the electoral triumph of Jair Messias Bolson ring in the presidential candidacy of Brazil by the PSL (Social Liberal Party), we can understand from the theoretical perspective of right-wing populism proposed by the Belgian political scientist Chantal Moufee. According to her, the main factor for the emergence of this political phenomenon is the narrowing of democracy produced by the consensus of the center-left and center-right policies.
This political strategy that was established in Latin America in the 1990s under the demands of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, is a form of Government that would have encouraged a process of loss of interest in politics by citizens in the absence of anything really in dispute.
In this regard, the Governments of the PT (workers party) led by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff, to ensure governance of their progressive left-wing governments had made alliances with the center-right. Remember to the current President of Brazil Michel fear – that comes to power after the impeachment-, was Vice President of former President Rousseff and form part of the PDMB (Party of the movement Democratic Brazilian) party, which is center-right.
Now, in addition, that the PT to the center-right’s advocate mortgaged their identity of left-wing party to accept the rules of the game of corruption of the Brazilian political system and the economic elite. But we must not ignore the strides in equality and progressive politics, the Brazilian left has to make a self-criticism in regards to cases of corruption and macroeconomic management during the economic crisis which hit Brazil .
In this context, the far right was gaining ground to build a “we” through the exaltation of passion in a population that was devoid of an alternative to the policy of agreements between four walls (in some cases with suitcases full of real ), unfortunately this collective identity was developed from authoritarian political symbols.
After this legitimate electoral defeat of the Brazilian left, it should rethink its strategy and political horizon. As we have seen in the last few weeks the appeal to reason to voter Bolsonaro – who believe in the fake news blindly, without any reflection or verification with reliable sources – has not given results that are expected. This is because the PT did a campaign to regain the trust of voters or where outlining the desire to make a real change to the establishment that is what was called into question.
So the progressive forces can defeat the populist right must arise a new left who is able to mobilize majorities that PT lost, through a pluralistic democratic discourse that emphasizes the need to recover an identity popular with differentiating policies that promote the overcoming of the culture of corruption and aspire to the construction of a free and egalitarian country.
Poured in this op-ed content is the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial line nor the counter position.
