Development, workers and cold war poles in two regions of Latin America: Brazilian Amazon and Argentine Patagonia

Abstract

This paper analyzes the links between the formulation of developmental poles in the Brazilian Amazon and the Argentinian Patagonia, the conformation of new working groups and the influence of the national security doctrine, in the general framework of the cold war. The study is based on literature review, work on journalistic sources and interviews with workers.

These poles were planned in a context of industrialization and were subsidized by the State, which sought to ensure control of regions considered “strategic” during the height of the cold war. In turn, they pretended to fragment the working class, increasingly combative in the traditional industrial centers.