The book provides a political reading of the experience of the Olívio Dutra government in RS
By PG13 Editorial
The ELAHP (Latin American School of History and Politics) launches the book “How we got there: a political reading on the Olívio Dutra government (1999-2002)”, following a seminar of the same name organized in April 2025.
The book features articles by Arno Augustin Filho, Ary Vanazzi, Celso Augusto Schröder, David Stival, José Hermeto Hoffmann, Júlio Quadros, Lucia Camini, Paulo Peretti Torelly, Rosana Tenroller.
It also includes an interview with Olívio Dutra, a chronology of the main political events and bibliographical indications on the government’s experience.
The publication is curated by Lucia Camini, Marcos Jakoby and Valter Pomar and its graphic design and layout is by Emilio Font. Soon there will also be a print edition.
Below, discover the presentation.
At the end, the entire book in PDF.
HAPPY READING!
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Presentation
On April 25 and 26, 2025, the ELAHP (Latin American School of History and Politics) organized, in Porto Alegre, a seminar entitled “How we got there: a political reading on the Olívio Dutra government (199-2002)”.
The 1998 Rio Grande do Sul state gubernatorial elections and the Popular Front government have always been an important political reference for the democratic, popular and left-wing sectors of Rio Grande do Sul.
Whether due to the context of political, social and ideological polarization that permeated the electoral victory, or the changes and gains built by the government, or the fierce siege mounted by the dominant classes against the PT and the government, or the differences and internal conflicts in the left camp, in particular in the PT, this experience has been described, reflected, analyzed and re-elaborated in different ways, individually or collectively, by thousands of left activists from Rio Grande do Sul.
Now, more than two decades later, we have decided to revisit this experience, with a view to drawing lessons and political reflections that can help old and new activists and their organizations build new victories.
In accordance with this understanding, ELAHP — in collaboration with the publisher Página 13 — decided to organize not only the seminar, but also a book, to continue and deepen the analyzes and reflections produced throughout the event.
We emphasize that most of the authors were present at the seminar. They include journalists, party leaders, economists, educators, lawyers and former government officials.
It is therefore not an “academic” book, but a contribution to a political evaluation of this experience.
In addition to the articles, the book presents a timeline of some of the main political facts involving the government, with a notebook of images and also an interview with former governor Olívio Dutra.
In fact, to use the words of comrade Olívio Dutra: “It is a sowing, but we must insist on it, there must be more people to sow, more people to cultivate for later. important examples of how they can be deepened, better rooted, disseminated and perfected.”
Happy reading!
Marcos Jakoby and Valter Pomar, the editors
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