About an hour’s drive north of the city of Belo Horizonte and landing at Belo Horizonte’s main airport, vast cavernous mines dot the landscape. It’s a fitting sight for the capital of Minas Gerais, whose name literally means General Mine.
Mining has been a driving force in the region dating back to the 17th century gold rush, and continues to be a huge influence. But Belo Horizonte, a hilly city of 2.3 million people known for its hospitality and thriving food scene, was never a mining town. At least it doesn’t come directly from a mine.
Belo Horizonte (locals simply call it BH) was a Brazilian republican project. After overthrowing the monarchy at the end of the 19th century, the leaders of the First Republic wanted a new city that encapsulated the positivist slogan of “order and progress.” This motto still appears on the national flag today.
The result was BH – pronunciation beahah In Portuguese — The nation’s first major planned city, inspired by Georges-Eugène Haussmann’s renovation of Paris and the roundabouts and diagonal boulevards of Washington, DC. Streets and boulevards in the city center were given names of Brazilian states and indigenous groups, with the aim of reinforcing Brazil’s new identity.
“The idea of a republic is part of our history. The ideal is part of our culture,” says Bruno Carrazza, a political analyst and professor at the Dom Cabral Foundation in Belo Horizonte. “BH’s city center is inspired by ideas of order and progress.”
For most of the 20th century, BH and Minas Gerais were prominent on the national stage. This region was the center of Brazil’s early industrialization, led by the mining, steel, and automotive sectors. BH punched above its weight politically as well. Key leaders at the time, including President Juscelino Kubitschek and President-elect Tancredo Neves, who died in 1985 shortly before taking office, were tainted by harsh criticism. Mineiro Politics.
However, Belo Horizonte seems to be struggling today. While automakers are cutting jobs due to automation, mining remains important, albeit less important than it once was.
The city remains an important educational center, with the Federal University of Minas Gerais in particular being highly regarded. However, the term that many people use is “brain drain.”highly educated Mineiros They are flocking to São Paulo, Brazil’s commercial and financial capital, and emerging technology hubs in southern Brazil, such as Florianopolis.
After rapidly growing throughout the 20th century, Belo Horizonte’s population declined from a peak of 2.37 million in 2010 to 2.31 million at the last census. “People study here and then leave,” said City Council member Gabriel Azevedo, who is considered a likely candidate for mayor later this year. “BH was built as a city of the future with planned and advanced urban planning, symbolizing a new era of the country’s development. It seems destined to become
To improve the situation, BH is working to develop technical qualifications and last year opened an innovation hub at the city’s technology park. The company has benefited from the research and development arms of several large companies, including Google, which operates an engineering center, and global steelmaker ArcelorMittal and Brazilian digital bank Intel.
Critics argue that the local government is not providing enough funding in the form of investments or tax incentives for the project to get off the ground.
“We believe that this city will become a hub for attracting new investments, especially in the areas of digital technologies and decarbonization,” said Carlos Arruda, director of the Minas Gerais state research and development agency. “Public and private investment is increasing, but it’s still not enough.”
Carrazza argues that existing technology hubs “don’t change the economy. There aren’t many people working there.” he says: “Our economy is not that dynamic. We have problems creating jobs for people.” Carrazza said Belo Horizonte, especially in its vast poor suburbs, still lacks sanitation infrastructure and transportation. He added that he was in serious trouble.
In many ways, this problem is similar to many of Brazil’s southeastern and coastal cities, which have long lacked strong drivers for growth. BH’s fortunes were not helped by the fact that Minas Gerais had been in bankruptcy for the better part of a decade due to years of mismanagement and corruption scandals.
Still, many BH residents, especially those living within 12km of the Contorno The ring road that once marked the city’s boundaries is said to have a higher quality of life than São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro. It is also cheaper and probably has a more pleasant climate.
Rafaela Vitoria, chief economist at BH Banco Inter, lived in São Paulo for 15 years before returning to her hometown “in search of a better quality of life.” she says: “It was a great decision. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
BH is also currently in the midst of a culinary renaissance, led by celebrity chef Leo Paixian and others. In general, the people of Minas Gerais are particularly proud of their cuisine, which has indigenous, Portuguese, and African influences. The state is known for its cheese, and its production has increased rapidly in recent years, according to global ratings. And then there’s the noisy BH bar scene. Few locals will miss this opportunity to note that this city has more drinking fountains per capita than any other city in Brazil.
Additional reporting by Beatriz Langella
