RIO DE JANEIRO—The permanent ouster of deeply unpopular President Dilma Rousseff by Brazil’s Senate means that a man who is arguably just as unpopular is now faced with trying to ease the wounds of a divided nation mired in recession.
Long known as an uncharismatic backroom wheeler-dealer, Michel Temer inherits a shrinking economy, a Zika virus outbreak that has ravaged poor northeastern states and political instability fed by a sprawling corruption probe that has tarred much of the country’s political and business elite — himself included.
So far he’s struggled in the nearly four months he’s served as interim president following Rousseff’s May impeachment, which suspended her from office while a final trial was prepared. The Senate’s 61-20 vote on Wednesday to permanently remove her means Temer, who had been her vice president, will now serve out her term, which ends in late 2018.
Just hours after Rousseff was removed, Temer assured the nation his administration was up to the task.
