As Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff faces trial following impeachment and suspension by the senate, Vice-President Michel Temer will now assume the role of president for the time being.

Although Temer was born in Brazil, his parents emigrated from the village of Btaaboura in Lebanon. He takes on the role of president amidst a massive economic recession and as numerous politicians, including Temer, face corruption charges even more serious than those plaguing Rousseff.

Temer holds a doctorate from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo and formerly served as state prosecutor and as state secretary for public security. Starting in 1987, he served six consecutive terms in Brazil's Chamber of Deputies.

He went on to become the chairman of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, which allied with Rousseff's Workers' party in 2007. This eventually lead to Temer's selection as Rousseff's vice-president when she took office in 2011.

Rousseff's trial could take up to 180 days, meaning Temer will likely be presiding over the country during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, starting on August 5.