The stated reason for Rousseff’s impeachment is her alleged misappropriation of funds in an effort to cover budget gaps and boost confidence in the economy (and her administration). The accusations come from a sweeping anti-corruption campaign, Operação Lava Jato (Operation Car Wash), that has uncovered a dizzying array of malfeasance at nearly every level of government.
So the proceedings against Rousseff might not seem so remarkable, if not for the mind-blowing contradictions involved. Brazil’s previous two presidents, Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Rousseff’s mentor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, both faced numerous similar — in some cases, more serious — charges (17 counts against Cardoso, 34 for Silva), none of which prompted impeachment hearings.
Meanwhile, Eduardo Cunha, the leader of the Chamber of Deputies and architect of the impeachment, is himself under investigation for corruption and taking bribes. Unlike Rousseff, who has never been accused of taking public funds for herself, Cunha and several other politicians leading the charge against her are accused of siphoning spectacular sums of money from public coffers into their own pockets. What’s more, Michel Temer, Rousseff’s vice-president, is also accused of corruption — while working avidly against Rousseff. At least for now, he seems destined to replace her, which would make for the ultimate sexist double standard.
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But Sunday’s vote took on a troubling tone, like a combination of a Donald Trump rally and the vengeful, violent politics of the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil from 1964 to 1985, when Rousseff herself was imprisoned and tortured for her Marxist activism. The raucous proceedings (complete with singing, shouting, chanting, confetti, and spitting) were cartoonishly sexist. As the process unfolded, it was hard not to think of it as a witch hunt.
Leading the way was right-wing playboy Jair Bolsonaro, the homophobic, racist, pro-military politician who has also been called “the most misogynistic, hateful official in the democratic world.” In 2014, he called a congresswoman “not worth raping.” This weekend, he dove even further to the bottom, “dedicating” his anti-Rousseff vote to Carlos Ustra, a notorious military official who oversaw the department responsible for imprisoning and torturing Rousseff in the 1970s. Perhaps the most vivid symbol of the true motivations behind the impeachment — were the signs that many of Bolsonaro’s supporters waved during the vote on Sunday. In bold green-and-yellow lettering to match Brazil’s flag, the signs carried a snarky, biting phrase: “Tchau Querida” (bye bye, dear).
