Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Territorializing land conflict: Space, place, and contentious politics in the Brazilian Amazon

  • Published:
GeoJournal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Brazil possesses a long history of violent struggle for land, and its most recent phase is occurring predominantly in the Amazon Basin. Consequently, this paper attempts to territorialize land conflict in the Brazilian Amazon, and in so doing, to illuminate the place-specific intersection of historic social, political, and economic circumstance that created a violent landscape in the so-called “South of Pará.” The paper’s premise is that such conflict can be best viewed as resulting from a dialectic between general social processes operating across spatial scales, which create necessary conditions for conflict, and place-specific historical circumstances that transform necessary into sufficient conditions. The paper presents a framework integrating the theory of contentious politics and literatures addressing violence associated with the Amazonian frontier and with resource scarcity (and abundance). The discussion and theoretical application deconstruct the environmental, cognitive, and relational mechanisms that created violence in the South of Pará, and set the stage for the Eldorado dos Carajás massacre in April of 1996.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • J.A. Agnew (1987) Place and Politics Allen and Unwin Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • A.L.O. Almeida (1992) Colonization of the Amazon University of Texas Press Austin

    Google Scholar 

  • A.W. Almeida Berno Particlede (1994) Carajás: A Guerra dos Mapas Falangola Belém

    Google Scholar 

  • L.J. Alston G.D. Libecap R. Schneider (1995) ArticleTitleProperty rights and the precondition for markets: The Case of the Amazonian Frontier Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics 151 IssueID1 89–107

    Google Scholar 

  • L.J. Alston G.D. Libecap B. Mueller (1997) Violence and development of property rights to land in the Brazilian Amazon J.N. Drobak V.C. Nye (Eds) The Frontiers of the New Institutional Economics Academic Press San Diego 145–163

    Google Scholar 

  • L.J. Alston G.D. Libecap B. Mueller (2000) ArticleTitleLand reform policies, the sources of violent conflict, and implications for deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 39 IssueID2 162–188 Occurrence Handle10.1006/jeem.1999.1103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameAmericas Watch (Feb 1991) Rural Violence in Brazil Human Rights Watch New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Amnesty International (1998). Brazil: Corumbiara and Eldorado dos Carajás: Rual Violence, Police Brutality, and Impunity, New York. http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/brazil/document.do? id=90D4714260170F6F80256900009307A

  • R. Anderson (1985) The caboclo as revolutionary: The cabanagem revolt 1835–1836 V.H. Sutlive N. Altshuler M.D. Zamora V. Kerns (Eds) The Amazon Caboclo: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives College of William and Mary Williamsburg 51–88

    Google Scholar 

  • B.K. Becker M. Miranda L. Machado (1990) Fronteira Amazônica: questões sobre a gestão do territorio Editora da UnB-Editora da UFRJ Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Branford J. Rocha (2002) Cutting the Wire: The Story of the Landless Movement in Brazil Latin America Bureau London

    Google Scholar 

  • C. Brannstrom (2001) ArticleTitleProducing possession: Labour, Law, and Land on the Brazilian Agricultural Frontier, 1920–1945 Political Geography 20 859–883 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0962-6298(01)00036-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • L. Brock (1991) ArticleTitlePeace through Parks: the environment on the peace research Agenda Journal of Peace Research 28 IssueID4 407–423

    Google Scholar 

  • C.D. Brockett (1988) Land, Power, and Poverty: Agrarian Transformation and Political Conflict in Central America Allen and Unwin Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Browder (1988) Public policy and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon R. Repetto M. Gillis (Eds) Public Policies and the Misuse of Forest Resources World Resources Institute and Cambridge Univ. Press Washington DC 247–298

    Google Scholar 

  • A.S. Campos (2002) O Confronto em Eldorado do Carajás Promev Gráfica e Editora Belém

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Carius K.M. Lietzmann (Eds) (1999) Environmental Change and Security: A European Perspective Springer Berlin and New York

