ESTADO, RELAÇÕES ENTRE O PÚBLICO E O PRIVADO NA EDUCAÇÃO

PERMANÊNCIAS AUTORITÁRIAS E LIMITES DA DEMOCRATIZAÇÃO

Abstract

The article analyzes the advances and setbacks of democracy in Brazil, highlighting the historical influence of authoritarianism, patrimonialism, clientelism, and coronelismo on the configuration of the state and the implications for public education. It is argued that the country has not consolidated a full democracy, as social rights, such as education, still suffer strong influence from private interests, which outweigh the collective nature of the public sphere. The research is part of projects from the UFRGS Study Group, which investigates the public-private relationship in Latin American education, considering the social, political, and economic disputes that shape such processes. The methodology involves bibliographic and documentary analysis. Historically, Brazil has experienced successive attempts and coups d'état, usually led by the Armed Forces, revealing the fragility of democracy. The civil-military dictatorship (1964-1985) and its incomplete transition exemplify the predominance of elite influence and of the military, complicating transitional justice and democratic consolidation. Even after the Constitution of 1988, educational reforms coexist with privatization mechanisms, reinforcing inequality and the commodification of education. The text highlights that Brazilian democracy is marked by authoritarian continuities and a "politics of forgetting" regarding human rights violations. The recent attempted coup in 2023 and the impeachment of 2016 reinforce institutional instability and the fragility of representative democracy. It is concluded that as long as hegemonic private interests and the appropriation of public space by elites are not overcome, education will remain subjected to market logic, preventing its full democratization.