Inside Story

Can new leader pull Brazil out of its worst recession?

Michel Temer promises a “new era” after replacing impeached president Dilma Rousseff.

Brazil’s first female president, Dilma Rousseff, never lost an election, but she has failed to win the biggest battle of her political career.

Rousseff fought for months to prevent her impeachment. In the end, 61 out of 81 senators voted her out despite her pleas of innocence.

She denies manipulating government statistics to win re-election. Rousseff says she is the victim of a parliamentary coup and has already appealed to the Supreme Court.

Her replacement, Michel Temer, was convicted of violating election laws and was banned from running for office for eight years.

The newly installed president of the biggest economy in Latin America is flying to China for a G20 summit.

Can he get Brazil’s ailing economy back on track? And how will the change in leadership affect relations across South America?

Presenter: Richel Carey

Guests:

Rodrigo Nunes – political analyst, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro

Shannon Sims – journalist for The Washington Post, Forbes and NPR

Paulo Sotero – director of the Brazil Institute, Woodrow Wilson Centre