Articles
Key texts and columns published by Cecília Olliveira in newspapers, websites and magazines.
Marielle was killed so that Brazão could approve a bill for land grabbing in Rio's west zone
24/03/24 The councilwoman was executed on the same day that the bill she opposed was approved. Read the full article →
Marielle case: police chief Rivaldo Barbosa made a 'single demand' for the execution
24/03/24 Investigation reveals that the head of the civil police, in a 'strategic position', planned the crime conceived by Chiquinho and Domingos Brazão. Read the full article →
Military policeman: “I shouted ‘freedom of religion’ in the barracks. I ended up in jail”
01/03/24 In 1998, a police officer in the Federal District protested against the obligation to attend services. Read the full article →
Military police can now reload ammunition - and that's a bad thing
29/01/24 With the new measure, the army ignores the chaos in public security and puts the lives of military police at risk. Read the full article →
Lula government ignores security solutions and empowers the military
09/11/23 The public security crisis has become an image crisis for Lula. We spoke to five experts who point to solutions ignored by the federal government. Read the full article →
Rio drug traffickers reveal secrets about their arsenal
23/10/23 Trafficking gunmen show that crime in Rio has started to use more modern automatic pistols with greater offensive potential. Read the full article →
Under pressure, Cláudio Castro changes law to appoint 'influencer cop' Marcus Amim as Rio secretary
19/10/23 Cláudio Castro is being held hostage by his allied base, which is sparing no effort to run security in the state and ignore the Ministry of Justice. The PM is also in his sights. Read the full article →
In public security, between the right and this left, we're all fucked
10/10/23 The right and the left are the same when it comes to public safety. There is no data, no programs, only operations that fight a losing battle. Read the full article →
Video: We bring down the police farce in the Jacarezinho massacre
18/09/23 Using 3D technology, supported by forensics and testimonies, we show that the civil police officers executed Omar Pereira da Silva at point-blank range. Read the full article →
Merval Pereira lies in the newspaper O Globo about Vaza Jato. This is our response.
03/08/23 Merval Pereira follows a long line of Operation Car Wash supporters who invent slanderous fake news to discredit serious reports. Read the full article →
Ammunition seizures fall 97% in Rio's militia area
03/08/23 The number of ammunition seizure operations in Rio de Janeiro plummeted 77% in 2021 compared to the previous year. Read the full article →
Members of the Bullet and Centrão caucuses defended soldiers who embezzled weapons in the army
30/05/23 After selling arms to the CACs, Major Villas Bôas was defended by deputies from the DEM, PMDB, PSDB and PP. Read the full article →
The gun heater
22/05/23 Major used army system to divert weapons and ammunition and passed them on to snipers. Read the full article →
New lies about the PCC and the Intercept are an attack on our journalism
24/03/23 Paraná's Jovem Pan publishes dubious information released by a judge who supports the Operation Car Wash - and without listening to us. Read the full article →
Interview: “It's essential to depoliticize the armed forces,” says Supreme Military Court justice
27/02/23 Justice Maria Elizabeth Rocha defends exemplary punishment for those involved in the January 8 coup. Read the full article →
“Lula needs to create a national firearms agency and a single database”, says federal police officer
27/01/23 In an interview, public security expert Roberto Uchôa criticizes the 'arms party' that favored crime and advocates a partnership between the government and the arms industry. Read the full article →
Lula's government cannot make the mistake of continuing to trust the Bolsonaro authorities
13/01/23 It was crystal clear that far-right terrorism would be a challenge. Why, then, did Flávio Dino believe that Bolsonaro supporters would stand up to their partners? Read the full article →
Terrorist acts show that the Ministry of Justice and Public Security will have a huge challenge in the Lula administration
16/12/22 Lula and Flávio Dino will have to face military officers who don't stick to their constitutional duties and MPs who flirt with radical Bolsonarism. Read the full article →
Outdated mainstream press criticizes internet phenomena while reproducing racism and fake news
02/12/22 Journalism turns its back on names like Casimiro and hides behind the label of 'mainstream press' to continue making the same mistakes as always. Read the full article →
Press returns to anti-PT sentiment with sexist remarks against Janja
18/11/22 Jair Bolsonaro hasn't even left office yet, and journalists like Eliane Cantanhêde have already started picking quarrels disguised as political analysis about Lula and his wife. Read the full article →
Pro-gun influencers call on followers to block highways
01/11/22 The head of the Academia Brasileira de Armas shooting club even said that he had dismissed employees so that they could 'speak out'. Read the full article →
Criminal weapons are more powerful and modern thanks to Bolsonaro government measures, analysis shows
27/10/22 Releasing weapons of greater offensive potential to ordinary citizens facilitates detour to criminals and jeopardizes the work of the police. Read the full article →
God, country, family - and guns
21/10/22 The advance of the arms agenda in evangelical circles has been gestated for decades by ultraconservatives, and they are organized globally. Read the full article →
Why do we keep going in circles?
01/08/22 Police brutality is the security policy in Rio de Janeiro. Read the full article →
How many fingers can fit in a trigger?
