Bolsonaro's government and the dismantling of the participative institutions in environmental policy

Abstract

In 2018, Jair Bolsonaro won the Brazilian presidential election with the political support of conservative groups and large business groups that aimed to intensify a neoextractivist model of economic growth, leading to severe environmental damage. This article analyzes the first years of this government to understand how conservative neopopulism associates economic growth strategies with brusque changes regarding the environment. We have identified the main measures adopted in the environmental arena, observing changes in the legislation, management bodies, and spaces available for civil society participation. This analysis demonstrates how Bolsonaro's government destroyed the institutional bases established during Brazilian redemocratization to intensify the neo-extractivism model and gratify its supporters. Furthermore, we discuss how this dismantling of environmental governance implies grave consequences for the ecosystems, indigenous people, and other traditional populations.