Fora Collor/Que se vayan todos: Episodios de accountability en Argentina y Brasil

Abstract

The article analyzes the two major presidential crises faced so far by the Brazilian and Argentine democracies, characterized by specific combinations of a number of ingredients that included corruption and scandals of power, political and social protest, citizen mobilization, the activation of institutional mechanisms and power struggles. After a brief discussion of the concept of accountability and the introduction of the idea of "networks of accountability", the dynamics that led to the early dismissals of presidents Fernando Collor de Mello in 1989 and Fernando de la Rúa in 2001 are captured through the examination of the various accountability mechanisms at play: their triggers, sequences, interactions, combinations and effects. Though nuanced, the conclusions express serious doubts regarding the impact and projection of these exceptional events on future accountability.