Neoliberalism, Populism, Fascism: The Implosion of Democracy in Brazil

Tuesday, 9 October, 5-7PM

Room: Djam Lecture Theatre (DLT), SOAS Main Building

Brazil is in turmoil. The country is going through its deepest economic crisis in recorded history, and an unprecedented political crisis, which has led to the removal of President Dilma Rousseff and the imprisonment of former President Lula. The far right has gained a mass following for the first time in decades. Yet, the left has managed to mount a surprising comeback in recent months. This panel will examine the trajectory of the administrations led by the Workers' Party, the background to the coup d'état of 2016, the costs of the radical neoliberal programme of the Temer administration, and the prospects for the new President. Can democracy survive in Latin America's largest country? How can economic, political and social rights be protected in the next administration? Does the far right have a future, and what are the prospects for the left? The panel includes contributions from a range of perspectives analysing how the current crisis in Brazil is unfolding and what the future holds..

Alfredo Saad-Filho is Professor of Political Economy in the Department of Development Studies at SOAS. He has written extensively on neoliberalism and its implications for developing countries. His books include The Value of Marx: Political Economy for Contemporary Capitalism (2002), Marx's Capital 6th ed. (with Ben Fine, 2016), and most recently, Brazil: Neoliberalism vs Democracy (with Lecio Morais, 2017).

Anthony Pereira is Professor at King's College London and the director of King's Brazil Institute. He has written widely on Brazil, authoritarianism and neoliberalism. His books include The End of the Peasantry: the Emergence of the Rural Labor Movement in Northeast Brazil, 1961-1998(1997), and Political (In)justice: Authoritarianism and the Rule of Law in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina (2005, with a Brazilian edition released in 2010).

Marieke Riethof is Lecturer in Latin American Politics in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures at the University of Liverpool. Her research focuses on the political strategies of labour movements in Brazil. Her books include Labour Relations in Development (2002, with A.E. Fernandez Jilberto) and most recently, Labour Mobilization, Politics and Globalization in Brazil: Between Militancy and Moderation (2018).

Pedro Loureiro is a University Lecturer in Latin American Studies at the Centre of Latin American Studies at Cambridge. He has written widely on the political economy of Latin America dealing with inequality, structural change and development strategies. He has published articles on topics ranging from Marxism to the Pink Tide in Latin America.

Francisco Dominguez is Senior Lecturer in the Business School at Middlesex University London. He has written extensively on development and political change within Latin America. His books include Identity and Discursive Practices: Spain and Latin America (2000), Right-wing Politics in the New Latin America: Reaction and Revolt (with Geraldine Lievesley and Steve Ludlam, 2011).

All welcome, no need to book but please do arrive early to be sure of a seat.

Historical Materialism is a Marxist journal, appearing 4 times a year, based in London. Founded in 1997 it asserts that, not withstanding the variety of its practical and theoretical articulations, Marxism constitutes the most fertile conceptual framework for analysing social phenomena, with an eye to their overhaul. In our selection of material we do not favour any one tendency, tradition or variant. Marx demanded the 'Merciless criticism of everything that exists': for us that includes Marxism itself.