(ATR) Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff will play no part in the Rio Olympics after the senate on Thursday voted 55-22 to impeach her.
The first female president of Brazil was suspended and will now face an impeachment trial following the senate vote that came after an all-nightsession.
She is accused of allegedly manipulating finances to hide the scale of the public deficit ahead of her re-election in 2014. Rousseff denies any wrongdoing and has labeled her impeachment a "coup".
Vice-president Michel Temer will replace Rousseff as president until the trial is concluded. It could take up to 180 days.
The suspension means she will be forced to miss the Rio Games, the first Olympics in South America, which open on Aug. 5.
IOC president Thomas Bach shrugged off Rousseff's suspension, suggesting it wouldn't hurt Rio 2016's final preparations for the Games.
In a statement sent to Around the Rings, he said:"There is strong support for the Olympic Games in Brazil and we look forward to working with the new government to deliver successful Games in Rio this summer.
"Preparations for the Olympic Games have now entered into a very operational phase and issues such as these have much less influence than at other stages of organising the Olympic Games."
Bach added: "We have seen the great progress being made in Rio de Janeiro and we remain confident about the success of the Olympic Games in August."
The IOC chief said theBrazilian people would deliver a memorable Olympics full of passion for sport, while the Games would deliver a tangible legacy and "provide an important opportunity to unite the people of Brazil no matter their background or political views".
"It will be a moment for Brazil to show to the world its determination to overcome the present crisis. These will be Brazil's Games," he said.
A subdued mood captured Brasilia in the days leading up to the vote. According to media reports, Rousseff had cleared out her office before the Senate vote and staffers were unsure what would happening in the upcoming months.
Voting took oil place early in the Brazilian morning, as Senators spoke for close to 20 hours about their reasonings voting for or against authorizing the trial. Only a simple majority was needed to begin the trial, which was easily achieved.
Now, Rousseff is expected to address the Brazilian people on May 12 as she departs the Presidential Palace. Local reports said Rousseff was planning on exiting from the front of the building, not the ceremonial ramp that all presidents walk up and down when entering and exiting office. Such action suggests Rousseff will not resign and continue to fight the charges, which has been her stance throughout the process.
Temer's appointment will certainly bring a new cabinet, meaning Ricardo Leyser could be removed as sports minister. It is unlikely Leyser will be removed from the sports ministry entirely, but it would mark the third sports minister the country has had since March.
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Reported by Mark Bisson
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