BRASÍLIA: Suspended president Dilma Rousseff arrived Monday at Brazil's Senate for a dramatic finale to an impeachment trial likely ending 13 years of leftist rule in Latin America's biggest country.
Rousseff, 68, was greeted by cheering supporters as she arrived in the Senate to testify for the first time in her defence, just hours before senators were to start voting on her fate.
"Dilma, warrior of the Brazilian homeland!" the crowd of supporters shouted.
Rousseff is accused of having taken illegal state loans to patch budget holes. Momentum to push her out is also fueled by deep anger at Brazil's historic recession, political paralysis and a vast corruption scandal centered on state oil giant Petrobras.
The first female president of Brazil, who says she did nothing worthy of impeachment, was to speak for about half an hour from the podium, then face questioning from allies and opponents.
It was unclear whether Rousseff would repeat her explosive claim on the Senate floor that the trial is a coup d'etat aimed at destroying her Workers' Party and restoring the right to power.
However, the packed Senate chamber crackled with tension.
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