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Brazilian President Temer survives vote on corruption trial

By Ed Adamczyk
Brazilian President Michel Temer survived a congressional vote on Wednesday, which keeps him in office and averts a corruption trial -- for now. File Photo by Peter Foley/UPI
Brazilian President Michel Temer survived a congressional vote on Wednesday, which keeps him in office and averts a corruption trial -- for now. File Photo by Peter Foley/UPI | License Photo

Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Brazil's congress has voted to keep President Michel Temer away from a corruption prosecution, which would have been the country's second presidential trial in two years.

A marathon congressional session on Wednesday included insults and shoving matches between legislators, and the tossing of fake money to underscore disgust with government corruption.

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Temer won the support of 263 legislators; 227 voted against him, with 23 absentees or abstentions. A two-thirds majority was required to move ahead with a trial.

Temer assumed office last year after former president Dilma Rousseff herself became mired in a corruption case, and ultimately impeached for diverting funds from state-run banks to conceal federal budget shortfalls. Temer, whose public approval rating currently stands at about 5 percent, was accused of accepting a $152,000 bribe from a food industry magnate.

The vote Wednesday does not exonerate Temer, but keeps him in office. Rodrigo Janet, Brazil's top prosecutor, is expected to file new charges against the Brazilian leader -- which would require another congressional vote for the case to proceed.

Some of those who voted in Temer's favor are eager for his removal but opposed a trial to keep Brazil from additional political instability and economic consequences.

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"I am in favor of all investigations, but the moment we are living in is very delicate and we need to recover the economy," said legislator Luiz Claudio of the center-right Republic Party.

Brazilians watched Wednesday's drama on national television, which pre-empted the country's favorite soap opera program.

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