    Google Scholar 

  • R.H. Chilcote (1990) Power and the Ruling Classes in Northeast Brazil: Juazeiro and Petrolina in Transition Cambridge University Press New York

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Cleary (1993) ArticleTitleAfter the frontier: problems with political economy in the modern Brazilian Amazon Journal of Latin American Studies 25 331–349 Occurrence Handle10.1017/S0022216X00004685

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameComissão Pastoral da Terra (CPT) (1992) Conflitos No Campo CPT Belém

    Google Scholar 

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameComissão Pastoral da Terra (CPT) (1996) Conflitos No Campo CPT Belém

    Google Scholar 

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameComissão Pastoral da Terra (CPT) (1997) A Luta Pela Terra: A Comissão pastoral da terra 20 anos depois PAULUS São Paulo

    Google Scholar 

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameComissão Pastoral da Terra (CPT) (2002) Conflitos No Campo CPT Belém

    Google Scholar 

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameComissão Pastoral da Terra (CPT) (2003) Conflitos No Campo CPT Belém

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Cooke (1989) The contested terrain of locality studies J. Agnew D. Livingstone A. Rogers (Eds) Human Geography: An Essential Anthology, Chapter 30 Blackwell, 1996 Oxford 476–491

    Google Scholar 

  • K.R. Cox (Eds) (1997) Spaces of Globalization: Reasserting the Power of the Local Guilford Press New York

    Google Scholar 

  • J.C. Davies (Eds) (1971) When Men Revolt and Why Free Press New York

    Google Scholar 

  • M.F. Emmi (1999) A oligarquia do Tocantins e o domínio dos castanhais UFPA/NAEA Belém

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Fairhead (2001) International Dimensions of Conflict over natural and environmental Resources N.L. Peluso M. Watts (Eds) Violent Environments Cornell University Press Ithaca 213–236

    Google Scholar 

  • B.M. Fernandes (2000) A Formação do MST No Brasil Vozes Petrópolis

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Foweraker (1981) The Struggle for Land: A Political Economy of the Pioneer Frontier in Brazil, 1930 to Present Cambridge University Press Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • B.J. Godfrey (1992) ArticleTitleMigration to the gold-mining frontier in Brazilian Amazonia The Geographical Review 82 IssueID4 458–469 Occurrence Handle10.2307/215202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • T. Gurr (1971) Why Men Rebel Princeton University Press Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • Anthony L. Hall (1987) ArticleTitleAgrarian crisis in Brazilian Amazonia: the Grande Carajás Programme Journal of Development Studies 23 IssueID4 522–552

    Google Scholar 

  • Anthony L. Hall (1989) Developing Amazonia: Deforestation and Social Conflict in Brazil’s Carajás Programme Manchester University Press Manchester

    Google Scholar 

  • F.O. Hampson (2002) Human Security and World Disorder Oxford University Press Ontario

    Google Scholar 

  • W. Hauge T. Ellingsen (1998) ArticleTitleBeyond environmental scarcity: causal pathways to conflict Journal of Peace Research 35 IssueID3 299–317

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Hecht (1985) ArticleTitleEnvironment, development, and politics World Development 13 IssueID6 663–684 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0305-750X(85)90114-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • S. Hecht A. Cockburn (1989) ArticleTitleDefenders of the Amazon: deforestation is not just about ecological destruction but social and political injustice New Statesman & Society 2 IssueID55 16–20

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Hemming (1987) Amazon Frontier: The Defeat of the Brazilian Indians Macmillan London

    Google Scholar 

  • Homer-Dixon T.F., Boutwell J.H. and Rathjens G., 1993: Environmental Change and Violent Conflict: Growing scarcities of renewable resources can contribute to social instability and civil strife. Scientific American (February): 16–24

  • T. Homer-Dixon J. Blitt (Eds) (1998) Ecoviolence: Links Among Environment, Population and Security Rowman & Littlefield Lanham

