How did the COVID-19 crisis under a far-right government shape social policy responses in Brazil? This article examines the transformation of the flagship cash transfer program from Bolsa Família into Auxílio Brasil under the Bolsonaro administration. Drawing on qualitative data from interviews, government documents, and media analysis, we argue that the program was not dismantled but instead evolved through a process of “drift.” While the program maintained a similar outward form, it diverged from its original goals of combating poverty and fostering human capital development, becoming increasingly ineffective due to the erosion of eligibility thresholds and benefit amounts. This drift was propelled by axiological and regulatory ambiguities embedded in the program’s original design and that persisted over time. This highlights the need for more effective social policy design to safeguard against the risk of policies becoming increasingly inadequate in the face of adverse circumstances.
¿Cómo incidió la crisis de la COVID-19, bajo un gobierno de extrema derecha, en la configuración de las respuestas de política social en Brasil? Este artículo examina la transformación del programa emblemático de transferencias monetarias, Bolsa Família, en Auxílio Brasil durante la administración de Bolsonaro. A partir de datos cualitativos provenientes de entrevistas, documentos oficiales y análisis de medios de comunicación, sostenemos que el programa no fue desmantelado, sino que fue objeto de modificaciones graduales. Si bien conservó una forma externa similar, se apartó de sus objetivos originales de combate a la pobreza y de promoción del desarrollo del capital humano, tornándose crecientemente ineficaz debido a la erosión de los umbrales de elegibilidad y de los montos de las prestaciones. Este proceso de deriva fue impulsado por ambigüedades axiológicas y regulatorias incorporadas en el diseño original del programa y que persistieron a lo largo del tiempo. Lo anterior pone de relieve la necesidad de un diseño de políticas sociales más robusto y eficaz, capaz de resguardar los programas frente al riesgo de volverse progresivamente inadecuados ante contextos adversos.
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