Clash Between Police and Crack Users in São Paulo’s “Cracolândia”

By Contributing Reporter

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – A cleaning operation involving the removal of tents carried out by the São Paulo City Hall in Cracolândia (Crackland), in the center of São Paulo, ended in confrontation on Tuesday (30th).

According to the City Hall, through its press office, when the dismantling of tents began, users attacked agents of the Metropolitan Civil Guard (GMC) and more Guardsmen were called in an attempt to control the situation.

Military police were also deployed and drug seizures and referrals of suspected drug traffickers to the State Narcotics Division (Denarc) were executed.

According to the City Hall, the GCM “was received with gunshots. Two suspects carrying six caliber 38 ammunition, two precision scales, 12 pellets of crack cocaine, 12 packs of cocaine, eight packs of marijuana and R$102 were located during the operation.”

During the confrontation, police officers used moral and tear bombs. A tank truck had its front glass broken. There is no information on detainees or wounded.

According to the Military Police, the corporation was engaged when the GCM began the clean-up operation and the residents of the region reacted. Police officers from the Special Police Action Company (CAEP) and the 7th Special Police Action Battalion (BAEP) enclosed the area.

Cracolândia (literally Crackland in Portuguese) is a popular denomination for a region of the city of São Paulo, which is notorious for the high incidence of drug trafficking and drug use in public. It is located within the central region of the city, near Luz Station.

Since 2005, the city hall has shut down bars and hotels associated with drug distribution and prostitution, displaced homeless people, and increased police presence with the intent to inhibit drug use in Cracolândia.

Hundreds of building were designated as public utility in a 1.1 million square feet area and were expropriated. The objective of the project was to increase the attractiveness of the region to private businesses.

In 2007, the São Paulo city hall launched a program named Nova Luz (New Luz in Portuguese, referring to the broader region around Luz Station) in order to promote the execution of the planned changes to the region.

Among the proposed measures were tax breaks, especially on real estate taxes, to stimulate the renewal of the facades of buildings, which are generally poorly maintained.