The government of President Michel Temer in Brazil managed to secure Congress approval to a key austerity package. The decision was seen as big victory for the administration if is a potentially unpopular one.

CCTV America’s Paulo Cabral reports.

There were protests in different parts of Brazil against the approval by Congress of an austerity package freezing public expenditure for 20 years. The government said it’s essential for the country to go back to sustainable growth but for protesters here it will mainly limit essential investment in areas like healthcare and education.

On the other hand, the Congress decision was well received by financial markets and most economists that see few other options for president Temer right now.

But despite experts’ opinions, the governments’ low popularity makes it harder to push ahead with the economic reforms. Temer’s image took a new hit recently.

As leaked testimony given in the Car Wash corruption probe connects him to about $3 million allegedly paid by construction company Odebrecht to his party. The allegations led to the resignation, this Wednesday, of one of Temers’ closest advisers.

Supporters of Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment said at the time that removing the Workers Party President would help restore the country’s political stability and its credibility. And that it would create the conditions for Brazil’s economy to recover from its worst economic crisis in decades. But none of that has happened yet.

There’s already discussion in Brazil whether this government could be at risk of coming down as it happened to the previous administration.