BRAZILIAN President Dilma Rousseff vowed to “defend democracy” on Tuesday after her opposition-party deputy accidentally leaked his inauguration speech drafted for the event of her removal by impeachment.

Vice-President Michel Temer sent a 13-minute recording of his planned speech to fellow congress members ahead of the lower house’s vote on whether to impeach Ms Rousseff.

Mr Temer claimed he had not meant to send the speech via an instant messaging application.