Myopic Brazil

June Journeys and crisis of rationality

Abstract

The June Journeys, initially led by the Free Fare Movement (MPL in brazilian acronym), evolved from a locally-toned manifesto to one of the largest mobilizations in the history of Brazilian democracy, as evidenced by strong transnational media coverage. The interpretations about this mobilization are not consensual and are divided into two parts: some credit 2013 with the emergence of a more incisive political-institutional consciousness, while others believe that the movement was not proactive and brought to the surface waves of authoritarianism and ultraconservatism that were previously invisible in the social fabric. It is certain that the events profoundly altered the social and political configuration, something that had not been seen since the uprising that marked the interruption of Fernando Collor's term. In this line of analysis, this article aims to argue, from a materialist historical perspective, how much the occurrences of that month were guided by a sense of irrationality that is consistent with the currently hegemonic neoliberal logic. Part of the argument lists the repercussions of protest waves over time.