Skip to content

Transamazonian: integrate it or lose it

Souza, Matilde. 2020 Transamazônica: integrar para não entregar. Nova Revista Amazônica. Vol. 8, Nº 1.

Abstract

This article discusses how the dictatorial government of General Emilio Garrastazu Médici used symbolic elements as the basis for the legitimation of the occupation of the Amazon. The objective is to discuss, based on the concepts of nation, civilization, and conquest, how the occupation and development efforts of the region mobilized material and ideational energies to promote the occupation of the Amazon. This process took place within the scope of the National Integration Program, in which the construction of the Transamazon Highway was of great importance. Using bibliographic, documentary, and material sources disseminated by some vehicles of the great Brazilian press at the time, the article shows the mystique of national integration elaborated from some symbolic elements such as the Eldorado, the paradise, the hell, the green desert, the solitude. The methodology used was document and discourse analysis. The conclusion is that the National Integration Plan did not reduce the drought problem in the northeastern backlands, nor did it complete national integration. The latter remained as a purpose, along with the ongoing settlement projects and occupation initiatives. Keywords: Transamazon. National Integration. Occupation of the Amazon.

 

Full article available here

You might like these publication categories

Recent publications

2023 Annual Report

We are pleased to announce the release of the Earth System Governance Project 2023 Annual Report, which highlights a year of…

Earth System Governance – Volume 22 (In Progress)

We are delighted to present the twenty-second volume of Earth System Governance, the open-access journal for all those interested in…

Earth System Governance – Volume 21

We are delighted to present the twenty-first volume of Earth System Governance, the open-access journal for all those interested in…