Symbolic Losses and the People Affected By the Construction of Dams: the Case Study of the Estreito Hydroelectric Power Plant, Brazil

Among the economic activities under development in Brazil it is the construction of hydroelectric power plants. The increasing expansion of the Brazilian electrical sector has been causing irreversible losses to impacted populations, due to their forced displacement, and consequent rupture with their symbolic construction space. In view of the growth horizon of the electricity sector in the country, this study sought to analyze how the negotiation process of the symbolic losses suffered by affected people has been conducted. The data were obtained from the analysis of documents followed by conducting interviews with those impacted by Estreito Power Plant, located in the middle Tocantins River between the States of Maranhao and Tocantins. This research highlighted the need to seek mechanisms that behold the symbolic values of people affected by dams, prioritizing the continuity of life that does not prize the logic of the market, but by living with dignity.