Brazil’s Planning Minister Romero Juca said on Monday he will temporarily step down after a newspaper published recordings of him discussing plans to obstruct the country’s biggest-ever corruption investigation, which includes him among its targets.
Juca’s decision to take a leave from his post to defend himself is a huge blow for Interim President Michel Temer, who counted on the experienced senator to secure legislative support for key economic measures and reforms.
The new scandal also raises fears of further political instability in Brazil less than two weeks after President Dilma Rousseff was suspended to stand trial in the Senate for allegedly breaking fiscal laws.
“Starting from tomorrow, I will step aside,” Juca told a huddle of reporters in the capital Brasilia, following a day of feverish speculation about his political future.
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