Land policy by other means: democracy and the military in contemporary urban Brazil

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between Armed Forces commands and the land market in Brazilian metropolises. Given the importance of the urban dimension, the research sheds light on agents usually invisibilized by the literature in an attempt to understand their role in land policy. The practices, meanings, and outcomes of these actions reflect themselves in the decision-making conditions that characterize the field of Brazilian democracy. By establishing a dialogue with the notion that war is the continuation of politics by other means, we present and analyze land policies as continued by war operators. As we analyze military management practices and commodification of public areas, we find the city’s production dynamics galvanized by Army generals. Beyond security, surveillance, and population control, the Armed Forces have carried out a complex set of strategies regarding the occupation of cities, fueling the debate on the nature of democracy underway in contemporary Brazil.