The Invisible Hand At Play. Unveiling The Impact Of Austerity On Memory In Brazil

Abstract

This paper analyzes the relationship between the politics of memory, austerity measures, the implications of neoliberalism, and the importance of collective agency in Brazil. The study analyzes how implementing austerity measures between 2016 and 2022 affected government spending on initiatives related to the country's memory of the dictatorship. The reduced funding from measures such as the Expanding Cap Amendment harmed several ongoing projects. The article discusses the broader impact of neoliberalism on memory through the perspective that neoliberal reasoning might be apathetic to collective memory, but, by doing so, it may become an incubator of authoritarian practices. Thus, collective agency and a broader role of civil society are cornerstones in transmitting collective memories of a violent past.

Keywords

• politics of memory
• austerity
• neoliberalism
• collective agency