Território Canavieiro do Vale do Mamanguape : exploração, acumulação e resistência camponesa

Abstract

The present work has the general objective of analyzing the formation of the sugarcane territory of the Mamanguape Valley, identifying the dynamics of exploitation, accumulation and peasant resistance. The specific objectives consist of: describing the process of expansion and capitalist accumulation in the countryside in the Mamanguape Valley-PB; analyzing the contradictions of capitalism in the countryside and its effects on the production of the sugarcane territory of the Mamanguape Valley; analyzing the peasant resistance to the advance of capitalist relations in this territory, highlighting the advances and limitations. This is a case study with a qualitative approach. The subjects of the investigation are rural workers from the sugar plants and distilleries in the region who live in the peripheral neighborhoods of the city of Mamanguape; farmers remaining from the Peasant Leagues, and, still, settled workers from the Agrarian Reform, leaders of social movements and unions in the countryside and indigenous leaders. The methodological procedures include bibliographic research, collection of statistical information from IBGE and INCRA websites, as well as field research. The main concepts that make up the theoretical framework of this research are: a) the notion of territory as a place of dispute of interests and power, based on the approach of Souza (2000), Moreira and Targino (2007); b) capitalist production and its process of exploitation and accumulation based on the general theory of accumulation by Marx (1968) and his main followers regarding the permanence/extinction of the peasantry (Lenin, Kautsky and Luxembourg); c) peasant resistance that has as theoretical support the contributions of Chayanov (1976), Wolf (1970) and Scott (1985). The spatial and temporal clipping was defined taking into account that the area under study has been constituted as a sugarcane territory since colonization, maintaining until now with the same productive base of the latifundium and sugarcane monoculture and without promoting the social and economic development of workers, and which has as its centrality the exploitation of labor as a form of capital accumulation. The peasantry has been present in this space since the colonial period until the present day and has shown resistance in the struggle for its preservation. Given this context, there were moments of peasant resistance to the advance of capitalist relations of production in the countryside. As a result, a characterization of this space as a territory of capital and peasant resistance is expected.