On March 29, two weeks after the first Covid-19 case was confirmed and on the same day of the first pandemic-related death in the city, Salvador turned 471 years old. However, the streets did not showcase the celebrations that distinguish one of the most culturally active cities in Brazil. From the confinement of our homes, we witnessed an empty, suspended city. The isolation measures taken by local authorities, essential to reduce the virus' transmission, have shaken the dynamics of sociability as well as disrupted the use of public spaces in Salvador, recognized by UNESCO as the "city of music" and "national capital of Afro-Brazilian culture".Besides changing socio-cultural patterns, isolation has economic implications in a city that essentially depends on commerce, tourism and services. Commercial sector organizations estimate daily losses in the millions in a scenario in which only key services remain open.Tourist activities are paralyzed, beaches are closed, and cinemas, theaters, museums and nightclubs are suspended. At the same time, the number of flights that usually reach the

Este texto examina la forma en que los patrones de la segregación socioespacial y sus impactos se articulan con las desigualdades raciales en la sociedad brasileña. Procede con base en datos de los Censos demográficos, de las Encuestas Nacionales de Hogares y de algunas investigaciones empíricas realizadas en Salvador, capital del estado de Bahía, que constituye actualmente la cuarta ciudad más grande del país y donde los negros representan la mayoría absoluta de la población. Para ello se refiere inicialmente a la cuestión de la segregación y del denominado “efecto territorio”, abordando la literatura sobre esos fenómenos y sobre su desarrollo. Se analiza, a continuación, cómo los patrones de segregación se articulan con las desigualdades raciales y cómo la concentración de moradores pobres y mayoritariamente negros en áreas homogéneas, precarias y desasistidas agrava su desposesión y su vulnerabilidad, resaltando que la apropiación diferenciada del territorio urbano también contribuye a la persistencia y al agravamiento de las desigualdades raciales en Brasil.

ResumenEs innegable la importancia y la fuerza que el estudio de los imaginarios urbanosha cobrado en los últimos años en las disciplinas espaciales, incluyendola sociología urbana. Este trabajo analiza el origen, los significados y lasconsecuencias de uno de los imaginarios urbanos más latentes y poderososen las ciudades latinoamericanas: el imaginario del miedo, el cual, con sumezcla de violencia real y percepción subjetiva de la sociedad, se ha convertidoen la forma de habitar de la ciudad contemporánea latinoamericana, volviéndolaun espacio de miedo e inseguridad, situación potencializada por elmercado inmobiliario y los medios de comunicación. Este trabajo toma comocasos de estudio las ciudades de Salvador de Bahía, en Brasil, y Monterrey, enMéxico, para analizar las manifestaciones sociales y urbanísticas de este imaginario,encontrando que el imaginario del miedo no es solamente un miedoa la violencia e inseguridad, sino también a mezclarse con el otro, una negaciónde la heterogeneidad, la diversidad y la sociabilidad que siempre hancaracterizado a las ciudades, provocando así manifestaciones de aislamientoy segregación arquitectónicas, que hacen cada vez más difícil alcanzar unconcepto de sustentabilidad urbana real.Palabras clave: imaginarios sociales, miedo, segregación, América Latina. The Latin-American urban imaginary of fear:evidence from studies in Salvador, Brazil, andMonterrey, MexicoAbstractThe importance and strength that the study of urban imaginary has gainedin recent years in space disciplines is undeniable, including urban sociology.This paper analyzes the origin, meaning and consequences of one ofthe most latent and powerful urban imaginary in Latin American cities:the imagination of fear, which, with a mix of real violence and subjectiveperception of society, has become the way of living of Latin American contemporarycity, as a place of fear and insecurity, a situation potentiated bythe housing market and the media. This work takes cities of Salvador deBahia in Brazil and Monterrey, Mexico, as case studies to analyze social andurban manifestations of this imaginary, finding that the imaginary of fear isnot just about violence and insecurity but also about relating with others,a denial of heterogeneity, diversity and sociability that have always characterizedthe cities, causing manifestations of insulation and architecturalsegregation. This makes that reaching a concept of real urban sustainabilityis increasingly difficult.Keywords: social imaginary, fear, segregation, Latin America.O imaginário urbano do medo na América Latina:evidências de estudos em Salvador de Bahía,Brasil e Monterrey, MéxicoResumoÉ inegável a importância e força que o estudo dos imaginários urbanos temganhado nos últimos anos nas disciplinas espaciais, incluindo a sociologiaurbana. Este trabalho analisa a origem, os significados e as consequências deum dos imaginários urbanos mais latentes e poderosos nas cidades latino--americanas: o imaginário do medo, o qual se mistura de violência real e apercepção subjetiva da sociedade, tornou-se forma de viver a cidade contemporânealatino-americana, volvendo-se num espaço de medo e insegurança,situação potenciada pelo mercado imobiliário e da mídia. Este trabalho temcomo estudos de caso as cidades de Salvador de Bahia, no Brasil, e Monterrey,no México, para analisar manifestações sociais e urbanas deste imaginário,encontrando que o imaginário do medo não é apenas um medo deviolência e insegurança, mas também, se misturar com outro, uma negaçãoda heterogeneidade, a diversidade e sociabilidade que sempre tem caracterizadoas cidades, causando manifestações de isolamento e segregação daarquitetura, o que torna cada vez mais difícil de lograr um conceito de sustentabilidadeurbano real.Palavras – chave: imaginários sociais, medo, segregação, América Latina.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the intergovernmental relationship between the Government of the State of Bahia and the Municipality of Salvador, and the measures put in place by these entities to fight COVID-19. This paper also reflects on the Federal Government’s relationship with the federative units during the fight against the pandemic. It analyzes the extent to which intergovernmental relations are based on verticalization, cooperation or conflict. The paper concludes that, despite being led by politicians from groups and parties that are historically antagonistic, the governments of the State of Bahia and the city of Salvador have been adjusting actions and cooperating among themselves to implement policies to face the health crisis. Going in a completely different direction, the Federal Government of Brazil is building relationships with federal state governors characterized by verticalization attempts and conflicts.