Ditadura e modernização conservadora no Maranhão: desenvolvimento, repressão e conflitos

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the civil-military dictatorship in Maranhão, with a focus on the implementation of the conservative modernization project in the state. The research aims to fill a gap in historiography by exploring the period of the Figueiredo Government, still scarcely addressed in previous studies. The methodological approach is based on a critical analysis of primary and secondary sources, with special attention to official documents, newspapers of the time, and academic productions concerning the dictatorship and conservative modernization in Brazil and Maranhão. The research develops along three main axes: first, the investigation of the political and economic context of Maranhão during the dictatorship, with emphasis on the relations between the state government and the military regime, especially regarding the political trajectory of José Sarney, then governor, whose alliance with the regime facilitated major development projects. Second, the case study of two emblematic initiatives of conservative modernization in Maranhão: the Grande Carajás Program (PGC) and the Alcântara Launch Center (CLA), analyzed from the perspective of their authoritarian imposition, their social, economic, and environmental impacts, and the resistance strategies of the affected populations. Finally, the study addresses the conception, methodological framework, and classroom application of an e-book as an educational product designed to provide high school students with a pedagogical tool for understanding the dictatorship in Maranhão. The relevance of this research lies in its contribution to building a collective memory of the dictatorship in Maranhão, reinforcing historical awareness and the appreciation of human rights and democracy.