The Petrochemical Complex of Rio de Janeiro and Political-Economic Crisis in Brazil: Itaboraí Municipality after 2014

Abstract

The Petrochemical Complex of Rio de Janeiro was considered to be the most important example of the Brazilian new-development model. The complex was planned to be one of the largest investments in the history of Petrobras and was situated in Itaboraí municipality, located in the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region. The choice of the municipality as the site of the project was marked by controversy, a war of places and intense competition between regions and municipalities. Despite having won out and having experienced some minor improvement, after 2014 Itaboraí began to experience the perversity of the war of the places and the limits of the new-developmental model as Brazil sunk into a severe political and economic crisis. In this sense, the objective of the article is to understand the current situation of Itaboraí after the construction of the Comperj complex stalled and provoked a local crisis. Based on qualitative and quantitative research methods involving interviews and technical visits, the current situation of the municipality after the economic crisis is presented.