Sub-imperialism, IIRSA and the deepening socio-environmental inequalities

Abstract

South American people have historically suffered from various attacks, including genocide, ethnocide and denial of human rights. Throughout history, the invader has often been an external agent, like Spain, Portugal and the United States. Thus, what is surprising and almost never expected is that these attacks are carried out by their peers and “brothers”. In front of this situation, the research below shows how socio-environmental inequalities occur due to the action of new agents, not the ones we already know, but one who also suffers from dependence and underdevelopment, Brazil. It is argued that the country was sub-imperialist (MARINI, 1974) in the beginning of the 21st century, based on two large groups of agents, the BNDES and the mega construction contractors. It should be noted that the process ended up deepening socioenvironmental inequalities and rising the accumulation by dispossession (HARVEY, 2004). The entire process is justified by the regional integration projects, conceived and carried out by Brazil, plans that do not integrate, but rather deliver the region to the international capital. The focus of the text is in IIRSA, which led to even more reprimarized and commodified territories. The article will be based on a trans scale method (VAINER, 2002) in order to better illustrate better the entire process.