“Bolsa-farelo”: disputas ideológicas em torno do Programa Auxílio Brasil

Abstract

The object of analysis in this monograph is the ideological positions and tensions perceived in the Deliberative Sessions of the National Congress during the voting on the Programa Auxílio Brasil (Brazil Aid Program) and the revocation of Bolsa Família (Family Allowance). This legislative change, which would establish a new Conditional Cash Transfer Program, was proposed by the Chief Executive in 2021, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who, during his time as a legislator and president, held positions against programs of this nature. The analysis conducted here aimed to observe how ideology, as praxis, is embedded in legislative policy processes, specifically in the case of Auxílio Brasil; the circumstances, considering the neoliberal context, that led to the existence of Conditional Cash Transfer Programs in Latin America and Brazil; the ideological disputes perceived in the Deliberative Sessions; and the relationship of Auxílio Brasil with the presidential elections of 2022. The methodology was developed based on empirical and documentary field research, analyzing the Deliberative Sessions held in the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate, as well as gathering media news and newspaper articles on the subject. The theoretical framework of the analysis is based on the elucidations by Ana Lia Almeida regarding the ontology of ideology; the works discussing income transfer policies in the fields of Social Service, Political Science, and Social Science; and also supported by the theoretical observations of Ruy Mauro Marini and Florestan Fernandes regarding dependency theory. The work is divided into two chapters. The first chapter is developed through the demarcation of the ontological category of ideology, tracing its impact on the formulation of Conditional Cash Transfer Programs, as well as the historical background of this type of program in Latin America and Brazil. The second chapter explores the relationship of the proposal with the 2022 elections and the analytical categories observed during the approval of Auxílio Brasil in the National Congress. The conclusion is that political-ideological positions, whether progressive or conservative, play a determining role in the construction of legislative and social policies, influencing the structure and consolidation of programs aimed at the population in situations of poverty and extreme poverty