Brazil marks 10 years since Dilma Rousseff impeachment

Ten years after the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, political figures and analysts continue to debate the nature and consequences of her removal from office. The Senate concluded the process on August 31, 2016, with 61 votes in favor of conviction, primarily based on allegations of fiscal irregularities known as “pedaladas fiscais.”

While supporters of the process maintain it followed constitutional rules, many political allies and activists characterize the event as a “parliamentary coup.” They argue the removal was a political maneuver orchestrated by then-Speaker of the House Eduardo Cunha to protect his own mandate and served as a catalyst for the rise of the far-right and Jair Bolsonaro.

The episode is widely viewed as a turning point that deepened political polarization in Brazil and shifted power toward the “Centrão” bloc in Congress. Various commemorative actions, including the release of a new book analyzing the cycle of 2013 to the present, highlight the ongoing efforts to preserve the memory of this period in Brazilian democratic history.