Brasilia - A corruption scandal at state-run oil company Petrobras has entered a volatile new phase that could lead to jail for some of Brazil's best-known politicians and business leaders while making a likely recession even worse.
A prosecutor's motion on Tuesday to open investigations against 54 individuals, reportedly including the leaders of both chambers of Congress, means a swathe of Brazil's political elite now feels threatened.
The real-world consequences were made clear right away, as the head of the Senate lashed out by cancelling a presidential decree critical to President Dilma Rousseff's plans to close a gaping hole in her government's budget.