The Rondon indigenous project as a manifestation of the “pacification device” in Brazil

Abstract

The article introduces the notion of “pacification device” as an analytical instrument to understand the continuous intervention of the Brazilian Armed Forces in domestic issues, using Marshal Rondon's indigenous policy as a case study. Using the genealogy mobilized by Michel Foucault as a method and the concept of "tutelary power" as a theoretical reference, we propose an analysis of Cândido Rondon's trajectory as a Brazilian soldier at the beginning of the 20th century, highlighting how his strategies of “assimilation” and “harmonious” treatment of the indigenous population can be seen as a guardianship practice essential for the achievement of a “civilizing mission” that would allow for an effort at the Nation’s socioeconomic integration. Furthermore, it is demonstrated how the image, based on Rondon, of the Brazilian military as a “conciliatory agent” is propagated in contemporary pacifications. It is argued that the notion of pacification is a key element that drives, throughout Brazilian history, the interventionist tradition of the Armed Forces, which manifests itself through the continuous combination of internal war and welfare selectively applied to specific segments of the population.