Brazil emerged from its deepest recession on record in the first quarter, but a fresh political scandal could slam the beleaguered economy right back into its hole.

Gross domestic product expanded 1 percent in the first three months of 2017 compared with the previous quarter, led by a strong performance of the agricultural sector, and in line with market expectations. From a year earlier, the economy contracted 0.4 percent, the national statistics institute said in a statement on Thursday.