Below are the opinions of Brazilian parliamentarians, who both argue for and against the impeachment, and how they see the political crisis unfolding in their country.
Anti-Impeachment Voices
"The result of the voting was a huge disappointment for me. I expected a more even political battle. However, this course of action was predictable as the so-called bandwagon effect took place. Undecided parliamentarians began to side with those in favor of a coup and began to join their camp. It's unfortunate that those defending President Rousseff were ignored, when they had to be given a word," parliamentarian Margarida Salomão told Sputnik.
"Obviously, the results are disappointing. We expected a closer fight, but corrupt opposition prevailed. But they only won the first battle. The second battle is just starting. We'll meet on April 18 and 19 in São Paulo. And the people of Brazil will be on the side of their President Dilma Rousseff, they will support her and won't allow a coup to take place," parliamentarian Maria Do Rosário said.
"This is the result of hybrid warfare waged against Brazil since last year and the work of foreign agents who seek to mobilize the Brazilian middle class to support the impeachment. In the near future, we can expect profound changes in fiscal policy and the part of legislation that regulates the offshore oil drilling. The objective of this work is to take Brazil out of the group of nations successfully fighting against the current global hegemony. From the point of view of progress, this is a huge defeat for the Brazilian people," explained Marcos Cordeiro Pires, professor of International Relations and Economics from the University of São Paulo.
Pro-Impeachment Voices
"What happened tonight isn't the defeat of the Workers' Party of President Dilma Rousseff or former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. It's the victory of the Brazilian people. I always told my voters and fellow parliamentarians that if the people of Brazil took to the streets to demand change, we, as the members of the parliament, can't turn our backs to the voices on the streets. People can no longer tolerate when the country is ruled so horribly," parliamentarian Caio Narcio told Sputnik.
Brazilian Public Divided
The Brazilian public has also become divided into two camps — those who accuse the Rousseff government of being corrupt and ineffectively handling the country's economy.
Pro-government supporters meanwhile believe that the impeachment is a hidden coup attempt against the government. Despite being involved in a corruption scandal, pro-government protesters believe that Rousseff and her predecessor Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known as Lula, have helped to lift many Brazilians out of poverty over the past decade.
