Brazil’s acting leader vows to boost economy

BRASILIA, Brazil — Picking up Brazil’s reins after the Senate voted to suspend President Dilma Rousseff, acting President Michel Temer pledged Thursday to jump-start the stalled economy and push ahead with a sprawling corruption investigation that has already ensnared top leaders of his own party and even implicated Temer himself.

Temer spoke in the same narrow hall where a defiant Rousseff made what may prove her last remarks as president earlier in the day. He reached out a timid olive branch to his two-time running mate, saying he wanted his appearance to be “sober” in recognition of his “institutional respect” for Rousseff and of the deep divisions caused by the impeachment campaign against her.

“This is not a moment for celebrations, but one of profound reflection,” Temer said at a chaotic swearing-in ceremony for the 22 members of his new Cabinet. “It’s urgent to pacify the nation and unify the country. It’s urgent for us to form a government of national salvation … to pull this country out of the serious crisis in which we find ourselves.”

The Senate voted 55-22 to impeach Rousseff over allegations her government broke fiscal laws in managing the federal budget. Rousseff insisted the accusations are baseless, since such financial maneuvers have been common practice by other Brazilian presidents without repercussions.

She was immediately suspended for 180 days pending a trial in the Senate. If she is found by two-thirds of the Senate to have committed crimes, Temer will serve out the remainder of her term, which ends in December 2018.

Rousseff maintained the action against her amounts to a “coup” cooked up by power-hungry opponents bent on rolling back the clock on government social programs that wrenched an estimated 35 million Brazilians out of poverty during the 13 years in power by her left-leaning Workers’ Party.

Answering claims by Rousseff the he intends to dismantle the social programs that now benefit around one-fourth of the Brazilian population, Temer insisted Thursday that the programs would not only be maintained but “perfected” under his leadership.