Brazil’s new president has appealed for national unity after lawmakers voted to remove Dilma Rousseff from the office Wednesday. In a speech to the nation, President Michel Temer said the vote in the Senate was open and democratic. He called it a moment of hope to reclaim confidence in Brazil. And he urged Brazilians to put the national interest above group interests. The Senate impeachment and conviction of Rousseff ends 13 years of rule by the Workers Party of Rousseff and former president Louis Ignacio Lula da Silva. The Senate voted 61 to 20 to end the presidency of Brazil's first female leader. She was found guilty of violating budgetary laws in an effort to improve her chances of re-election in 2014. Rousseff faced questions about the case for 14 hours on Monday. Her removal raises questions about the future of social programs, which are said to have lifted millions of Brazilians out of poverty. After the vote, Rousseff called her removal an attempt to seize power and restated that she was innocent of the charges.
