Brazil, 1918. The public debate on the role of the Comissariado da Alimentação Pública: price controls and export restrictions amidst the war and the Spanish Flu

Abstract

The article presents an analysis of the creation, operation, and controversies surrounding the Comissariado da Alimentação Pública, an organization established in June 1918 by President Wenceslau Braz and led by former Finance Minister Leopoldo de Bulhões. The Commissioner's Office sought to replicate the operations of agencies created in warring countries such as England and the United States, where governments began to set prices, restrict exports, and limit profit margins in various sectors. In Brazil, the high cost of living and scarcity were causing significant social unrest, such as the large wave of strikes in 1917. The Commissioner's Office would produce exhaustive tables of maximum prices, as well as restrict exports. These measures would provoke significant economic controversy in the country. Amidst this scenario, in October, Brazil was hit by the Spanish flu pandemic, which would lead to increased activity and criticism of the Commissioner's Office.