Brazil’s President Michel Temer has survived another key vote to avoid being put on trial for corruption charges.
Opposition lawmakers did not secure enough votes in the lower house of Congress late Wednesday to put Temer on trial for charges of obstruction of justice and leading a criminal organization.
In order to avoid suspension, Temer needed 172 votes from the 513-seat house. But 251 voted in favor of Temer.
Temer survived a similar vote in August on a separate bribery charge.
Temer took office about a year ago, after Dilma Rousseff was impeached and removed as president for improperly handling government finances.
Temer is accused of corruption after a close aide was given $150,000 in cash, part of $12 million in bribes prosecutors allege he and the aide were to receive after intervening in a business deal.
He has denied all wrongdoing.
During her impeachment, Rousseff accused Temer, her former vice president, of a coup and said he was trying to usurp her.
Since taking over, Temer has been hit by one scandal after another. And with his 5 percent approval rating even lower than Rousseff’s was, Brazilians are wondering whether his government is even more compromised than the one it forced out.
The 77-year-old leader was hospitalized before the vote for a urinary obstruction, but was released before the vote ended.
