Weekly Report - 10 December 2015 (WR-15-49)

The leaking of a remarkable letter from Vice-President Michel Temer to President Dilma Rousseff detailing a long list of grievances from their working relationship has put new strain on the coalition between the Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) and the Partido do Movimento Democrático Brasileiro (PMDB). If Rousseff is to survive the impeachment process she will need the support of at least some of the PMDB. Temer was thought to belong to a loyal faction of the fractious party, but the letter throws into question just how many of the PMDB’s deputies will support Rousseff.