THE INVISIBLE MUD IN BARÃO DE COCAIS-MG: NEO-EXTRACTIVISM, NEO-DEVELOPMENTALISM AND RISKS IN THE CASE OF RAISING THE EMERGENCY LEVEL OF THE SOUTH SUPERIOR DAM, GONGO SOCO MINE

Abstract

In February 2019, the population of Socorro, Piteiras, Tabuleiro and Vila do Gongo were suddenly and compulsorily removed due to the increase in the risk level of the Sul Superior dam, Gongo Soco Mine, in the municipality of Barão de Cocais, Minas Gerais. In March of that same year, the level of the dam was raised to three, the maximum level, which indicates imminent or effective collapse. Since then, the population has been displaced and dispossessed of their territories and living with a myriad of risks, expressions of neo-extractivism and neo-developmentalism that have been established for decades on Latin American soil. The aim of this paper is to propose a dialog between the different dimensions of risk that arise in this case, based on the different theoretical currents or epistemological strands in the social sciences literature. The methodology used involved analyzing the content of in-depth interviews carried out for a previous paper, in addition to the experience and information obtained in the field. The conclusions highlight two axes of risk analysis. One involves governmentality studies and is presented through the actions and measures of the public and private institutions involved, that have an effect on the bodies and rationalities affected, and, in a dissonant way, the second refers to the risks perceived by those affected.