A visão geopolítica sobre a Amazônia Legal e a atuação da Ditadura Militar na integração nacional

Abstract

This study frames the Legal Amazon as a pivotal concept in Brazilian geopolitical thought, long characterized as a “geopolitical problem” due to its vast territorial and border exposure, yet also idealized as a strategic opportunity for the “Brazil as a Great Power” project. The general objective was to investigate this traditional vision and examine how it underpinned national integration policies during the Military regime, with specific aims to review seminal geopolitical works on the Amazon, trace the evolution of theoretical constructs in public policy, and assess the alignment between these ideas and authoritarian practices.A qualitative methodology was employed, supported by analysis of foundational texts by authors such as Mario Travassos, Meira Mattos and Golbery do Couto e Silva, and official reports. Findings demonstrate that a consensus emerged portraying the region as “uninhabited” yet indispensable to national security and development, legitimizing large infrastructure projects, colonization schemes. The discussion reveals that such territorial instrumentalization marginalized and inflicted cultural and physical genocide upon traditional communities, cementing alliances among military, economic, and ideological interests and generating severe socio-environmental impacts. In conclusion, the study emphasizes the urgent need to critically reassess these geopolitical underpinnings and to advocate for inclusive frameworks that acknowledge the Amazon’s sociocultural diversity and guide public policies respectful of human rights and environmental justice.