Concentration Camps in Northeast Brazil: 1915/1932

The concentration camps in Northeast Brazil hold what one might call hidden histories. Built between 1915 and 1932, the camps were perceived as a form of aid towards groups who were migrating from inland Brazil to Fortaleza (Ceará’s capital) as refugees from droughts. While meant for quarantine and isolation as opposed to forced labor or extermination, the living conditions within these guarded spaces were still questionable. Highly influenced by the desires of the elites, who were afraid of the impoverished masses invading their capital city, these constructions worked as barriers masked in humanitarian speech. Out of seven concentration camps that were built, today only one remains partially standing, and has since become a symbol of resistance.