Thursday 25 November 2010

All Eyes On The Screen...And It's Not For Footie

Rio Watches
This afternoon the whole of Rio has been glued to the TV as the local news networks air real time footage showing hundreds of armed drug-gang members fleeing through an area of jungle known as 'inferno verde'  (green hell) from the favela (slum) of Vila Cruzeiro, which had been occupied by the police and military troops, to neighbouring favela, Complexo de Alemão. 

The footage was shot from TV helicopters with mega zoom lens cameras.  They can't fly too near, because the gangs probably have anti-aircraft weapons.  It's scary stuff, but to viewers at home (or on the street) it seemed like it would be a piece of cake for the police to take 'em all out, being that we could all see where they were.  Some were shot, but the truth on the ground,  according to the chief of police in a press conference tonight, is much more complicated than it looks from the safety of the couch

Bus Burning (image Globo  News)
The latest spate of violence started on Monday with what appeared to be coordinated attacks around the city, including some quite close to where we live.  Cars burning, buses burning, assaults on vehicles and shootings;  It is all a response to the on-going pacification strategy in Rio, which pushes drug gangs out of the communities and then places permanent pacification police units (UPP) within them. Once in place, the city invests in the infrastructure of the favela, improving access etc, and thus begins the process of reintegrating the area into the city.  Every pacified favela is essentially one less place for the bandidos to hide.  Up to now most of the pacified favelas have been relatively small areas in the Zona Sul...but as the program expands, the criminals are beginning to feel the pressure.

The chief of police explained tonight that rival factions are even having to unite forces in order to help each other in the 'war' against the joined forces of the civil, military and federal police.  He hopefully suggested that this was an essential 'suicide' for at least one of the factions, doubting that after years of violent rivalry they would be able to keep the peace between them.

It must be terrifying to be an inhabitant of Complexo de Alemao tonight.  On the TV we could see people, including children, waving white sheets and t-shirts out of their windows towards the cameras in a gesture of peace, as the terrorists marched passed their homes. 

The whole city is with them.  The general mood is one of determination to do something about this problem once and for all.  Brazil is having a real 'moment'; spirits are high and these criminal factions are not part of the shared dreams of the future.  An encouraging sign is the record number of anonymous denunciations that are being made on Rio's equivalent to the Crime Watch helpline...with more calls today than in the service's 15 year history. 

The city has it's eyes on the ball....let's just hope we don't drop it this time.

4 comments:

  1. You summarized very well whe whote week, I linked you on my blog. The work of pacification of favelas must go on. I think it's also the time of thinking about legalizing some soft drugs. The drug dealers exist because the comsummers exist. If consummers could safely buy a joint in pre determined places and pay taxes on it. But argh ! Alcohol is allowed, tabaco is allowed, antidepressants are prescribed for kids... - we live in a hypocryte society !!

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  2. @Anita
    I agree Anita. Either legalizing the soft drugs OR heavily penalizing the consumers are the only options.

    Since I have lived in Rio I have become disgusted thinking of those in the educated middle classes who indulge in their after dinner splifs or weekend night coke habits - Not because I disapprove particularly of the drug use in itself - but, being that the drugs are illegal, they are supporting the terror that we caught a glimpse of yesterday. They just don't have to live with it on a daily basis, so they don't care.

    Not sure how 'soft' coke is....that's the problem..where do you draw the line? And one does lead to the other in many cases...

    Also you are right in that it doesn't make much sense for alcohol and Big Macs to be legal, but cannibis not....

    What a bunch of hypocrites we all are...

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  3. Holland has very few problems that are drug related - when compared to other European countries. Here soft drugs are allowed (marijuana) up to a certain ammount per person/per day. If a coffe shop has in stock more than permitted they're closed down/have their permit cancelled. They are very strict about it. I am not sure whether this approach could be successfully transported to other countries though... Cause the Dutch are a very calm folk, not prompt to excesses. Most tourists who tried mushrooms got crazy and jumped out of their hostels windows. I have never heard of Dutch youngsters doing it. Well, I think the usage of drugs are part of our human history - the man made addictives which are added and sold in tons are what enslave us.

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  4. have you noticed the "pacified" communities are only around the area where the olympic games are to take place? and have you wondered where these displaced drug dealers are moving to once they can no longer stay on their original headquarters? other communities, far away from the areas that "interest" the media, are being forced to "receive" them. all hell is breaking loose there, but as this is not greater Rio, nobody cares. some people's gain will always be someone else's loss. besides, it's not just a matter of invading and killing criminals, as the people who make the most money with the "business" do not even live in the favelas. sad but true.

    "Since I have lived in Rio I have become disgusted thinking of those in the educated middle classes who indulge in their after dinner splifs or weekend night coke habits - Not because I disapprove particularly of the drug use in itself - but, being that the drugs are illegal, they are supporting the terror that we caught a glimpse of yesterday. They just don't have to live with it on a daily basis, so they don't care."

    Very much agreed.

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