The Senate trial is expected to result in her removal from office and the installation of Michel Temer as permanent President before the start of the Paralympic Games.

Rousseff is charged with spending without Congressional approval as well as manipulating Government accounts to mask the extent of the budget deficit during her 2014 re-election campaign.

Witnesses are testifying today and Rousseff herself is expected to appear on Monday (August 29).

A final vote is then expected late on Tuesday (August 30) or early the following day.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Ricardo Lewandowski urged senators to act as neutral judges during the trial despite their political affiliations.

But proceedings have already been briefly halted today when a verbal row broke out between senators.

Fifty-four of the 81 Senators need to vote in favour of the impeachment motion for it to be passed.

A study carried out by Globo has claimed that 52 are currently planning to vote against her, with only 19 supporting her and 10 yet to decide.

The trial had originally been expected to begin in early August, but was pushed back, partly in order to avoid a clash with Rio 2016.

Sporadic protests took place here during the Games, but the issue never overshadowed the sport.

There remains a concern, however, that an impeachment decision could cause chaos ahead of the Paralympic Games which are due to open on September 7.

Such an outcome would mean interim President Temer, who was heavily booed at the Olympic Opening Ceremony, would serve the final two years of Rousseff’s four year term.

As Rousseff’s former vice-president, he is also accused of many of the same allegations.

"I can say that if impeachment goes ahead, without a crime of responsibility, it will be a coup," Rousseff wrote last week. 

"The electoral college of 110 million people will be substituted by an electoral college of 81 senators."