Environmental racism and the Braskem case in Maceió-AL

analysis from the perspective of south green criminology

Abstract

Braskem is one of the most profitable petrochemical companies in Brazil and, since the 1970s, has mined rock salt in the city of Maceió, in Alagoas. In 2018, the company's practice caused the ground to sink in five neighborhoods of the city, affecting around 14 thousand homes. This research seeks to find out what is the relationship between the practices of environmental racism and the Braskem case in Maceió-AL? To this end, the theoretical bases that underpin the investigation come from the literature on green criminology in the South, above all, bringing a perspective from the theory of social damage and the epistemological bases of environmental racism. The deductive and monographic method was used, as well as the indirect documentation research technique. The conclusion indicates that the case of Braskem in Maceió, in the state of Alagoas, is part of the logic of environmental racism practiced by States, markets and corporations, in connection with the political and economic project of exclusion and elimination of poor and marginalized populations. This is because Alagoas occupies third place in the ranking of states with extreme poverty in Brazil, according to IBGE data, and has been suffering for years from socio-environmental damage perpetrated by the company.

Key words: Green Criminology; Crimes of the powerful; Social harm; Environmental racism.