Brazil’s vicious circle of violence

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Public safety is the acid test for the new government of Brazil’s President, Jair Bolsonaro. The celebrated Anti-corruption judge and Minister of justice Sérgio Moro, to take action against crime and violence.

In search of drugs, gangs: police operation in Rio slum Cantagalo–Pavão–Pavãozinho

Burning buses and banks, bombs under the Overpasses. The first weeks of the new government. In the North-Eastern part of the state of Ceará, fought drug gangs in a battle of wills with the local government, which had previously announced actions against the use of mobile phones in prisons. Because the imprisoned drug bosses lead by phone undisturbed in their business. And commanding the attacks.

A case, Sérgio Moro, the former Federal judge who sentenced 2017 Ex-President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and in order from the last year’s presidential race took. Now Moro is Minister of justice in the Cabinet of the right Hardliner Jair Messias Bolsonaro, who is responsible not only for his hobby, “corruption”, but also for internal security. As first official act, he sent the National strike Force to Ceará, where after 200 attacks now calm.

Militias in the Favela

Brazil’s new Minister of justice Sérgio Moro to combat the rampant crime

Before Moro formidable tasks. With a year of 64,000 murders, Brazil is one of the most violent countries, the financial crises-ridden authorities, the control is slipping away in many places, while the organized crime is spreading. Brazil’s drug cartels are international players, which can counter it with corrupt officials was the security apparatus is little. Of corrupt policemen, militias led dominate poverty-quarter, while the cartels are in control of the prisons.

Moro creates? “It is unclear, finally, we have seen, to date no government program for this area,” says Melina Risso of the NGO “Instituto igarape” compared to the DW. “In the election campaign, we heard only strong words, but no concrete ideas.” The NGO Rio de Janeiro has specialized in the area of public safety.

Burning Truck: A gang war, sparked in Fortaleza, capital of Ceará, a wave of violence

Firearms for “good citizens”

Bolsonaro promised only Moro “on the money trail” of the cartels, and guns for “good citizens” to “self-defense”. While studies show that more guns do not mean less, but more violence, Risso. To combat “the crime of an obviously false concept, this attempt may not be the right way,” he adds.

Igarape was drawn up by the end of 2018, a list of priorities for internal security. “The reduction of violent crime is at the top, together with the fight against organised crime.” It is supported by the then-President Michel Temer, launched the Initiative for the Integration of the national authorities, under the leadership of the Federal government, and the simultaneous involvement of Congress and the judiciary.

Lead: in February of 2018, Temer-created Department of homeland security. But Bolsonaro, the new Ministry struck simply Moros, the Ministry of justice. “This suggests that the inner security is no longer a priority,” says Risso.

Without an Integration of the security authorities and the exchange of information, the violence could not be stopped. “That all go together in the same direction, is a prerequisite number 1, to achieve anything at all.”

In the case of an operation against drug traffickers at the Copacabana Brazilian military police officers, Suspect arrested

Corruption in the police

But the reality is different. “All the security authorities in Brazil are infected to some degree with corruption,” says the sociologist Julita Tannuri Lemgruber, compared to the DW. “And therefore, not familiar.” Often you have to leave in the past 30 years, joint meetings of the police and the military shocked. “How can a country in which the authorities trust?”

The corrupt police officers referred to the militias, which control many of the Favelas in Rio, you have to go to the money, your sources of income turning down and blocking accounts, she advises. In addition, the police commander simply look and see what luxury their officials sledding to the service.

“Your standard of living at all your Wages? You have to ask.” The cliques between the militia and Rio’s political class would have to be revealed at last, calls for Lemgruber. At the same time, she has little hope that this is successful.

Example, from São Paulo

“We let too much of the bad situation in Rio de Janeiro distract you,” believes, however, Risso. In other States, such as São Paulo, it had managed to clean up the police. “Rigid internal controls, an active office of the public Prosecutor and the rapid exclusion of convicted officials” was necessary. “Otherwise, citizens lose Faith in the police.”

Uprising: the revolt in the crowded prison Alcacuz in the Brazilian city of Natal, 26 inmates died

And because of the Overcrowding in the prisons. Over 700,000 prisoners are half as many parts, too – often inhumane – detention places. “The Brazilian drug cartels were born in the prisons as a response to the prevailing precarious conditions,” said Risso. “Whoever comes in there, you must join a cartel to survive.”

At the beginning of 2017, it came in several institutions to regular massacres between warring Gangs. About half of the prisoners in a sitting so far, without even being sentenced. A majority of them, was taken up with small amounts of narcotics.

“Instead of citizens in masses away, you have to rely more on alternative penalties”, calls Risso. But Bolsonaro seems to rely more on tougher sentences and lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 18 to 17 or even 16 years. An error says Risso. “So we can help organized crime to recruit young talent.”