Multiterritorialidade em regiões transfronteiriças : estudo de duas cidades gêmeas na fronteira Brasil - Uruguai.

Abstract

This thesis aims to analyze the current political, economic and sociospatial organization of the twin cities Chuí/Chuy and Aceguá/Acegua on the border between Brazil and Uruguay. This study was theoretically focused on the concepts of territory and upper and lower circuits of urban economy, taking into account the presence of free shop stores in those border clusters. To this end, the study was based on the design of the border region as part of integration between the different territorial realities involved, especially when these realities articulate National States in economic blocks such as MERCOSUR. From the political point of view, it is observed that the state action in different spheres of power, focusing on urban development (unilateral or bilateral) is timely and responds to pressures of the upper circuit, which deepens the existing asymmetries of various kinds, mainly in urban shared spaces. This increase in the asymmetries results mainly from the adoption of obsolete concert mechanisms, guided by the traditional modes of international relations, rather than from the distinct forms of national state and, therefore, jurisdiction spheres. Concerning the relations between the upper and lower circuits of the urban economy of these towns, the possible complementarity between them appears as a solution. This complementarity added to the state action in the sense of the dispersion of social equipments along the territory allows a (re)appropriation of clusters across borders by local populations. This (re)appropriation is necessary for the subsistence of local populations and occurs regardless of political jurisdiction. In addition, it turns out to give a new identity bearing values that underpin a community, which is the ultimate goal to be pursued by integration and regional development projects, such as MERCOSUR. The Case Study carried out in the portuguese border revealed legal and political conditions similar to those of MERCOSUR. Therefore, the European Union can inspire MERCOSUR, since in the portuguese border these conditions conduce to the rise of socioeconomic indicators.