Castanhal: a “cidade modelo”, os caminhos e descaminhos do projeto de desenvolvimento

Abstract

Inspired by developmentalism ideas, the Brazilian government implemented several public policies during the second half of the last century intending to promote economic growth, fueled mainly by industrialization. After the 1964 coup d’état, to integrate the Amazon region to the rest of the country, the government adopted several public policies such as road construction and generous tax incentives. This region, which was seen as an empty space by the State, began to attract thousands of migrants in search of plots of land. Thus, the goal of this dissertation is to assess the role of the State in the municipality of Castanhal within a political scenario driven by the ideology of development. The city of Castanhal, located in the state of Pará, is analyzed considering three different periods: its creation associated with the construction of the railway station of Bragança-PA, the revitalization of its downtown, and the creation of the Cupiúba rural settlement. This study was carried out based on bibliographic research and literature review about the history of Castanhal and its surrounding area (Bragantina region), as well as on socio-demographic, economic, and agricultural indicators collected from the following databases: SIDRA and Atlas Brasil. The results indicate that Castanhal stands out positively among the other municipalities that were crossed by the Bragança railway due to a set of investments the city received during the analyzed periods. On the other hand, concerning the social reproduction of farmers in rural settlements, there are still many challenges that need to be overcome. The State’s neglect, to which they are subjected, and the creation of the Cupiúba settlement as a palliative measure in response to their land occupation reveal how familiar farming is devalued by public authorities.