Pro-Impeachment Camp Moves Closer to Victory in Brazil

Brazilian legislators pushing to oust President Dilma Rousseff appeared to have the upper hand Sunday night, with a wide margin voting to impeach her and cut short a term running through 2018.

Pro-government demonstrators gather in the shade outside Congress where lawmakers are voting on whether to impeach Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff, in Brasilia, Brazil, on April 17, 2016. The vote will determine whether the impeachment proceeds to the Senate. Rousseff is accused of violating Brazil's fiscal laws to shore up public support amid a flagging economy. AP Photo/Felipe Dana

BRASILIA, Brazil—Brazilian legislators pushing to oust President Dilma Rousseff appeared to have the upper hand Sunday night, with a wide margin voting to impeach her and cut short a term running through 2018.

More than two hours into voting, the pro-impeachment camp was leading 254 to 87. If 342 of the Chamber of Deputies’ 513 members vote in favor, the proceedings move to the Senate for a possible trial. If senators voted to hold a trial that would suspend Rousseff and hand over the top job to Vice President Michel Temer.

A close ally of the president lamented that many of her colleagues had “betrayed” Rousseff.

“It was a herd effect, and many (legislators) betrayed us. It was a double defeat,” said Brazilian Community Party legislator Orlando Silva, a close supporter of Rousseff.

Demonstrators demand the impeachment of Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff during a march next to large inflatable dolls of former President Luiz Inacio 'Lula' da Silva in prison garb and President Rousseff wearing a presidential sash with "Mother of Big Oil" written on it in Portuguese, in a reference to the corruption scandal involving Brazilian oil giant Petrobras, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on April 17, 2016. A vote Sunday in the lower house will determine whether the impeachment proceeds against President Rousseff. AP Photo/Andre Penner