ABSTRACTCalha Norte is the most recent military project for the development of Brazilian Amazõnia. It aims to incorporate the whole of the region to the north of the Amazõn River into the national economy and to defend the area from guerrillas, drug traffickers and other perceived threats from neighbouring countries. It also seeks to integrate Indian groups into Brazilian society by means of a new Indian policy. This paper looks at the context of military development in Brazilian Amazônia and the origins and proposals of the Calha Norte project. It focuses on the state of Roraima, the impact of illegal gold miners and the treatment of the Yanomami Indians. While recognizing the long military involvement in Amazônia, the paper argues that the return to democracy in Brazil requires the military not only to consider the security and development of the region, as perceived by them, but to adopt a sensitive and more flexible range of polic