Brazil speaker and government fan impeachment fire with exchange of barbs

Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff speaks during a news conference at the Planalto Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil December 2, 2015. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's presidential chief of staff traded barbs with the speaker of the lower house of Congress on Thursday as President Dilma Rousseff's government marshalled its defence for the impeachment proceedings launched against her on Wednesday.

With each camp branding the other liars, the unpopular president looked likely to face a drawn-out battle to stay in office at a time when Latin America's largest economy is reeling from a deep recession and a vast corruption scandal.