inativados

Inativados are a group of Brazilian migrants who were forcibly relocated to the interior of São Paulo state in the 1930s. The term is derived from the Portuguese word "inativo," meaning inactive or inactive.

During the Brazilian presidency of Getúlio Vargas, a nine-day riot broke out in February 1932 in the city of São Paulo, known as the Paulista Revolution. Although the uprising was suppressed, Vargas used the incident as a pretext to forcibly relocate over 200,000 migrants from the city's periphery to the interior of the state, many of whom were from Italian and Spanish immigrant backgrounds.

The migrants, including workers, peasants, and traders, were seen as a threat to the Vargas government due to their perceived political radicalism and associations with anarchist groups. They were often forcibly separated from their families and sent to the countryside, where they were forced to work on vast agricultural estates.

Inativados experienced significant hardship during their relocation, often facing harsh living conditions, unemployment, and mistreatment at the hands of landowners. Many failed to readjust to rural life and suffered from social and economic isolation.

The legacy of the Inativados has been subject to historical and cultural debate in Brazil. Some view the relocation as an attempt to suppress perceived subversives and conservative the privileges of landowners. Others see it as an example of the Vargas government's actions to settle and develop the country. The experiences of the Inativados have been documented in various literary works, including novels and poetry collections, and continue to be an important part of Brazilian cultural heritage.