LAW ENFORCEMENT IN RIO DE JANEIRO’S FAVELAS

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Rio de Janeiro has witnessed fierce discussions about a relevant issue with regard to public security: how to maintain control of public order within favelas controlled by criminal groups during the pandemic?

The almost total absence of public authority in these areas is a great facilitator for the strengthening of the crime factions. On the other hand, police operations therein have caused important collateral damage to the population for years, damages that could be exacerbated with the containment and the closure of the schools.

On June 5, 2020, the security scenario in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas caused the Supreme Federal Court (STF) to restrict police operations as a mean to avoid collateral victims during police operations. The implementation caused an immediate and significant drop in the number of shootings and in the number of deaths. The situation, however, started to return to normality in October, with a new interpretation of the STF decision by the Civil Police and the return of regular police operations. During March 2021, the pace of violent operations surpassed pre-pandemic level and within the month of March 2021 the number of police operations with shootouts grew 43% when compared to March 2020 (see our Focus in the April Security Review).

On April 6th, one of the most violent operations the state of Rio de Janeiro has ever seen took place in the Jacarezinho favela; 28 people died, including a civil police agent. It is important to point out that the operation, implemented by the state Civil Police was conducted in compliance with the rules set forth by the STF.

This bloody episode has caused the state government to react, and on May 13th, Governor Claudio Castro said that he would resume the occupation of communities in a different campaign than the Pacifying Police Unit (UPP) Program.

The “TREND” of this month analyzes the implementation and decline of the UPP program in Rio de Janeiro, and in the next Security Review we will present its results and the options opened for a new program.

THE UPP PROGRAM, AN ATTEMPT TO RECONQUER FAVELAS (2008 – 2018)

The UPP Program began to be implemented in the state of Rio de Janeiro in 2008, under the administration of Governor Sérgio Cabral, just one year after Brazil had been chosen to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The project aimed to support pacification and security efforts in areas set to host foreign visitors or hold sport infrastructures. The UPP Program consisted of implementing and maintaining police stations located inside the favelas.

However, even if the UPP program weakened or eliminated the criminal groups in the places where they were initially inserted, they did not put an end to these groups. Rather, they pushed them to less policed places in the outskirts of the city and they came back when the police pressure went down.

At the beginning of the program, the implementation of the program went smoothly.

From the operation in Complexo do Alemão, in November 2010, the taking of control of certain favelas controlled by criminal groups went harder with the use of significant brute force by the police of the State with the support of the army.

The toll of the operation in Complexo do Alemão, where authorities were confronted to high resistance and lasted 8 days, riots and shootouts resulted in the death of 39 people and the destruction of 181 vehicles. This episode has been called by some media outlets as the Rio de Janeiro’s War.

On the other hand, the occupation of Rocinha and Vidigal favelas, in 2011 and 2012, had been made without any shootout as the criminals had had enough time to flee the area.

At its peak, the program had 38 UPP bases in the state:

In 2014, with priorities focused on the FIFA World Cup and with the program facing a crisis, the implementation of new UPPs was drastically reduced and since 2017 the influence of each UPP on the security situation of its area declined and most of the comments outlined mixed results, despite the efforts employed.

To be continued …