The Faces of Authoritarianism and Strategies of Dissent in Contemporary Brazil

Rather than looking back into Brazil’s authoritarian past, the Bolsonaro administration (2019–2022) provides an innovative case study through which to explore Brazil’s manifold and recurring expressions of authoritarianism. This book investigates the ways that authoritarianism most recently emerged and how it was confronted, and, in doing so, the varied ways (and spaces) in which struggles over the meaning and practice of democracy that took place during the period.

The Faces of Authoritarianism and Strategies of Dissent in Contemporary Brazil examines repression and dissent: efforts to dismantle democratic foundations alongside forms of contestation and resistance to authoritarianism. The chapters offer valuable theoretical and ethnographic insights, from interdisciplinary perspectives, into the complex realities that Brazilians experienced in the four years of Bolsonaro’s presidency. The book is organised around four sections, each addressing a core area where democracy, as meaning and practice, was contested, attacked and defended. This is shown not only between Bolsonaro’s government and those who resisted it from within and outside the state, but also between state and non-state actors and between public and private sectors, allowing for a broad view of the country’s polarised political landscape and the impact such struggles have had on civil society.

Praise for The Faces of Authoritarianism and Strategies of Dissent in Contemporary Brazil

‘An extraordinary analysis of how Brazil’s far right built cultural hegemony before seizing institutional power. It unpacks both the circumstances and the structures behind this rise – and, crucially, shows that the battle is far from over. A vital lens on contemporary global politics.’
Gabriel Feltran, Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics, Sciences Po, Paris.

‘Bringing together diverse interdisciplinary perspectives, this book offers a timely exploration of Brazil’s recent political experiences with authoritarianism and resistance, making it essential reading for those concerned with democracy’s future – in Brazil and beyond.’ Malu. A. C. Gatto, UCL

‘A timely contribution that explores not only the rise of right-wing authoritarianism in Brazil, but different forms of resistance that have emerged from efforts to push back. This is an important book that paints a sobering picture of how democracy is under threat in contemporary Brazil.’
Dr Jeff Garmany, University of Melbourne