.

Senator Humberto Costa said that some parliamentarians were choosing to vote in favor of impeachment to avoid "pressure," but they could change their minds and alter their vote. (Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil)

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, the Senate approved, by a vote of 59 to 21, the opinion of Senator Antonio Anastasia (PSDB-MG) that upheld the charges against Dilma. To avoid impeachment, the Workers' Party member needs to secure the votes of at least 27 senators, as Renan Calheiros, the Senate president, has said he will not vote. "Some voters opposed to the government in these initial assessments we've had are now determined to vote for the president's return, but voting now would mean remaining at the mercy of the pressures and blackmail from the government [of interim president Michel Temer] for an entire month," said Costa.

Costa, who is the PT leader in the Senate, downplayed the outcome of the vote, with more than two-thirds of the senators against Dilma, and considered it a "victory" to have maintained the votes of 21 senators without having anything to offer "in the quid pro quo of power." "It was a victory to maintain the votes of 21 senators without having anything beyond having engaged in the political contest, and we believe there is a chance we could get six or seven more votes," he said.

Operation Lava Jet

According to the Workers' Party senator, the situation could be reversed due to the progress of the Lava Jato Operation investigations, which may involve the PMDB leadership. "The determining factor in this final outcome is Lava Jato, and if the accusations against the government intensify, they will reshape public opinion, influencing many of the senators here," he said.

Over the weekend, news articles pointed to the interim president as one of the main figures implicated by former Odebrecht president Marcelo Odebrecht in his plea bargain testimony. In his testimony, Marcelo allegedly stated that Temer, as Vice President of the Republic and national president of the PMDB party, requested, after a meeting at the Jaburu Palace, an extra R$10 million in aid for the party, of which R$4 million was allegedly given to Eliseu Padilha, Temer's right-hand man. The remainder was donated to the undeclared campaign funds of other candidates.

Senate decides

Senator Aloysio Nunes said that Wednesday's result shows that the plenary has already decided in favor of Dilma's impeachment. (Archive Agência Brasil)

Senator Aloysio Nunes (PSDB-SP) said that Wednesday's result shows that the plenary has already decided on... impeachmentRegarding Dilma: "This vote represents the crystallization of a political situation that is absolutely consolidated and irreversible, leading to the definitive removal of President Dilma. This conviction is already firmly established in the Senate."

Nunes said that Dilma would no longer be able to regain the political support needed to block the impeachment and restore her parliamentary base. "She is no longer capable of governing the country," he said.

With today's decision, suspended President Dilma Rousseff becomes a defendant in the process of...impeachmentIn the final stage, testimonies from prosecution and defense witnesses will be heard, arguments from both sides will be presented, and the senators will decide on Dilma's conviction or acquittal. In the final phase, 54 out of 81 senators must vote to confirm the impeachment. The trial sessions should be scheduled starting August 25th.