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Brazilians protest acting president’s cabinet line-up

Wednesday, 18 May 2016 4:50 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 18 May 2016 6:05 AM ]

People protest against Brazilian acting President Michel Temer in Sao Paulo, Brazil, May 17, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

Brazilians have taken to the streets in several cities to protest against the cabinet line-up of acting President Michel Temer.

The protesters called the interim president’s picks a step backward in terms of gender equality during the Tuesday demonstrations.

Temer selected an all-male cabinet last week, cut the number of cabinet positions from 31 to 23, and eliminated the Ministry of Women.

Cabinet posts had often been filled by women and blacks over the past 13 years of rule by the Workers’ Party.

Bruno Leão, a 24-year-old black student in Rio de Janeiro, said, “I am not represented” by the cabinet, adding, “All those years of struggle, and it’s like it didn’t happen.”

Similar protest were held on Sunday and Monday, with activists occupying the offices of the Education and Culture ministries, which are being merged under Temer.

Brazilians protest against acting President Michel Temer in Sao Paulo, Brazil, May 17, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

Temer stepped up from the post of vice-president to replace Dilma Rousseff, who was suspended as president on May 12 after the Senate voted 55 to 22 in favor of opening an impeachment trial against her. The lower house had already endorsed impeachment.

The impeachment bid was launched over allegations that Rousseff fiddled with government accounts in 2014 so she could increase public spending as a means of wooing votes for re-election.

Rousseff’s trial in the Senate will have to be concluded within 180 days. The Senate will have to decide whether to disqualify her from the presidency.

If she is removed from office, Temer will retain the presidency until scheduled elections in 2018.

Rousseff has condemned the impeachment drive as a coup, pledging to fight on during the trial.

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