(cnn)hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in cities across brazil this weekend, incensed by serious economic woes and a massive scandal involving the country's oil company the demonstrators have called for president dilma rousseff to be impeached cnn correspondent shasta darlington, who lives in sao paulo, explains who the demonstrators are, why they're mad and what could be in store for the president and the country what do the protesters want? they're angry about the country's economy being in shambles at a time when political corruption at the highest levels of government is alleged if it were just one of those things, maybe we wouldn't be seeing this kind of turnout because brazilians have lived with corruption for decades and the economy was not doing well before the presidential election in october but it's all come to a head political corruptionlet's break that down what's the scandal about? petrobras is the national oil company it's one of the most powerful, richest companies in the countryand has been counted among the largest in the world it was very respected people invested in it rousseff, who won election in october by a slim margin, wasbefore becoming presidentthe chairwoman of petrobras' board of directors she was chairwoman during much of the time that former oil company executives have told investigators that bribes were paid to petrabras executives and politicians in order to secure contracts from petrobras in early march, the country's highest court authorized the investigation which involves about 40 politicians, many of them from the president's ruling workers' party and the speakers of the house and senate but rousseff hasn't been accused of anything, right? right she's not being investigated protesters' call for impeachmentthe formal process of accusing, because she's not been accused of anythinglooks very unlikely but, the public perception is that even if she didn't personally profit for this scheme, she was still the chairwoman at a time when it was supposedly happening and she should be held accountable has she responded to the protesters? she has what she says is that she will not stand for corruption and she's rooting it out as proof, she contends, she's given her attorney general free rein to investigate who is stealing from the state oil company it's important to know that the petrobras scandal has been known publicly for at least a year and during rousseff's election campaign, she said over and over that she would root out corruption it's also interesting that she isn't lashing out at protesters she is saying she won't put up with violenceand so far the protests haven't gotten violent but she says that brazil is a democratic country and people have the right to protest she comes from a left wing background so that approach is fitting you brought up that she is from the left wing workers' party how is that significant? the protests were mostly organized by the right wing party that opposes roussefforganized by people who didn't vote for her there aren't people out today protesting the next demonstrations are scheduled for april 12 i guess that goes to how organized these demonstrations really aresetting an advance date like that yes, well, that's brazil it's so the word can get out on social media if she's not accused of anything and the protests are politically motivated, will the protests affect her presidency? rousseff has four years ahead of her, it could end up being very hard for her govern she won a little over half the vote in october and the people who didn't vote for her are still making their voices heard and this petrobras scandal is a problem why was the election so close? you have to bring it back to the economy it had been slowing down, and traditionally the wealthier parts of the country like sao paulo haven't voted for rousseff's party, the workers' party the country is at 75% inflation the april 12 protest is ahead but three or four months down the road, what might happen? the senate and house speakers are rousseff's allies and they are among those implicated in the petrobras scheme what if she isn't able to get badly needed legislation? what will she do? what will be party do? these questions are hard to answer now cnn's ashley fantz in atlanta talked with cnn's shasta darlington who lives and reports in brazil
shasta darlington sao paulo cnn
cnn's shasta darlington, who lives in sao paulo, explains who protesters are and what they want  demonstrators are angry about a massive scandal involving state oil company  protesters also are incensed about a stumbling economy 