On the margins of the route: discourses on development in journalistic coverage of the RILA

Abstract

Large infrastructure projects are often presented and justified as strategies for development. However, many of the results experienced directly by those affected by these projects in their daily lives are different from the previously defined objectives. Starting from the idea of development as a consistent, desired and promoted process of social and economic transformations towards progress and modernity, we seek to identify, from the news about the Latin American Integration Route (RILA), the meanings and ideas expressed about development linked to the project and implementation of the Bioceanic Route. This work, therefore, aims to reflect on the discursive aspects implicit in the RILA project and its implementation based on the analysis of forty-nine reports published on the G1 portal about its implementation between 08/23/2017 and 06/04/2023. The analysis allows us to infer that RILA is not treated as a broader national development project by the Brazilian government that involves, in addition to diplomatic, productive and infrastructure aspects, also social, cultural, environmental and legal aspects while economic agents interested in the realization of the project act directly in the project and design of practices and strategies to be adopted to promote development.