    Google Scholar 

  • T.F. Homer-Dixon (1999) Environment, Scarcity, and Violence Princeton University Press Princeton, N.J

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Huntington (1971) Political Order in Changing Societies Yale University Press New Haven

    Google Scholar 

  • O. Ianni (1979) Colonização e Contra-Reforma na Amazônia Vozes Petrópolis

    Google Scholar 

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameInstituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE) (1996) Demographic Census of 1996 Secrataria de Planejamento, Orçamento e Coordinação Rio de Janeiro

    Google Scholar 

  • C. Johnson (1968) Revolutionary Change London University Press London

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Kotscho (1981) O Massacre Dos Posseiros: Conflicto de Terras no Araguaia-Tocantins Brasiliense Sao Paulo

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Le Billion (2001) ArticleTitleThe political ecology of war: natural resources and Armed Conflicts Political Geography 20 IssueID5 561–584 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0962-6298(01)00015-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M.A. Levy (1995) ArticleTitleIs the Environment a national security issue? International Security 20 IssueID2 35–62 Occurrence Handle10.2307/2539228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M.R. Lowi (1999) ArticleTitleWater and conflict in the middle east and south asia: are environmental issues and security issues linked? Journal of Environment and Development 8 IssueID4 376–396

    Google Scholar 

  • D.J. Mahar (1979) Frontier Development Policy in Brazil: A Study of Amazonia Praeger Publishers New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Marques J., Ornaghi T. and Scolese E., July 2003: Marcha da Radicalização. Folha de Sao Paulo. http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/brasil/ult96u50899.shtm1

  • D.G. Martin B. Miller (2003) ArticleTitleSpace and contentious politics Mobilization: An International Journal 8 IssueID2 143–156

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Massey (1984) Spatial Divisions of Labor: Social Structures and the Geography of Production Methuen New York

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Massey J. Allen (Eds) (1984) Geography Matters Cambridge University Press Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Massey (1994) Place, Space, and Gender University of Minnesota Minneapolis

    Google Scholar 

  • D. McAdam S. Tarrow C. Tilly (2001) Dynamics of Contention Cambridge University Press Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • L.S. Medeiros (2002) Movimentos Sociais, Disputas Políticas e Reforma Agrária de Mercado no Brasil EDUR Seropédica, RJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Mendes C. 09/21/2003. Pistoleiros usaram aviões para matar oito no Xingu. O’Liberal Online, Belém, Pará, Brazil. http://200.242.252.70/oliberal/arquivo/noticia/atualidade/n21092003default4.asp

  • M.I. Midlarsky (1982) ArticleTitleScarcity and inequality – prologue to the onset of mass revolution Journal of Conflict Resolution 26 IssueID1 3–38

    Google Scholar 

  • B.A. Miller (1994) ArticleTitlePolitical empowerment, local-central state relations, and geographically shifting political opportunity structures: strategies of the Cambridge, Massachusetts, peace movement Political Geography 13 IssueID5 393–406 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0962-6298(94)90047-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • B.A. Miller (2000) Geography and Social Movements: Comparing Antinuclear Activism in the Boston Area University of Minnesota Press Minneapolis

    Google Scholar 

  • B. Moore (1969) The Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy Penguin Harmondsworth

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore D.S., 1997: Remapping Resistance: ground for struggle and the politics of place. In: Pile S. and Keith M. (eds), Geographies of Resistance, pp. 87–106. Routledge, London

  • E.F. Moran (1983) The Dilemma of Amazonian Development Westview Press Boulder

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Morisawa (2001) A história da luta pela terra e o MST Expressão Popular São Paulo

    Google Scholar 

  • B. Mueller et al. (1994) ArticleTitleLand, property rights, and privatization in Brazil Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance 34 IssueIDSpecial Issue, Summer 1994 261–280 Occurrence Handle10.1016/1062-9769(94)90045-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • N. Myers (1989) ArticleTitleEnvironment and security Foreign Policy 74 23–41 Occurrence Handle10.2307/1148850

