outcry against their president, Dilma Rousseff. The latest scandal surrounding Rousseff involves

the appointment of the former Brazilian president to a high ranking cabinet position. The former

president, known as “Lula de Silva”, is facing corruption and money laundering charges,

and Rousseff’s appointment would grant him protection from prosecution. Protesters, along

with a large portion of the Brazilian congress are calling for the removal of Rousseff from

office. Congress has even begun impeachment proceedings. So why does Brazil hate their

president?

Well, since President Rousseff began her second term in 2014, her approval rating has plummeted,

reaching an all-time low of under ten percent. Many citizens blame her for Brazil’s recent

economic downturn, which is its worst since the 1930s Great Depression. In 2015, the country’s

GDP fell by almost four percent, while the value of its currency dropped by roughly a

quarter. Brazilians have paid roughly 10 percent more on consumer goods every year since Rousseff

took office in 2011, and inflation is now at its highest rate since 2003. Experts say,

if Brazil’s economy continues to fail at the current rate, the country will face a

full-blown depression by 2017.

Many Brazilians attribute this to bad policy, corruption and frivolous spending on the part

of Rousseff and her leftist Worker’s Party. Under Rousseff, the state has spent lavishly

on social programs and massive infrastructure projects that have gone over budget or were

never completed. This includes billions in public spending on the 2014 World Cup and

2016 Olympics, despite the widespread public opposition.

Brazil’s already struggling economy sunk even further after the 2014 Petrobras Scandal,

in which public officials pocketed millions from fraudulent contracts with Brazil’s

state-run oil giant, Petrobras. Rousseff has never been directly linked to the scandal,

though she is strongly suspected of foul play, as she was the company’s chairwoman during

the period in question.. Moreover, almost every alleged or convicted offender is part

of her governing coalition. This includes her campaign manager and Brazil’s former

president, Lula, who hand picked Rousseff as his successor. Rousseff was roped even

further into the scandal in March 2016, as allegations surfaced that she had appointed

a justice to Brazil’s supreme court, ostensibly to release jailed executives.

But perhaps the lowest point of Rousseff’s presidency was in December 2015, when congress

began impeachment proceedings against her. According to her accusers, Rousseff’s 2014

presidential win was invalid, as her campaign was allegedly funded through illegally acquired

assets. Rousseff is also being cited for covering up massive budget gaps with funds from public

banks, essentially creating the illusion of a functioning economy while carrying out poor

economic policies.

Rousseff has denied any involvement in the Petrobras scandal, and claims she is committed

to fighting corruption and strengthening Brazil’s economy. And although her approval rating

continues to dwindle, Rousseff does have a small but vocal group of supporters. They

say she is a scapegoat for Brazil's extraneous economic problems, like falling commodity

prices and less demand from China. Moreover, experts say that Congress’ case against

Rousseff is not strong enough to successfully remove her from office. So, whether they like

it or not, Brazilians will likely see another two years of President Rousseff.

But the President isn’t the only source of corruption in Brazil. Learn more about

how corrupt the hosts of the 2016 Olympics really are by watching this video up top.

You can also learn more about the Olympics themselves, and just how much of a disaster

they’ve turned out to be for Brazil by watching the video below.