A ascensão do capitalismo de desastre no Brasil: o rompimento da barragem de Fundäo e as técnicas e mecanismos de tortura na Bacia do Rio Doce

Abstract

On November 5th, 2015, the Fundão mineral waste dam, owned by Samarco (Vale S.A. / BHP Billiton), collapsed causing the death of 19 individuals, leaving thousands of affected people, and a trail of destruction along the Rio Doce basin. These reflections aim at grasping the connection between the Fundão dam’s rupture and the rise of disaster capitalism in Brazil. Data have been collected from bibliographic and documental review, fieldwork and interviews. As in other crisis scenarios, the rupture of the dam provided for the first experiment of major disaster capitalism in Brazil. In addition to the dam´s rupture itself and the neoliberal economic program designed to repair the damages, those affected have been subjected to several mechanisms and techniques of collective torture that tormented, distressed and suffocated them economically, socially, psychologically, physically and politically. These mechanisms helped reduce social spending, neutralize opposition and consolidate the ascension of disaster(s) capitalism.