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • New York Times, September 19, 1995: A6

  • New York Times, April 21, 1996: 8Y

  • R.E. Noorduyn W.T. DeGroot (1999) ArticleTitleEnvironment and security: improving the interaction between two science fields Journal of Environment and Development 8 IssueID1 24–48 Occurrence Handle10.1177/107049659900800103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oliveira I., May 2000: Guerra Na Selva. Amazonia: Vinte Um, pp. 34–39

  • J.M. Paige (1975) Agrarian Revolution Free Press New York

    Google Scholar 

  • L.A. Payne (2000) Uncivil Movements: The Armed Right Wing and Democracy in Latin America Johns Hopkins University Press Baltimore, Md

    Google Scholar 

  • N.L. Peluso M. Watts (2001) Violent Environments Cornell University Press Ithaca

    Google Scholar 

  • Petras J. (1998). The New Revolutionary Peasantry: The growth of peasant-led opposition to neoliberalism. Z Magazine, October 1998. http://www.mstbrazil.org/petras1098.html

  • S. Pile M. Keith (1997) Geographies of Resistance Routledge London

    Google Scholar 

  • C. Prado SuffixJr. (1967) The Colonial Background of Modern Brazil University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Prosterman (1976) ArticleTitleIRI, A simplified predictive index of rural instability Comparative Politics 8 IssueID3 339–354 Occurrence Handle10.2307/421404

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rohter L. 02/14/05. Brazil Promises Crackdown After Nun’s Shooting Death. New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/14/international/americas/14/brazil.html

  • P. Routledge (1997) A spatiality of resistance: theory and practice in Nepal’s revolution in 1990 S. Pile M. Keith (Eds) Geographies of Resistance Routledge London 68–86

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Schmink C. Wood (1992) Contested Frontiers in Amazonia Columbia University Press New York

    Google Scholar 

  • I. Serageldin (1995) Toward Sustainable Management of Water Resources World Bank Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • W.H. Sewell (2001) Space in contentious politics R.R. Amizade J.A. Goldstone D. McAdam E.J. Perry W.H. Sewell S. Tarrow C. Tilly (Eds) Silence and Voice in the Study of Contentious Politics Cambridge University press Cambridge 51–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Simmons C. S., 1999: The Political Economy of Underdevelopment: The Case of Rural Insecurity in Amazonia. Ph.D. diss. Department of Geography, Florida State University, Tallahassee

  • C.S. Simmons (2002) ArticleTitleDevelopment spaces: the local articulation of conflicting development, amerindian rights, and environmental policy in Eastern Amazonia Professional Geographer 54 IssueID2 241–258 Occurrence Handle10.1111/0033-0124.00343

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • C.S. Simmons (2004) ArticleTitleThe political economy of land conflict in the Eastern Brazilian Amazon Annals of the Association of American Geographers 94 IssueID1 183–206 Occurrence Handle10.1111/j.1467-8306.2004.09401010.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • C.S. Simmons S. Perz M.A. Pedlowski L.G.T. Silva (2002a) ArticleTitleThe changing dynamics of land conflict in the Brazilian Amazon: the Rural–Urban Complex and its Environmental Implications Urban Ecosystems 6 IssueID1/2 99–122 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1025918730400

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • C.S. Simmons R.T. Walker C. Wood (2002b) ArticleTitleTree planting by small producers in the tropics: a comparative study of Brazil and Panama AgroForestry Systems 56 89–105 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1021377231402

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D. Slater (2001) Spatial politics/social movments: questions of (b)orders and resistance in global times R.R. Amizade J.A. Goldstone D. McAdam E.J. Perry W.H. Sewell S. Tarrow C. Tilly (Eds) Silence and voice in the study of contentious politics Cambridge University press Cambridge 258–276

