The speaker of Brazil’s lower house of Congress and the presidential chief of staff traded accusations on Thursday, as President Dilma Rousseff’s government organized its defense for impeachment proceedings against her that started Wednesday.
The accusations, with each camp branding the other as liars, added further acrimony to a political crisis in Brazil as the unpopular president begins what is likely to be a drawn-out battle to stay in office even as the country suffers from a deep economic recession and a vast corruption scandal.
Rousseff, who took office in 2011 and won re-election last year, is expected to survive the proceedings because her party and allies appear to control enough seats to ultimately defeat those who support impeachment.
But the process adds one more element of uncertainty to a government saddled with political gridlock at a time when it desperately needs Congressional support for policies meant to restore economic growth.
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Brazil Energy Insight 
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