Militia and Drug Trafficking Influence Elections in 14 Cities in Rio de Janeiro State

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Militia and drug trafficking have advanced in Rio de Janeiro and are influencing the electoral campaign in 14 cities in the state. This is pointed out in a report by ‘Disque Denúncia’ (anti-crime hotline program) based on the denunciations received by the service between September 27th, when the electoral campaign began, and October 13th, when 13 reports related to the activities of drug traffickers and 24 militiamen were recorded.

The municipality of Nova Iguaçu, one of the Baixada Fluminense suburbs adjoining the capital, recorded the highest number of denunciations. There were nine, all of which reported militia activity. Still in Baixada Fluminense there are reports in Queimados, Belford Roxo, Duque de Caxias and São João de Meriti. The other municipalities are Angra dos Reis on the Green Coast; Itaguaí, Niterói, São Gonçalo and Maricá, in the Metropolitan Region; Araruama, in the Lake Region; and São Fidélis and Natividade; in the north of the state.

According to Disque Denúncia’s coordinator, Zeca Borges, the spread of militias and trafficking in the state is also related to the economic crisis, in an effort to increase their range and generate more revenue. “It is very difficult to extort people and sell drugs. They are feeling it. Meanwhile, with this election there seems to be a tacit alliance between a drug faction in Rio de Janeiro and a good part of the militia. They are working together in several territories, so at this time of the election in which there is a territorial dispute, they are trying to spread even further and support only their candidates,” he noted in an interview with Agência Brasil.

Zeca Borges said that the emergence of drug trafficking candidates drew attention in the survey, which was very rare. “We are witnessing drug traffickers and their relatives as candidates in this election. In a way, this is something new. We also have militiamen, but they already had this kind of practice. Today we have several militiamen and their relatives as candidates too. This jeopardizes democracy. It’s somewhat dangerous, because it starts like this and we don’t know how it will stop,” he pointed out.

The report identified candidates who are members of militias. “The number of denunciations that report the candidacy of the very individuals who belong to the militia groups draws attention. In these cases specifically, militiamen use their influence in the community and, through threats, seek to get more votes,” he said.

The coordinator added that, according to Disque Denúncia’s monitoring, there are denunciations of crimes such as misappropriation of material from opposing candidates to secure more votes for those linked to militia and trafficking. In addition, residents are being threatened should the criminals’ candidates fail to be elected. “It’s a cruel way to treat our people in Rio de Janeiro, because the poorest in the peripheral region pay much more than others for services. They pay double, they pay water to CEDAE [Rio de Janeiro State Water and Sewage Company] and to the militia or drug dealers, they buy gas at extortionate prices. It’s all very difficult. Now they are barricaded. It’s very complicated for these people,” he added.

The denunciations also referred to homicides committed during this electoral campaign, analyzed in the report. “At certain times, members of the militia plan (or in fact carry out) assassinations, often for purely political motivations, namely when certain candidates somehow interfere with the activities or actions of the militia.”

According to Zeca Borges, despite the fear, the denunciations, which are guaranteed to be confidential, are increasing and the police are attentive. The coordinator believes that, based on the information, security bodies may act more directly. “We have many more denunciations and with the increase something interesting occurred. The militiamen and the traffickers who were very local, are not so in this election. It is an extension, there are people from the Chapadão in Paraty. There are traffickers from Penha in Queimados. So there’s no empathy and citizens feel very concerned and are reporting quite a lot.”

The Civil Police Secretariat has received all the files produced by Disque Denúnica.

On the subject of armed territorial control in Rio de Janeiro, the Rio de Janeiro Network for Research on Violence, Public Safety and Human Rights released a technical note, following the survey conducted by the Study Group on New Illicit Acts of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFF) and the Center for the Study of Violence of the University of São Paulo (USP), in partnership with Disque Denúncia and the platforms Fogo Cruzado and Pista News, which reported the presence of militia in more than one-fifth of the Greater Rio neighborhoods, on Monday, October 19th.

The note points out that “perhaps this spread of militia interests by local legislative branches bears some relation, even if partially, to the high number of violent deaths involving city council candidates.” The document also warned that it is imperative to monitor this phenomenon and seek measures to reverse it. “If it is confirmed and established, a picture of political banditry is formed, of groups that have historically begun to maintain a relationship with local elites and later take on a leading role in both economic activities and political power.”

The Civil Police State Secretariat reported that in less than a month of Task Force operations created by the force to curb this type of crime, several intelligence, investigation and action efforts were conducted, resulting in complex operations against militias and that these operations have no time limit. “The strategy consists of combining arrests and repression, curbing all criminal practices of money flowing into the criminal organizations. This planning has resulted in the closure of businesses, shopping malls linked to criminal groups, arrests, confiscations of rifles, pistols and vehicles, shutting down clandestine cable TV centers and illegal gas distribution companies, interruption of several illegal buildings and deaths of militiamen in conflict,” it reported.

Last Thursday, October 22nd, during an operation in Itaguaí and Seropédica, 17 people were arrested, among them the leader of the militia operating in Chaperó, Itaguaí. “He is the right-hand man of the militiaman Danilo Dias Lima, a.k.a. Tandera. The day before, agents closed eight illegal drugstores, seized thousands of prescription drugs among other substances and arrested ten people in charge of these establishments. On October 15th, the Coordination of Special Resources (CORE), in a joint operation with the Federal Highway Police (PRF), intercepted a convoy of 12 militiamen in Itaguaí. The task force’s intelligence service, which had been monitoring the group, identified the regular flow of criminals between the West Zone and the Baixada Fluminense. In the clash with the police, the criminals allegedly retaliated with gunfire: all of them were killed. At least eight rifles were seized in that operation, as well as several pistols, ammunition, chargers, communication devices and the four cars that were part of the convoy.

Source: Agência Brasil

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