REGULATORY ROLLBACKS in the AMAZON RAINFOREST: A NUANCED LOOK into the EFFECTS of ENVIRONMENTAL VICTIMIZATION

Abstract

Since the beginning of Jair bolsonaro's presidential mandate, existing Brazilian environmental regulations started being rolled back to benefit a small, but powerful, Brazilian bourgeoise, the so-called “Brazilian agribusiness.” The process of deregulation in Brazil (regulatory rollback) is responsible for significant environmental and social harm, which affects largely marginalized peoples and indigenous communities in the Brazilian amazon rainforest. It is also responsible for operating, and maintaining, dynamics of social inclusion and exclusion which are deepening the democratic deficit in Brazil, which is here denominated as the “mechanisms of environmental victimization.” To demonstrate the Brazilian regulatory rollback the authors analyse legislative and regulatory amendments since the beginning of Jair bolsonaro's mandate. Through this analysis, the authors seek to demonstrate how the symbiosis between state and corporate interests can promote significant social and environmental victimization.