The article analyzes how ayahuasca religions in Brazil build relationships with the state. These religions use the psychoactive beverage ayahuasca and are linked to contemporary public debates about drugs. As they expand their rights and construct social legitimacy, they distance themselves from the drug topic. Securing the right to religious ayahuasca use and the possibility of including this issue in Brazilian cultural policies reflect the choices, strategies, and political projects of these religions. The text compares the politics of ayahuasca religions with those of other Brazilian religious expressions.
This dissertation compares three Brazilian religions—Santo Daime, Barquinha, and União do Vegetal—that share the ritualistic use of ayahuasca (called Daime or Vegetal). These ayahuasqueiro cults form a tradition with shared and unique components, including various divisions, centers, and churches. The comparative analysis captures contrasts and similarities among the groups, clarifying how the tradition is built and transformed through a constant play of oppositions, accusations, and alliances. The study focuses on internal conflicts and crises involving practitioners of these three religious divisions.