Development, identity and necropolitics in the romanticization of the colony in Minas Gerais

Abstract

Minas Gerais received its name during the colonial period, stemming from the search for gold, a central element in the local economy and development. Thus, this extractive and modernizing movement became ingrained in the construction of the region's identity, building the idea of the "mineiro". Consequently, the population corroborates the extractivist discourse by constituting itself based on colonial elements, while large capitalist corporations make use of this same discourse. Although mineral extraction is central to the economy, it is also responsible for large-scale disasters, as in the cases of the dam collapses of Samarco in Mariana (2015) and Vale in Brumadinho (2019), causing human and non-human casualties and an enormous environmental impact. Therefore, the aim is to understand how the dominant discourse of development in Minas Gerais has become a 'necrodevelopment' – as a continuation of Mbembe's (2016) idea of necropolitics. The work starts from a decolonial theoretical proposal, with a historical analysis on three fronts: first, a theoretical review of how colonial development molded identities in the Global South. Then, an analysis of the state's economic development data. Following this, engaging with reports of the aforementioned disasters. This is an exploratory, qualitative research. As results, we observe that mining activity illustrates 'necrodevelopment,' in a cycle that blends identity, mineral-dependence, and socio-environmental tragedies, positioning it as an essential activity for the survival of the 'mineira' economy. Therefore, it is concluded that the 'mineira' identity, by internalizing this logic, validates the practices of large corporations, promoting a continuity of this movement.