SAO PAULO — Protesters massed in Brazil’s largest city Sunday to call for the president to be removed from office and to express discontent at a host of his policies.
President Michel Temer has suffered a continual drip of scandal and high-level resignations since he took office six months ago. But on Friday reports accused him of abusing his power to do a personal favor for one of his Cabinet ministers. He denied the allegation.
Opposition politicians have promised to introduce measures in Congress calling for Temer’s impeachment.
On Sunday, hundreds of people gathered on a main avenue in Sao Paulo to call for just that. Representatives from political parties and social movements also protested against the government’s proposal to cap spending to rein in the deficit, which many fear will result in deep cuts to education and health care.
Others were protesting rampant corruption in politics, criticizing not just the current administration.
Many criticized the way Temer came to power. He was the vice president to President Dilma Rousseff, who was impeached and removed from office earlier this year, and protesters said that meant he had no mandate to pass widespread changes in government programs. Temer has pursued a series of austerity policies that he says are necessary to pull Latin America’s largest economy out of a deep recession.
Congress is considering anti-corruption legislation, but many Brazilians worry that one measure meant to crack down on off-the-books campaign slush funds might be used to pardon politicians who engaged in the practice in the past. Temer said Sunday that he would not allow any amnesty for such practices.