Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff has let her Defence Minister Nelson Jobim go after he made disparaging remarks about fellow ministers. Jobim reportedly called one fellow minister a "weakling" and described others as "idiots".

Jobim is the third minister to lose his job since Rousseff's inauguration in January. He will be replaced by former foreign minister Celso Amorim. Jobim is one of several ministers who also served under Rousseff's predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

It has been reported in recent weeks that Jobim has been making crude remarks about fellow ministers; he went even further at an opposition event by saying he was surrounded by "idiots".

There has also been speculation that Jobim was disgruntled with Rousseff for overruling him on a multi-billion dollar contract to buy fighter jets. He caused further controversy when he admitted in a television interview that he had voted for Rousseff's opponent Jose Serra in last year's presidential election.

Jobim is the third minister to go since Rousseff took office on 1st January. Last month, her Transport Minister Alfredo Nascimento resigned over a corruption scandal and in June her chief of staff, Antonio Palocci, stepped down in the face of questions about his rapid accumulation of personal wealth.

Sources: BBC News, Reuters, The Guardian

For more news and expert analysis about Brazil, please see Brazil Focus.

Brazil: President Rousseff's chief of staff resigns

President Dilma Rousseff's Chief of Staff Antonio Palocci has resigned over corruption allegations and the controversy surrounding his massive personal fortune. Palocci's resignation followed reports in the Brazilian media, saying his personal wealth had increased twentyfold over the course of the last four years. The former chief of staff has denied all allegations.

The scandal - which commenced almost three weeks ago when the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper reported Palocci's net worth - is a big blow to Rousseff, who took-up office only six months ago.

Before resigning from his post Palocci said the attorney general had confirmed "the legality and rectitude" of his conduct, but that the continuing "thrashing" the government was receiving over this issue could harm Rousseff and her administration.

Upon news of Palocci's resignation, Rousseff thanked Palocci for his “valuable” work and said she regretted his departure. This is the second time Palocci has resigned from public office. In 2006, he stepped down from his post as finance minister over similar corruption allegations. He was later cleared.

Sources: BBC News, Bernama, Reuters

or more news and expert analysis about Brazil, please see Brazil Focus.