Brazil’s Congress Returns to Work After Carnival

By Lise Alves, Senior Contributing Reporter

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – With Carnival festivities over, this week the Brazilian government is expected to restart its push to obtain Congressional approval for projects it deems necessary to jumpstart the country’s ailing economy. Congressional representatives will also return to work having to decide whether to advance in the impeachment processes of the Speaker of the Lower House and a Senator.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is expected to meet this week with both Senate and Chamber of Deputies leaders to obtain Congressional support for items such as the CPMF tax and the social security reform.

According to local news outlets the President is expected to discuss the current economic scenario with Congressional leaders and ask for their support in approving bills which would re-create the tax over financial transactions (CPMF). The revenues obtained from tax are expected to total over R$10 billion and needs to be approved by Congress by May.

Also expected to stir up the political scene in Brasilia are discussions surrounding the impeachment proceedings against Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Eduardo Cunha, and Senator Delcidio do Amaral. Cunha has been accused of receiving bribes from the Lava-Jato scheme and hiding the fact that he and his family have Swiss bank accounts.

Senator Amaral is charged with offering to pay the family of former Petrobras director, Nestor Cervero R$50,000 per month and hatching a plan to get the executive out of the country in return for his silence. Cervero is said to be negotiating a deal with Brazilian prosecutors for a reduced sentence.

As for the start of the impeachment process against President Rousseff, the country’s Supreme Court disbanded a commission to discuss the matter in early December and Congress is now waiting for the judges to decide on the rules for the installation of the committee.