Caso Braskem: a luta pelo direito à cidade através da participação popular em Maceió–AL

Abstract

The city of Maceió, capital of the state of Alagoas, suffers the world's largest environmental crime in an urban area due to more than forty years of exploitation by the mining company Braskem. This situation forced the evacuation of over sixty thousand people from their homes and nearly five thousand entrepreneurs, as well as residents of nearby areas affected by social isolation. The central issue of the study focuses on the socio-environmental impacts caused by rock-salt mining by Braskem in Maceió-AL, leading to soil subsidence and population displacement. This work discusses how these events violate the local residents' right to the city and civil society's response to these violations. The general objective of the study is to emphasize the importance of popular participation as a fundamental element for realizing the right to the city after Braskem's environmental crime. The specific objectives include: 1. conceptualizing the right to the city and its application in Brazil after the City Statute, focusing on the case of Maceió-AL; 2. reporting Braskem's environmental crime and its effects on the Maceió population's right to the city; and 3. investigating how civil society articulated itself in response to the impacts of soil subsidence in Maceió-AL, highlighting the role of official digital channels. The methodology adopted is descriptive, qualitative, and exploratory in nature. The results of the study showed that the affected population manifests itself in various ways to recover the right to the city, seeking compensation and decent living conditions, although many of these struggles have been made invisible. Braskem's Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI), held in 2024, was effective in clarifying information and listening to the population, who for the first time felt heard. The conclusion of the study highlights that, despite the inadequacy of public policy application and the lack of transparency, civil society participation is essential for the reconstruction of Maceió. The work underscores the importance of an updated master plan and the need for public policy instruments that meet society's demands, ensuring a sustainable urban scenario.