Brazil: President Temer charged with corruption on June 26

Event

Brazilian President Michel Temer was officially charged with corruption by the Prosecutor General on Monday, June 26. Temer is accused of accepting a USD 152,000 bribe from Brazilian businessman Joesley Batista on March 7. The charges assert that Temer was promised a further USD 11,000,000. While Temer is expected to survive a vote on these charges in the Chamber of Deputies (to be held at an unannounced time in the near future), his support - already suffering from low approval ratings - is expected to diminish should further allegations come to light. Demonstrations in response to these developments are likely to appear in major cities in the coming days.

Context

Former President Dilma Rousseff was herself impeached and removed from office on August 31, 2016, on accusations of manipulating the federal budget for the sake of masking the country's plunging economy.

Recent corruption allegations affecting Temer and his administration have increased popular discontent and deepened an already acute political crisis. A recorded conversation of President Temer purportedly showing him discussing the payment of hush money to a jailed politician led to the opening of a formal probe by the Supreme Court on May 19. The scandal has sparked various protests and prompted eight impeachment filings. Temer has reiterated that he will not step down.

On a related note, Brazil has seen a series of protests in response to reforms proposed by President Temer. Numerous opposition groups, labor unions, and civil society organizations consider Rousseff's ouster and Temer's arrival in office to be illegitimate.

Advice

Individuals in Brazil are advised to avoid all demonstrations and to monitor the situation.