DEVELOPMENT AT THE FOZ DO AMAZONAS

COMPOSITIONS AND DISPUTES

Abstract

The Amazon biome is the target of national and international economic interests. The Foz do Amazonas is the new focus of Petrobras' oil exploration. According to environmentalists, the area's unique biodiversity could be threatened by Petrobras' activities. In this sense, oil exploration in the Foz do Amazonas has mobilized actors around a controversy involving at least two groups: one pro-exploration, the other pro-preservation. The objective of this research is to analyze the case of the Foz do Amazonas and discuss the disputes (to preserve or to exploit?) in Amazonian territories, considering the implications caused by the notions of cultural and natural heritage. The cartography of compositions, from Actor-Network Theory, presents itself as a heuristic resource for elucidating such disputes. This cartography was mobilized from news reports, public statements, and articles on the topic. The results indicate that heritage designation is a strategy adopted by environmentalists and local communities to protect threatened natural areas, but that it has limitations in the face of interests in the exploitation of natural resources. Finally, the need to broaden the ecological dimension in the field of heritage is highlighted.