A DEMOCRACIA AMEAÇADA E A CLASSE MÉDIA NO ESPELHO: Uma Análise Sobre o 8 de janeiro de 2023

Abstract

The attack on the seats of the Three Branches of the Republic on January 8, 2023, stands as one of the most serious episodes in Brazil’s recent democratic history and reveals the persistence of a structural authoritarianism rooted in the country’s social, political, and symbolic relations. This article reflects on the event in light of the theoretical contributions of Jessé Souza and Marilena Chauí, connecting the legacy of the civil-military dictatorship (1964–1985) with the contemporary actions of the middle class, punitive moralism, and the production of simulacra in the public sphere. Methodologically, it adopts a qualitative, hermeneutically inspired approach based on the analysis of secondary data (news reports, institutional speeches, and official records), guided by analytical categories drawn from the authors’ works.

It is argued that the invasion and destruction of the National Congress, the Planalto Palace, and the Federal Supreme Court cannot be understood as mere vandalism or an isolated incident, but rather as the updated expression of a historical pattern of rejecting democratic mediation and naturalizing inequality. In conclusion, it is asserted that strengthening democracy in Brazil requires both the critique of symbolic devices that legitimize authoritarianism and the expansion of social inclusion and popular participation processes.