The Rio de Janeiro Olympics have been upstaged by the impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff — and it could get worse.
Brazilian Senator Antonio Anastasia has said the final vote on removing Rousseff should come on Aug. 2 — just three days before the Olympics officially begin.
Rousseff was suspended from office for 180 days by a Brazilian Senate vote earlier this month, with Michel Temer taking over as acting president. The impeachment trial must take place within six months and Temer wants it sooner rather than later.
Rio’s Olympics have been plagued with numerous problems: The Zika virus, deep budget cuts, severe water pollution, slow ticket sales and rising fears around security.
Such a critical vote just days before the Games would create protocol nightmares with more than 100 heads of state or heads of government expected for the Aug. 5 opening ceremony.
At the opening ceremony at Rio’s Maracana Stadium, Brazil’s president is to declare the Games are open. The president is not scheduled to give a speech. That is to fall to International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach and Rio organizing committee head Carlos Nuzman.
Senators are expected to vote on Anastasia’s calendar, which foresees a final vote on Aug. 2.
It could also butt into the Paralympics, which run from Sept. 7 through Sept. 18.
If Anastasia’s calendar is approved, witnesses would be called from June 6 through June 17, and Rousseff would be questioned on June 20. Written statements for and against Rousseff would be submitted from June 21 to July 21.
The Senate impeachment committee would make its recommendations to the whole Senate on July 27 and July 28.
The Senate would then vote with two-thirds — 54 votes — needed to remove Rousseff permanently from office. She would be barred from running for any office for eight years.
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