The clouds against progress: technoscience, environment and the U.S./Brazil “Radar in Amazon Project” (RADAM) (1970-1975)

Abstract

The objective of this investigation is to contribute to a deeper understanding of the RADAM Project activities during the Brazilian civil-military regime (1964 -1985). The RADAM was a technoscientific project, created at the federal level in 1970, which intended to map Brazil’s Northeastern and Amazon territories and thus produce systematic knowledge about their natural resources, a process considered crucial for the federal government’s development plans. By analyzing original documents, we attempt to comprehend the role of the project in the authoritarian development policy set forth by the military government. We intend to demonstrate the juridical and institutional reforms that made the implementation of the project possible and then analyze how the RADAM project was effectively organized and its direct and indirect objectives. Lastly, we look into how the work of the technical agents and scientists in the social scenario of the Brazilian dictatorship.