    Google Scholar 

  • Nigel. Smith (1982) Rainforest Corridors: The Transamazon Colonization Scheme University of California Press Berkeley

    Google Scholar 

  • L.A. Staeheli (1994) ArticleTitleEmpowering political struggle: spaces and scales of resistance Political Geography 13 IssueID5 387–391 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0962-6298(94)90046-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J.P. Stedile (1997) A Reforma Agrária a Luta do MST Vozes Petrópolis

    Google Scholar 

  • Stedile J.P. 7/31/2003. Mst Meets With President Lula. MST Informe Update 45

  • P.E. Steinberg (1994) ArticleTitleTerritorial formation on the margin: urban anti-planning in Brooklyn Political Geography 13 IssueID5 461–476 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0962-6298(94)90051-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Toni F., 1999: State-society relations on the agricultural frontier: The struggle for credit in the Transamazonia region. Ph.D. diss. Department of Political Science, University of Florida, Gainesville

  • Treccani G.D., 2001: Violência e Grilagem: Instrumentos de Aquisição da Propriedade da Terra no Pará. Universidade Federal do Pará: Belém. Treccani, G. D. 2001. Violência e Grilagem: Instrumentos de Aquisição da Propriedade da Terra no Pará. Universidade Federal do Pará: Belém

  • J. Tutino (1986) From Insurrection to Revolution in Mexico: Social Bases of Agrarian Violence 1750–1940 Princeton University Press Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • J.E. Ullmann (1983) ArticleTitleThe arms-race and the decline of United-States Technology Journal Of Economic Issues 17 IssueID2 565–574

    Google Scholar 

  • Veja, April 24, 1996. 34–44

  • O. Velho (1972) Frentes de Expansãao e Estructura Agrária Zahar Rio de Janeiro

    Google Scholar 

  • R.T. Walker A. Homma (1996) ArticleTitleLand use and land cover dynamics in the Brazilian Amazon: an overview Ecological Economics 18 67–80 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0921-8009(96)00033-X

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R.T. Walker (1999) ArticleTitleThe structure of uncultivated wilderness: land use beyond the extensive margin Journal of Regional Science 39 IssueID2 387–410 Occurrence Handle10.1111/1467-9787.00139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker R.T., Moran E. and Anselin L., 2000: deforestation and cattle ranching in the Brazilian Amazon: external capital and household process. World Development 28(4): 683–699

    Google Scholar 

  • J.W. Warnock (1987) The Politics of Hunger Methuen Publications New York

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Watts (2001) Petro-violence: Community, extraction, and political ecology of a mythic commodity N.L. Peluso M. Watts (Eds) Violent Environments Cornell University Press Ithaca 213–236

    Google Scholar 

  • W. Wolford (2003) ArticleTitleProducing community: The MST and Land Reform Settlements in Brazil Journal of Agrarian Change 3 IssueID4 500–525 Occurrence Handle10.1111/1471-0366.00064

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • W. Wolford (2004) ArticleTitleThis land is ours now: spatial imaginaries and the struggle for land in Bazil Annals of the Association of American Geographers 94 IssueID2 409–424 Occurrence Handle10.1111/j.1467-8306.2004.09402015.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • C. Wood (1983) Peasant and capitalist production in the Brazilian Amazon: a conceptual framework for the study of frontier expansion E. Moran (Eds) The Dilemma of Amazonian Development Westview Press Boulder 259–277

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Wright W. Wolford (2004) To Inherit the Earth: The Landless Movement and the Struggle for a New Brazil Food First Books Oakland

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Michigan State University, 321 Geography Building, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Cynthia S. Simmons

Authors
  1. Cynthia S. Simmons
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cynthia S. Simmons.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Simmons, C.S. Territorializing land conflict: Space, place, and contentious politics in the Brazilian Amazon. GeoJournal 64, 307–317 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-005-5809-x

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-005-5809-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation