A recording reveals a possible plot against Dilma Rousseff

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil's interim president, Michel Temer, and suffered his first setback in his campaign to win over the country. Monday made public a report prepared from recordings suggesting that one of his ministers participated in a plot to put aside the investigation of corruption in the national oil company, Petrobras, to promote political judgment against the president Dilma Rousseff.

Despite denying accusations of misconduct, Minister Romero Juca, of great influence in the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), he announced that it would depart from office Tuesday and return to the Senate. Earlier, Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo published extracts from a taped conversation between Jucá and management of a company that reveal how tried to stop the investigation, which just taking off at the time, its course.

Temer assumed the presidency temporarily on 12 May after Rousseff was suspended for a period of 180 days after the Senate vote that initiated the impeachment against the president.

On reaching the office, Temer replaced the entire cabinet to regain the trust of Brazilians and investors in an attempt to show that he can find his way out of the economic crisis facing the country, the worst in decades. However, several of his ministers are under investigation for corruption.

The new charges will surely lead to greater questioning of the reasons that led to the trial of President Rousseff. And besides, could mean greater scrutiny of ministers involved in legal proceedings for corruption.

According to Folha de S. Paulo, Sergio Machado Jucá spoke with the president of Transpetro, a subsidiary of Petrobras company. Machado left office after being implicated in the scandal Petrobras.

The recording of the conversation, which took place in March, suggests that Jucá agreed to impede the investigation, maybe even stop it. It also suggests that the impeachment of the president was part of the same plan.

At a time of recording, Machado refers to his desire "Dilma output".

Then he said Temer "form a national unity government, get a global agreement and protect Lula and everyone else. The country will return to calm. " Lula is the nickname of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Rousseff's predecessor and mentor, also the founder also of the Workers Party.

Jucá replied: "I think it has to be a covenant."

Da Silva also faces multiple charges in research on Petrobras. Although he no longer enjoys the same popularity, it has long been able to cultivate good relations with members across the political spectrum in Congress.

In fact, when still was President took the decision to form a coalition government with the PMDB and avoid political reform, reinforcing the power of the party and, ultimately, he led to the suspension of Dilma Rousseff.