The myth of São Paulo’s imperialism revisited

Abstract

Wilson Cano’s broad and dense research agenda enabled him to establish a close dialogue with researchers, professors, specialists, politicians, and others interested in the problems that pervaded the regional issue in Brazil. His contribution was decisive in the investigation of a regionalist reaction to the contradictions caused by the dynamic insufficiency of regional economies when compared to that of São Paulo, considered to be imperialist. Using the historical-structural method and other central characteristics that appear in Wilson Cano’s studies, this paper illustrates how he contributed to the elucidation of the false problem that influenced this thesis. It argues that this analytical framework is a legacy according to which it is possible to explain aspects that emerged from the evolution of the interdependencies that link Brazilian regions before and after 1980, involving, particularly, the Northeast and São Paulo.

Keywords:
Cano; Wilson; 1937-2020; Regional problem; Development; São Paulo’s imperialism