The Brazilian Nightmare: Conservatism, neoliberalism and intense neoextrativism

In the 2010s, conservative leaderships dominated governments in many western democracies. In this wave, Jair Bolsonaro was elected President of Brazil in 2018. This paper aims analyzing some of the government’s central strategies, especially the promotion of an intense neoextrativism as the main driver of economic growth, representing a new form of alliance between conservatism and neoliberalism. The disruption of environmental policies in Brazil is a main feature of this model. This paper makes a document and descriptive statistical analysis to show how this strategy is practiced, underlining its most important consequences. Our research has identified and described four strategies adopted by Bolsonaro’s Government that heighten this situation: the dismantling of spaces for social participation, militarization of environmental agencies, institutional breakdown, and cuts in budget resources. Finally, we alert about the severe consequences of this situation, which affects Brazilians and the global capacity to face environmental challenges.