The Recolonization of Guinea-Bissau by the Negative Representations Made by the International Development Bodies: From “Fragile State” to "Narco-State"

Abstract

The article aims to understand the process of recolonization of the countries of the Global South through  negative representations made by the International Development Organizations (IDOs), analyzing, therefore, the development context of Guinea-Bissau from of its independence in the 1970s to the present day. Of a qualitative nature, the research combines techniques of documentary, bibliographic analysis and semi-structured interview. In the post-Second War, the IDOs constitute legitimate producers of knowledge about capitalist hegemonic development. Through indicators, indexes and rankings of success and failure, they determine the scope and perpetuate foreign aid and indebtedness of these countries. This was the case in Guinea-Bissau, which freed itself from the colonial yoke to be recolonized through dependence on foreign aid through a systematic process of negative representation and indebtedness.