Amongst speeches and practices: the speech analysis of Lula government (2003 – 2010) in the context of Belo Monte hydroelectric power station construction

Abstract

The article analyses the debate on the construction of the hydroelectric power station of Belo Monte along the government terms of Luís Inácio Lula da Sila (2003-2010), focusing on possible convergences and divergences between the official speech and actions delivered by the main governmental authorities and political institutions. It has been used some contribution from Michel Foucault on the analysis of speech and power from his archaeological and genealogical phases, and from Pierre Bourdieu on language and symbolic power. Although the political speech during Lula’s government first term assimilates the environment concernment and inflicted peoples’ interest, the governmental actions showed contraries to what was declared. However along the second term, the political speech alters to the merchant logic having as background a symbolic and material basis.