Abstract
Between 2013 and 2015, Brazil experienced numerous demonstrations in its major cities that drew thousands of people into the streets. The aim of this article is to analyze the discursive trajectory of these demonstrations, focusing on three distinct and essential moments: (1) the June 2013 demonstrations; (2) the demonstrations surrounding the 2014 FIFA Soccer World Cup; (3) and the demonstrations linked to the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff in March 2015. We aim at showing that a discursive shift took place towards the political right throughout around two years. To analyze this trajectory, we made use of the discourse theory developed by Ernesto Laclau, whose main theses are explored via two works: Hegemony and socialist strategy: towards a radical democratic politics, written with Chantal Mouffe and published in 1985, and On populist reason from 2005.
Keywords:
Demonstrations; Discursive Crisis; Brazilian Politics; Discourse Theory