Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff

Accused	Dilma Rousseff, 36th President of Brazil
Proponents	Hélio Bicudo, Miguel Reale Jr., Janaína Paschoal
Date	2 December 2015 – 31 August 2016 (2015-12-02 – 2016-08-31)
Outcome	Rousseff found guilty, removed from office
Charges	Criminal administrative misconduct Disregarding the Brazilian federal budget
Cause	Operation Car Wash Responsibility crimes for "fiscal pedaling" Opening of supplementary credits without Congress approval
Legislative votes
Chamber of Deputies (17 April 2016)
Accusation	Vote to open impeachment process
Votes in favor	367
Votes against	137
Present	7
Not voting	2
Result	Rousseff impeached
Federal Senate (12 May 2016)
Accusation	Vote to suspend Rousseff from the presidency
Votes in favor	55
Votes against	22
Present	2
Not voting	1
Result	Rousseff suspended from the presidency for the duration of the impeachment trial; Michel Temer became acting president
Federal Senate (First vote, 31 August 2016)
Accusation	Vote to remove Rousseff from office
Votes in favor	61
Votes against	20
Result	Rousseff found guilty of violating budgetary laws, removed from office; Temer became president
Federal Senate (Second vote, 31 August 2016)
Accusation	Vote to remove political rights
Votes in favor	42
Votes against	36
Present	3
Result	Rousseff retained political rights (54 "affirmative" votes necessary to bar her from political office)
Superior Electoral Court (TSE) (9 June 2017)
Accusation	Campaign finance violations during Rousseff's 2014 election campaign
Votes in favor	3
Votes against	4
Result	Rousseff acquitted
Temer remained president through 31 December 2018

The impeachment of Dilma Rousseff was a big event in Brazil. It led to the removal of Dilma Rousseff, who was the 36th President of Brazil. The process started on December 2, 2015. It ended in late 2016.

Rousseff was accused of breaking rules about the country's money. This was called "criminal administrative misconduct." It meant she had not followed the laws for the federal budget. This was against article 85 of the Constitution of Brazil.

On April 17, 2016, a group of lawmakers voted to officially start the impeachment process. Then, on May 12, the Senate voted to temporarily remove Rousseff from her job. This allowed a trial to happen. During this time, her Vice President, Michel Temer, became the acting president. Finally, on August 31, 2016, the Senate voted again. They decided to permanently remove President Rousseff from office. The vote was 61 to 20. After this, Michel Temer became the new President of Brazil.

What is Impeachment?
Why Did the Impeachment Happen?
The Impeachment Process Steps
After the Impeachment
Images for kids
See also

What is Impeachment?

Impeachment is a way to remove a high-ranking official, like a president, from their job. This happens if they are accused of serious wrongdoing. It is a formal process. Lawmakers decide if the accusations are true. If they are, the official can be removed.

Why Did the Impeachment Happen?

Dilma Rousseff was accused of breaking budget laws. These accusations were about how she managed the government's money. Specifically, she was accused of:

Using money from public banks to cover government expenses. This was called "fiscal pedaling."
Opening extra spending accounts without getting approval from the Brazilian Congress.

These actions were seen as breaking the country's budget laws. They were considered serious enough to start an impeachment process.

The Impeachment Process Steps

The impeachment process in Brazil involves several steps. It starts in one part of the government and moves to another.

Starting the Process: The Chamber of Deputies

The first step happened in the Chamber of Deputies. This is like one house of a parliament.

On December 2, 2015, a request to impeach Rousseff was accepted. This was done by Eduardo Cunha, who was the head of the Chamber of Deputies.
Lawmakers in the Chamber of Deputies then debated the accusations.
On April 17, 2016, the Chamber of Deputies voted. A large majority of 367 lawmakers voted to move forward with the impeachment. Only 137 voted against it. This meant the process could continue to the next stage.

The Senate's Role: Suspension and Trial

After the Chamber of Deputies voted, the process moved to the Federal Senate. The Senate is the other house of the Brazilian Congress.

On May 12, 2016, the Senate held a vote. They decided to suspend President Rousseff from her duties. This meant she could not act as president while her trial took place.
The vote was 55 in favor of suspension and 22 against.
During this time, Vice President Michel Temer took over as acting president.

The Final Vote: Removal from Office

The final decision happened in the Senate after a trial.

On August 31, 2016, the Senate held the final vote. They decided if Dilma Rousseff should be permanently removed.
The vote was 61 in favor of removing her and 20 against. This was more than the two-thirds majority needed.
Because of this vote, Dilma Rousseff was officially removed from her position as President.
Michel Temer then became the official President of Brazil.

Political Rights Vote

After removing her from office, the Senate held a second vote on the same day. This vote was about whether Rousseff should lose her political rights. Losing political rights would mean she could not run for office again.

The vote was 42 in favor of removing her political rights and 36 against.
However, this vote needed 54 "yes" votes to pass. Since it did not reach that number, Dilma Rousseff kept her political rights. This meant she could still hold political office in the future.

After the Impeachment

Michel Temer remained President of Brazil until December 31, 2018. The impeachment of Dilma Rousseff was a very important event in Brazil's recent history. It showed how the country's political system can remove a president.

Images for kids

Rousseff speaking to a joint session of the National Congress at her presidential inauguration, January 1, 2015. Behind her are Senate president Renan Calheiros, and Vice President Michel Temer.
President Dilma Rousseff speaking before the Brazilian Congress on February 2, 2016.
Michel Temer in his first ministerial meeting on May 13, 2016.
José Eduardo Cardozo, lawyer who represented Rousseff
Janaína Conceição Paschoal, prosecutor
Committee meeting on June 23, 2016
Impeachment trial begins on August 25, 2016
Dilma Rousseff at the Senate on August 29, 2016