Brazil Congress moves to shield itself as amnesty push looms

POLITICS AND JUSTICE

Congress moves to shield itself as amnesty push looms

Pushed around by the opposition, House Speaker Hugo Motta has tended to side with whoever yells the loudest. Photo: Lula Marques/EBC

Brazil’s lower house approved a constitutional amendment that would make it nearly impossible to hold lawmakers legally accountable for crimes. The measure cleared the chamber with backing from both government allies and the opposition, easily surpassing the required 60% supermajority in two rounds of voting.

The bill still needs approval from the Senate, where resistance could emerge. “The Senate must bury this proposal,” Senator Otto Alencar, chair of the upper chamber’s Constitution and Justice Committee, said on Wednesday…

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