Reuters - 6/24/13, By Brad Haynes and Maria Carolina Marcello

Demonstrators gather during a protest as police officers stand guard in central Rio de Janeiro June 24, 2013. Credit: REUTERS/Lucas Landau

(Reuters) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff sought to overcome a sudden wave of national discontent with a surprising call on Monday for a referendum on what would be the country's most ambitious political reform in decades.

Rouseff proposed a national vote on amending Brazil's constitution in a meeting with governors and mayors the week after the country's largest protests in 20 years jolted politicians of all stripes. It immediately raised questions about whether she could deliver on such an undertaking as she heads to what may be a more difficult re-election in 2014.

More: Reuters

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