Militarismo e colonialismo contemporâneo: a presença das bases militares dos EUA em Okinawa e a luta dos uchinanchus por autonomia e desmilitarização (1995–2025)

Abstract

This study analyzes the presence of U.S. military bases in Okinawa as a manifestation of contemporary colonialism, both in its external dimension—represented by U.S. geopolitical imposition—and its internal form, evidenced by the negligence and subordination imposed by the Japanese central government on the Okinawan population. Beginning with the third wave of protests in 1995, triggered by the rape of a 12-year-old girl by U.S. servicemen, the research investigates how the uchinanchu began to politically articulate their identity, collective memory, and struggle for self-determination. Using a qualitative approach grounded in documentary and bibliographic analysis, the study examines the role of the bases in shaping a long-lasting system of domination that operates on both the physical and ideological levels of the island. The research seeks to show how Okinawa has become an epicenter of disputes over sovereignty, international security, and the rights of Indigenous peoples, revealing the contradictions of Japanese democracy and the limits of the U.S.–Japan alliance