MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, the Folha de S.Paulo daily unveiled recordings of the March talks between Juca, then a senator, and Sergio Machado, the ex-president of company Transpetro, a subsidiary of Petrobras. The media outlet alleged that the sides were discussing suspension of Rousseff's presidential powers to end the Petrobras corruption case. According to the daily, Juca said that a new government was needed to "stop this bleeding."
"I want to repeal the interpretation made by Folha de S.Paulo… I was speaking of putting an end to the paralysis of Brazil, of ending the 'bleeding' of unemployment, separate [politicians] who are guilty and who are not," Juca said in response to the allegations, as quoted by the BBC.
The upper house of the Brazilian parliament voted 55-22 earlier in May to start impeachment proceedings against Rousseff after she was accused of concealing the country’s budget deficit ahead of the 2014 re-election.
The 68-year-old has been suspended from office for 180 days, pending trial. Vice President Michel Temer is assuming presidency during that period.
