Even Veja magazine is now pointing to Temer as a diminished president.

"After seven months in office, Michel Temer has lost much of what little popularity he had and is a victim of an original sin. He knew that his main aides would be caught up in Lava Jato, but even so, he decided to appoint them to key positions in the administration. The president confided that, when the time came, the suspects would be dismissed. The time has come, and nothing has been done," says a report this weekend, which also points to poor economic results as a reason for Temer's very low approval rating.

December 18, 2016, 07:54 AMUpdated June 29, 2018, 09:56 pm

"After seven months in office, Michel Temer has lost much of what little popularity he had and is a victim of an original sin. He knew that his main aides would be caught up in Lava Jato, but even so, he decided to appoint them to key positions in the administration. The president confided that, when the time came, the suspects would be dismissed. The time has come, and nothing has been done," says a report this weekend, which also points to poor economic results as a reason for Temer's very low approval rating (Photo: Ana Pupulin).

247 - Michel Temer is looking bad even among those who supported the coup against Brazilian democracy, which was the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff. Below is an excerpt from Veja magazine's cover story, which portrays him as a diminished president:

Upon completing seven months in office, Michel Temer has lost much of what little popularity he had and is a victim of an original sin. He knew that his main aides would be caught up in Lava Jato, but even so, he decided to appoint them to key positions in the administration. The president confided that, when the time came, the suspects would be dismissed. The time came, and nothing was done.

In its latest edition, VEJA revealed details of the plea bargain agreement signed by Claudio Melo Filho, former vice-president of institutional relations at [company name]. OdebrechtThe executive recounted that, in 2014, at a dinner at the Jaburu Palace, Temer asked Marcelo Odebrecht, then president of the construction company, for financial assistance. He brought 10 million reais, which were delivered to the minister. Elisha Padilha, to special advisor José Yunes, to imprisoned former congressman Eduardo Cunha and to businessman Paulo Skaf (read the report on page 72).

With the disclosure of the plea bargain's contents, Temer called an emergency meeting. He summoned Padilha and the secretary. Moreira Franco[Name], accused of soliciting 4 million reais in bribes, along with other aides. There, two alternatives were outlined. The first: Padilha and Moreira would leave the government in order to quickly stem the presidential bleeding. The second: government supporters would swear their innocence, attack the leak of the plea bargain testimony, and rush to present a set of economic measures in an attempt to shift the focus of attention.

The prevailing understanding was that handing over the rings (the heads of the advisors) would not guarantee the salvation of the fingers (the presidential mandate). On the contrary, by removing a screen, Temer could become more exposed.

The president's good fortune also lies in his ample political muscle in Congress, his natural habitat. There, Temer only achieves victories.