DESLOCAMENTO FORÇADO E REASSENTAMENTOS: MEMÓRIAS E VIVÊNCIAS DOS ATINGIDOS PELA BARRAGEM DE ITÁ, SUL DO BRASIL Forced displacement and resettlement: memories and experiences of those affected by the Itá dam, southern Brazil

Abstract

This study aimed to understand the experiences of people affected by the construction of Itá Dam (Santa Catarina/Rio Grande do Sul) and relocated to two collective rural settlements in the state of Paraná. This qualitative research was carried out with those affected by the construction of Itá Dam, relocated to the collective rural settlements of Santa Inês and Itá. For data collection, the self-referral focus group technique was used. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the results. In the testimonies, attempts of the energy companies to indemnify those affected individually, which was considered a strategy for demobilization, are highlighted. The lack of attention to work-related needs of those affected is emphasized, which resulted in settlement abandonment or in the search for paid employment. The construction of hydroelectric power plants gives rise to social injustice, such as the companies’ lack of responsibility to provide fair compensation to those affected, and forced displacement to other states.