Dinâmicas e desafios na relação entre o Estado de Minas Gerais e a Fiat Automóveis: como uma multinacional conseguiu impor seus interesses a um Estado brasileiro (1970 a 1996)

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyze the complex relations between the Fiat Automóveis S.A. and the State of Minas Gerais during the 1970s and 1980s. In March of 1973, an agreement was signed between the State of Minas Gerais and the Fiat, leading to the establishment of an automobile factory in Betim, situated in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte. The partnership entailed substantial benefits granted by both the state and the municipality of Betim, with the state becoming a partner in the venture and sharing the same capital as Fiat. On one hand, the state aimed to promote its industrial development, while on the other, the Italian company sought to establish itself in the prosperous Brazilian automobile market of the 70s. However, the partnership faced strains over the years and was dissolved in early 1988. This study aims to comprehensively examine the dynamic of this relationship, since the initiative by the government of Minas Gerais in 1970 until its conclusion in 1996, when the final issues between the parties were resolved. The Fiat case study will offer an in-depth analysis of the interactions between a major transnational corporation and a Brazilian state, highlighting the negotiation processes, the challenges faced, and the unfolding developments throughout the analyzed period. This research is based mainly on primary documents from Centro Storico Fiat, located in Turin, Italy, where the historical records of the company are archived, as well as on documents from the Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais, including agreements and amendments signed between the parties