Catástrofes na indústria de mineração: comportamentos executivos e a relação de poder entre mineradoras, o estado e a sociedade como fatores disruptivos do caos

Mining is present in much of the world. In Brazil, more specifically in the state of Minas Gerais, this activity is present in several municipalities. Miners move large amounts of resources, generate jobs and promote economic development. They are also capable of influencing the politics, legislation and norms of societies and regions, minimizing the perception of risks that can, in disruptive cases, produce large negative externalities to stakeholders. The objective of this study is to present the relationship of power and influence that mining companies have over society and the State as a possible cause of major catastrophes in the mining sector, from the perspective of the Resource Dependency Theory and the Theory of Catastrophe. The focus of the research is on the analysis of disasters that occurred in the cities of Mariana and Brumadinho, located in the State of Minas Gerais, in Brazil. The research is characterized as bibliographic and documentary. Databases (EBSCO HOST and Google Scholar) were consulted, using as key words the terms: Resource Dependency Theory, Power Relations, Mining, Catastrophe and Negative Externality, in Portuguese and English. Mineradoras Vale S.A. and Samarco websites and reports were also visited, in addition to the website and reports of the Brazilian Mining Institute. The results point to the understanding that the causes of disasters are formed by a succession of failures of the various actors involved (Society, State, Firms and entities that represent them), as well as by their relationships.