This paper develops a comparative study of the processes of colonization and territorial development in the western part of Paraná state and Alto Teles Pires, in the state of Mato Grosso. The focus of its approach is the variable that is the influence of public and private interests - manifested in the form of public policies and capital dynamics - on the organization of the agricultural frontiers of the territories in question. The authors consider the agrarian and agricultural policies of the historical period known as the Vargas years and the post-1964 military regime, and its impact on the territorial construction of colonization frontiers. Based on an historical and comparative analysis, the article emphasizes the articulation of social subjects to meet the demands of the State and the market, and intends to assess the implications of such demands on the organization of society and on local development.
Migration; Colonization; Agricultural frontiers; Territorial development