Anti-corruption, Political Backlash, and Brazil’s Illiberal Turn

This article investigates how Brazil’s massive anti-corruption surge, epitomized by the criminal investigation known as Operation Car Wash, contributed to rising illiberalism. Drawing on an analysis of the political dynamics of anti-corruption in the last decades, we explore two interrelated mechanisms. The first is the delegitimization of political elites: by imposing severe costs on once-powerful political actors, the investigation opened space for new forces to arise, culminating in the election of Jair Bolsonaro, whose presidency tested the resilience of the country’s liberal institutions. The second is political backlash: both emerging and established actors cooperated to curb the independence and powers of oversight institutions, including those that had spearheaded the anti-corruption surge. While recognizing that other factors also shaped this outcome, we argue that illiberalism was, to an important extent, an unanticipated consequence of the anti-corruption drive—yet this illiberal potential ultimately could not be fully weaponized due to political and institutional constraints. Our findings contribute to debates on the consequences of anti-corruption, providing nuance on the conditions under which it may help unleash illiberal forces.