Thirst for Welfare: The Inheritance of the PT

When the Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT)³ finally came to power in 2003, it faced a country that had been socially devastated through decades of economic development, modernization and rapid urbanization. From the industrialization efforts of Vargas, to the period of conservative modernization led by the repressive military dictatorship, Brazil developed at the cost of millions of dispossessed and disenfranchised people. Many of these people gave rise to earth shattering and heart wrenching favelas. Many others perished along their fight for survival. The contrasts between the haves and the have-nots created a country that was yearning for benign social and economic policies. This thirst for welfare was a palpable and tangible force in the political arena of the nation that was mostly channeled through massive social movements. The following historical recollection is a quick overview of the creation of this social condition, which became the inheritance of the PT once it came to power.

³ Launched in 1980, it is recognized as one of the largest and most important left-wing movements of Latin America. It governs at the federal level in a coalition government with several other parties since January 1, 2003. For more details, see Baiocchi (2003, p. 10).