Democracy under pressure:

crisis and sequence of autocratization in Brazil

Abstract

Throughout the last decade, marked by the third wave of autocratization, Brazilian democracy has faced a profound crisis, constituting one of the most important cases of autocratization at the global level. Building upon the theoretical proposals associated with the concept of autocratization developed in Political Science, this article aims to analyse the sequence of autocratization in Brazil throughout the last decade, seeking to establish a global and panoramic view of the process. Considering both the aspects associated with the actor/agency and the structural/contextual elements, as well as the interaction they establish between themselves, the article argues that the crisis of Brazilian democracy did not start in 2018, with Jair Bolsonaro's election to the presidency, and did not end with his electoral defeat in 2022. Bolsonaro's election constitutes another symptom (in any case fundamental!) of this crisis, with Brazilian democracy remaining exposed to relevant autocratization risks that deserve consideration and discussion in this new political phase related to Lula's return to the presidency. The prospects of Brazilian democracy depends on its resolution and on the action of pro-democracy actors.