A Comparative Analysis of the Covid-19 Pandemic Policies in Argentina and Brazil

Öz

Covid-19 pandemic, which started in December 2019, brought about the necessity of pandemic policies that affected every sphere of human affairs that can be actualized through state capacity. Consequently, global responses to the pandemic by states, particularly those of populist regimes have been a topic of scholarly debate. In these ongoing discussions, populist regimes were depicted as identical with a perspective solely captures the situation in right-wing populist regimes. Such a perspective leads to a neglect of differences in policy making among populist regimes. Aware of this gap in the literature, this study will analyze the pandemic policies of Argentina and Brazil, which can be categorized as populist regimes. The methodology of the study relies on the policy reports that reflects the pandemic policies of these regimes in detail and academic literature that deals with the class dynamics in these countries. In Argentina and Brazil, which manifests the examples of respectively left- and right-wing populist regimes, a considerable differentiation exists in pandemic policies. The analysis of policies in these two Latin American populist regimes demonstrates that in every period populist rule relies on a particular social base. The differentiation of pandemic policies mainly stems from the fact that in Argentina, the regime’s support base is comprised of working class and domestic bourgeoisie, while it is of financial sector and upper income groups in Brazil. These two case studies reflect different versions of populism and provide the opportunity to grasp policy differences by looking through these dynamics.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• COVID-19
• Pandemic
• Argentina
• Brazil
• Populism

Arjantin ve Brezilya’da Covid-19 Pandemi Politikalarının Karşılaştırmalı Analizi

Öz

2019 yılı aralık ayında başlayan Covid-19 salgını, toplum sağlığının korunması için günlük hayatın ve toplumsal düzenin hemen hemen her alanını etkileyen ve devlet kapasitesini ön plana çıkaran salgın politikaları üretmeyi gerektirmiştir. Buna bağlı olarak küresel anlamda devletlerin pandemi süresince uyguladığı politikalar ve özellikle son dönemde yükselişte olan popülist rejimlerin pandemi politikaları önemli bir tartışma unsuru olmuştur. Söz konusu tartışmalarda popülist rejimler birbirine benzer biçimlerde tasvir edilmiş ve ağırlıklı olarak sağ popülizm örneklerine odaklanılmıştır. Bu yaklaşımlar, pandemi politikalarındaki farklılaşmaların göz ardı edilmesine neden olmuştur. Buradan hareketle çalışma, Latin Amerika’da popülist rejimlere örnek teşkil eden Arjantin ve Brezilya’nın pandemi politikalarını sınıfsal dinamikler üzerinden inceleyecektir. Çalışmanın metodu bu ülkelerdeki pandemi dönemi politikalarının içeriğinin Covid-19 salgını konusundaki raporlar üzerinden incelenmesi ve politikaları etkileyen sınıfsal dinamiklerin ikincil kaynaklar üzerinden analiz edilmesinden oluşmaktadır. Sırasıyla sol ve sağ popülizm örnekleri olarak da görülebilecek Arjantin ve Brezilya’da, pandemi politikaları açısından belirgin farklılıklar görülmektedir. Bu farklılaşmayı yanıştır biçimde, analizler Latin Amerika’da popülist rejimlerin her dönemde farklı toplumsal kesimlere dayandığını ve politikaların bu dinamikler üzerinden şekillendiğini göstermektedir. Arjantin’de rejimin Peronist dönemin özelliklerini yansıtır biçimde işçi sınıfının ve yerli burjuvazinin, Brezilya’da ise finans sektörü ve üst gelir gruplarının desteğine dayanması, bu iki popülist yönetimin doğasını ve politikalarını ayrıştıran temel bir faktör olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Çalışmadaki bu iki ülke örneği, popülizmin farklılaşan biçimlerini yansıtmakta ve pandemi politikalarını bu dinamikler üzerinden okumaya fırsat sunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Popülizm
• Pandemi
• Arjantin
• Brezilya
• COVID-19

Teşekkür

Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Cemil Yıldızcan ve Cihan Özpınar'a yazım aşamasındaki katkılarından ötürü teşekkürü bir borç bilirim.

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