Brazil's house speaker says to decide when to impeach president

11:19, 02-Jun-2020

Rodrigo Maia, the speaker of Brazil's lower house of Congress, said during an online event on Monday that he would decide whether to open impeachment proceedings against President Jair Bolsonaro at "the appropriate time."

While Maia did not rule out opening such a proceeding, he said Brazil's most pressing concern was unity in the face of the coronavirus outbreak, adding that he did not want to put "more wood in the fire.”

The speaker's comment came following the launch of a high-profile opposition movement and the publication of its manifesto. The document, published by prominent figures from across the aisle on Saturday, called for a united front to protect Brazilian democracy and lives amid growing alarm over Bolsonaro's authoritarian outbursts and his downplaying of the coronavirus pandemic.

Those who endorsed the movement's creation included leading lights of Brazilian academia, culture and politics and some of them have repeatedly emphasized the dangers of having Bolsonaro as president.

"Bolsonaro sometimes comes across as a caricature, something comical. But he's dangerous – he and the followers of this fanatical far-right sect are dangerous," said Flávio Dino, a prominent leftist politician who joined the Movimento Estamos Juntos (We're In This Together Movement).

More:
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-06-02/Brazil-s-house-speaker-says-to-decide-when-to-impeach-president-QZo3vAX7fW/index.html