It’s the kind of news no leader facing impeachment wants to hear.
Yet another political party is backing out of embattled Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s coalition government, leaving her even more isolated as the lower house of Congress is on the verge of deciding whether she should be impeached.
Brazil’s Progressive Party announced Tuesday that it’s splitting from the coalition, according to the state-run Agencia Brasil.
There are 47 lawmakers from the party in the lower house.
For Rousseff to be impeached, at least 342 (two-thirds) of the 513 members of the lower house must support the move.
If they do, the case will then be sent to the Senate, where a majority of senators would have to begin an impeachment trial.
On Monday, a congressional committee in the lower house voted in favor of impeaching Rousseff.
The impeachment proposal will now be taken to the full session of the lower house, where representatives will begin debating on Friday. The final vote is expected to occur Sunday.
Lawmakers accuse Rousseff of hiding a budgetary deficit to win re-election in 2014. Her presidency has been rocked by a massive corruption scandal, accusations of cronyism and a deepening recession.
Among those under investigation is the president of the lower house, Eduardo Cunha, who is leading the calls for Rousseff’s impeachment.
Rousseff has accused Cunha and his supporters of “staging a coup” against her.
If Rousseff is impeached, Vice President Michel Temer would assume the presidency.