Brazil is ripe for a coup d'tat, or a revolution, it can't decide which . . .

Brazil Descends Into Chaos As Rousseff, Lula Wiretaps Trigger Mass Protests

. . . and with the internal stresses it probably won't have to wait long to find out. 

Recordings "suggest that Rousseff did indeed offer Lula the ministry post in order to shield him from prosecution.

The most damning call was recorded on Wednesday afternoon, when Rousseff can be heard telling Lula that she is sending him his ministerial papers “in case of necessity.” Obviously, that sounds a lot like an attempt to make sure Lula has proof of his new position in case authorities come to arrest him before he’s sworn in. In Brazil, ministers can only be tried in the Supreme Court which, as you might imagine, could take virtually forever compared to lower courts.

Lula was questioned earlier this month in connection with the possibility that he received luxury properties in exchange for favors tied to the Petrobras scandal."

* * * 

"Rousseff now intends to take legal action against Moro for "breaking the constitution. Here's a summary of Rousseff's comments, some of which are outright hilarious in light of the circumstances:

Says justice system should be focused on proof
There’s no justification for selective leaks in probes
There’s no justice when constitutional guarantees are violated
We want to know who authorized phone taps between her and Lula
This is a serious act
Says she has always defended the search for truth
Convulsing society based on lies is serious, coups can start that way
Says she won’t retreat from what happened yesterday
Brazil fights corruption, respects individual rights
Brazil counts on my work and determination
Says she counts on Lula’s experience, his ability to understand the people
Whoever bet on my separation from Lula was wrong
Brazil confronting economic, political difficulties
At this moment, we have to be together for Brazil
We have to leave political paralysis behind us
We want to reduce inflation, are acting to recover employment
We extend an open hand to all who want best for Brazil
People wanting coup won’t pull us off our path, won’t bring people to their knees

A lawyer for Lula called Moro's release of the tapes "arbitrary."

Right. "Arbitrary." In fact, there was nothing "arbitrary" about it. Moro was due to decide on whether to arrest Lula this week and effectively, he and Rousseff were about to circumvent the entire investigation by using ministerial immunity to keep the car wash probe from reaching any higher up in the government than it already has. In other words, it was now or never for Moro and as you might have noticed, he isn't one to let things go. 

The release of the tapes led to a raucous session in Congress where some lawmakers chanted for Rousseff's head, figuratively speaking... we think. Here are some clips from the protests that swept the country on Wednesday: [click through to site for video clips]

This, ladies and gentlemen, is what's called chaos. Just ask Delcídio do Amaral, the senator whose testimony has only added to Rousseff's troubles. "I am a prophet of chaos," he told reporters after the court accepted his plea deal.

According to Eurasia, the leaked phone calls put Rousseff on the brink of impeachment, with odds of her ouster now rising to 75%. A vote, Eurasia says, could come as early as May."

Brazil is in what appears to be absolute chaos, and even Rousseff understands the threat of coup d'tat is high. This will need to be resolved, let's hope that the democratic process will be observed, if not, the chance of military action becomes unacceptably high. 

This will do nothing for the economic conditions in South America, or the world. It would seem when it rains, it pours, and in Brazil it is raining a new record.