Rousseff Speaks About Coup and Says Opposition Fosters Crisis

09/17/2015 - 09h26

President Dilma Rousseff spoke once again about a coup while referring to the opposition on Wednesday (16), reinforcing the discourse adopted by the Workers' Party (PT) to counter those who are pushing to start impeachment proceedings and remove her from office.

In an interview granted to a Presidente Prudente (SP) radio station, she accused her adversaries of exploiting the country's economic difficulties to drain the government and prevent her from completing her term, which runs until 2018.

"Those people generally root for the worst as the best, in all areas", Rousseff said, in response to a generic question regarding the political crisis.

Immediately, she added: Among all of the countries that have experienced difficulties, I never saw one propose a democratic rupture as a way out of the crisis. That method of using the crisis as a mechanism to assume power is a modern day version of a coup".

"Any attempt to shorten the path of democratic turnover is indeed a coup, yes", she affirmed. "Especially when that path only relies on shortcuts. Questionable shortcuts."

Rousseff was commended several times by audience members, which included PT activists, trade unionists, members of the MST (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra) and families benefitting from the Brazilian housing program "Minha Casa, Minha Vida" ("My House, My Life").

"No to the coup", the president's sympathizers shouted at various points, interrupting her speech.

Leaders of the opposition mobilized this week to pave the way for impeachment proceedings, to charge Eduardo Cunha (PMDB-RJ), president of the lower House of Congress, with a response to the various requests presented against Rousseff.

Translated by SUGHEY RAMIREZ

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	Roberto Stuckert Filho/Divulgação/PR
	Rousseff said in a radio interview that attempting to use a crisis to take power is a "modern version of a coup"