COVID-19 as a Catalyst for Hegemonic Change? Exposing Neoliberal and Neoconservative Threats to the Brazilian Liberal Democracy

The ongoing Covid-19 crisis has highlighted our collective inability to effectively manage pandemics, with many states and politicians deliberately undermining state capacities and weakening our social fabric.It is crucial, therefore, to comprehend the reasons behind our intentional impoverishment.Drawing on Critical Theory, which is rooted in historical and materialistic analysis, I aim to demonstrate that the Covid-19 pandemic is not an isolated crisis but rather a manifestation of broader ongoing crises.To achieve this objective, we first seek to uncover the influence of neoliberalism on the current pandemic.Subsequently, through a case study of Brazil, we intend to illuminate the impact of neoliberalism and neoconservatism on the Covid-19 catastrophe, which has exacerbated the erosion of Brazil's liberal democracy.We argue that these two ideologies/policies have eroded the relationship between the Brazilian state and its citizens.Therefore, this comprehensive investigation has the potential to contribute to our understanding of the present-day neoliberal organic crisis and the threats it poses to democracies worldwide.