As relações entre Brasil e Argentina nos governos Lula (2003-2010) com destaque para o protagonismo do BNDES: o caso da Vale S. A. em Mendoza

Abstract

In this study, we discuss the political-economic relations between Brazil and Argentina during the administrations of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2003-2010), and the BNDES role as an agent of the Brazilian Foreign Policy (PEB). In general, we deal with the process of productive internationalization of the Brazilian economy towards South America, through disbursements from the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES). To this end, we started the discussion by explaining some of the main guidelines of the foreign policy of former president Lula, exposing interpretations about it. Next, we focused on BNDES role in financing South American infrastructure and in stimulating the expansion of Brazilian companies during the former PT president's governments. Finally, we present BNDES disbursements in Argentina for new production facilities and resources for mergers and acquisitions of local companies, since the neighbor was the country that received the most investments during the period in question. In addition, a case study received special attention: the Project Rio Colorado suspended that Vale S.A. carried out in the region of Mendoza, apparently productive for economic cooperation between Argentina and Brazil. The case helps to elucidate a certain detachment between initiatives and integrationist discourses and the concrete results achieved, which we analyze in the light of the difficulties imposed by the peripheral situation in the context of the new imperialism, using the two logics of Harvey (2004): "logic of the State" and "logic of capital".