The politicization of Stock Car by UFMG ecology, coloniality, and resistance in Belo Horizonte

Abstract

This study analyzes how the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) politicized the socio-environmental impacts of the Stock Car in Belo Horizonte, using Instagram as a symbolic battleground. The aim is to understand how the institution articulates decolonial ecology and politicization theories to challenge colonial and environmental hierarchies. The qualitative methodology was based on content analysis and framing of 39 posts published between February and August 2024, cataloged in an Excel spreadsheet. The results reveal a discursive evolution of UFMG: from Type 1. While Type 1 partially reproduces the environmental fracture by prioritizing technical solutions, Types 2 and 3 link the impacts to the coloniality of development, denouncing the historical exploitation of urban spaces. The defense of "animal dignity" and rejection of environmental compensation signal an emerging decolonial perspective. However, the emphasis on economic metrics and the absence of voices beyond the academic community limit epistemic plurality. It is concluded that UFMG emerges as a decolonial actor by articulating institutional memory, scientific rigor, and collective resistance, but its approach oscillates between technical and structural critique. Future studies should integrate community narratives to strengthen the intersection between decolonial ecology and environmental justice in the Global South.