Plínio de Arruda Sampaio Jr., sometimes simply referred to as Plininho,[1] is a Brazilian economist, academic, and political figure. He is a retired[2] professor of economics at the University of Campinas in São Paulo, one of the top-ranked universities in Brazil and Latin America.[3] During his career, Arruda Sampaio Jr.'s work primarily focused on the economic history of Brazil, developmentalism, and political economy.[4] He has also served on the editorial board of Brasil de Fato, a left-wing publication.[5]
As an economist, Sampaio has been critical of "left-developmentalism", arguing that "its origin subordinated to the business logic of international capital" and is thus incompatible with socialism.[10] During the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, Arruda Sampaio Jr. advocated for social distancing measures coupled with economic relief to stop the spread of the virus.[11]
Political career
Early political career
Plínio de Arruda Sampaio Jr. ran for municipal office in São Paulo in 2004 as a member of the Workers' Party (PT).[12] He sought the office of Mayor of São Paulo, losing the PT nomination to Marta Suplicy.[13] His left-wing allies alleged unfair favoritism towards Suplicy during the nomination contest.[14]
Arruda Sampaio Jr. would later leave the PT altogether, decrying what he described as the "ultra-conservative character of the Lula government".[15] Unlike many on the left, Arruda Sampaio Jr. did not consider the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff to be a "coup", arguing that Michel Temer's presidency was merely an extension of Dilma's.[16]
2018 presidential candidacy
In the 2018 presidential election, Arruda Sampaio Jr. entered the race, hoping to be the nominee of the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL).[17] Arruda Sampaio Jr. argued that PSOL needed to distance itself from the embattled PT and chart its own course as a party of the left.[18][19] Labor leader Guilherme Boulos, who eventually received the party's nomination, was seen by Arruda Sampaio Jr. as being too close to former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.[20] At the party convention, Arruda Sampaio Jr. received 27 votes in favor of his nomination, compared to the 87 received by Boulos and the 7 votes received by former CUT official Hamilton Assis.[21]
Selected works
Entre a nação e a barbárie: os dilemas do capitalismo dependente ("Between the nation and barbarism: the dilemmas of dependent capitalism") - 1990[22]
Capitalismo em crise: a natureza e dinâmica da crise econômica mundial ("Capitalism in Crisis: the nature and dynamics of the world economic crisis") - 2009[23]
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