The impeachment trial of Brazil's first woman president, Dilma Rousseff, got underway Thursday with high expectations that the suspended leader of Latin America's biggest economy will be sacked within days.

The Senate session was opened by the Supreme Court president, Ricardo Lewandowski.

A vote, requiring a two-thirds majority of the 81 senators to remove Rousseff from office, is expected until early next week. She is accused of breaking budgetary laws.