Brazilian Senators launched the impeachment trial of Brazil's suspended president on Thursday, expected to end 13 years of leftist rule in Latin America's biggest economy.
The warm vibe of the Rio Olympic Games faded and tension returned as the emotionally charged affair neared its climax, with Rousseff facing removal from office within days.
Chief justice Ricardo Lewandowski declared the trial open and later briefly suspended it as senators yelled at each other while debating procedural matters.
Media calculate that a majority of Senators will find Rousseff, 68, guilty of cooking the budget books to mask the depth of economic problems during her 2014 reelection campaign.
If she is removed from office, her center-right former vice president turned rival Michel Temer will be sworn in to serve until 2018.
"Senators, now you must turn into judges and set aside your ideological, partisan and personal positions," Lewandowski told the house.
But the impeachment affair is heavily politically charged.
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