Moments ago, in the first of two closely anticipated and watched votes, a special committee in Brazil’s lower house voted 38 to 27 to begin the impeachment process against president Dilma Rousseff.
The committee voted on a report presented last week that concluded Rousseff bypassed Congress in authorizing credits to mask a growing budget deficit. While the report is not binding, the vote to confirm or reject it is the first real barometer on the prospect for impeachment.