20/07/22 The finger that pulls the trigger is only there because someone gave it the gun, the ammunition and the authority. Shooting is an individual choice, but the consequence of a collective effort. Read the full article →
There is a solution for gun violence in Pernambuco
27/01/22 Investing in intelligence is essential to solve problems such as those of the Pernambuco civil police. Read the full article →
Rio: Old and failed solutions cannot bring different results
20/01/22 How to expect a different result using the same "solutions" for at least the last 40 years? This is what the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Claudio Castro (PL), wants Rio citizens to expect. Read the full article →
Hesitance of the Supreme Court does not curb the sale of weapons encouraged by Bolsonaro
17/09/21 Moraes blocks another of the president's directives to facilitate weapon selling. The Supreme Court is analyzing 15 similar cases. Average weapon registration has grown eight times in two years. Read the full article →
Security companies have 'lost', on average, 7 weapons a day in the last 5 years
13/09/21 Data obtained by EL PAÍS from data agency Fiquem Sabendo shows that 12,000 weapons used by the private sector disappeared during that time and may have ended up on the streets irregularly. Read the full article →
Bolsonaro doubles down on the audacity, this time with a new element: guns
06/09/21 Hunters and collectors, part of the president's base, have 409,000 registered weapons. The author of an attack against the STF in 2020 had one, which was seized before he drove a car into the Ministry of Justice. Read the full article →
The myth of the invincible policeman created by the fictional war on drugs
03/08/21 Police who grant themselves special power, such as Da Cunha, aid in the convenient creation of heroic myths, used by heads of state and hierarchical superiors who often act with shady goals. Read the full article →
Ecko is gone and the militia remains, undisturbed by Rio de Janeiro police
18/06/21 Death of the head of one of the largest militias in the state of Rio changes nothing. Government has no plan to combat the paramilitary, and very few raids target their territories. Read the full article →
Kathlen and her baby, two more black lives interrupted in Brazil
08/06/21 Pictures show a young woman happy with her pregnancy, who couldn't experience her future. She was shot during a police raid in Rio de Janeiro. In the last 5 years, 15 pregnant women have been shot in the Greater Rio area. Read the full article →
The press that ignores risks for 2022
30/05/21 We are approaching a very emblematic election year for the country. There are no two sides when one side means brutality, science denial and failure to protect the lives of Brazilians. Read the full article →
100 children shot in five years of war against childhood in Rio de Janeiro
28/04/21 One third of the victims were hit during police raids or operations and six out of 10 children were hit in the state capital. Read the full article →
How a militia man is born: the story of a former military policeman, from uniform to crime
16/12/20 How a Rio policeman became a militia man afer being expelled from the corporation for illegal use of weapons and driving without a license. It is almost the same story that happened with death squads. Read the full article →
There is a war on drugs, but Black girls like Emily and Rebeca are the ones dying
07/12/20 Brazil's decision to oppose marijuana reclassification makes it clear that the stance of the current administration is to keep certain groups under control – in this case, poor and Black Brazilians. Read the full article →
Reports show that Taurus modified weapons without Army authorization – and the guns failed
25/11/20 According to the documents, changes have caused accidents and even deaths. Read the full article →
Apartheid, the Brazilian way: How the fallacy of racial democracy has hidden racism in laws
10/11/20 In Brazil, we have fallen for the tale of racial democracy, a myth that was popularized after the slavery period. Meanwhile, we enact racist laws whose effects are felt every day. Read the full article →
The "sausage car" and other massacres on wheels that slaughter poor areas while the government turns a blind eye
26/10/20 A Veraneio in São Paulo, a silver car in Pará, a ferryboat in Goiás. All throughout the country there are deadly vehicles killing many and never accounted for. Read the full article →
The USA are doing everything to stop Blacks and Latinos from voting
20/10/20 Black, Latino and Asian people born in the 1980s represent almost 60% of voters in the U.S. and have more progressive ideas. But they can never reach the polls. Read the full article →
What the militias are and what their impact is on elections
09/10/20 How the militias in Rio work, their main differences from the mafia and how these groups have enough political power to influence election results. Read the full article →
Get ready for the "most militia-influenced election in history"
29/09/20 Researchers say the idea that order and safety are obtained through force and gunfire has become widespread. There were 112 incidents involving deaths and aggression against politicians this year alone Read the full article →
"I never had a Black person as a lead, not even close", says Marie Claire editor
10/09/20 Black beauty editor Paola Deodoro, from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, tells how the magazine has won over a new audience by picturing Brazilian diversity on its pages. Read the full article →
I warned you': the rise and fall of Wilson Witzel from the point of view of a police colonel and former supporter.
25/08/20 An underdog in the polls, Witzel won using rhetoric against corruption and crime, but lost his credibility through poor security choices. Read the full article →
Mainstream press and the balancing act to omit faction names put citizens at risk
11/08/20 Most newspapers and TV shows do not name factions and militias to avoid valuing these groups. But this decision has proven pointless – and dangerous. Read the full article →
Zema and the chronicle of an outbreak foretold: government neglect got an entire prison infected with the coronavirus.
28/07/20 Exclusive documents show how neglect of inmates caused COVID-19 to shoot up in a prison in the city of Manhumirim, in the countryside of the state of Minas Gerais. Read the full article →
Control over military police brutality is a joke. And the Public Prosecution is an accomplice to it.
14/07/20 Two surveys show that only a tiny fraction of deaths caused by the military police undergo proper investigation and indictment. Read the full article →
Taurus says they're concerned about COVID-19. What about their faulty guns?
30/06/20 Imagine if your weapon was to shoot on its own? That is what happened to a police officer on leave while he was grocery shopping. Read the full article →
Witzel administration wants to silence former policemen who have become police critics
25/06/20 Those who disregard the new rule can be punished with up to a year in prison. Military personnel with an academic career believe this might be "retaliation". Read the full article →
11 gaps in the Bilynskyj case, the police chief and firearms influencer whose girlfriend "committed suicide"
16/06/20 Investigation gaps benefit the version of police chief Paulo Bilynskyj, who received support from the Bolsonaro family. Model Priscila Bairros' family believes she was murdered. Read the full article →
Weapon faults cost next to nothing in Brazil
15/06/20 Taurus faulty weapons and CBC production line issues have given cause to mere R$12.500 in fines – and that was it. Read the full article →
Vice Presidente Mourão quotes slave owner to deny racism in Brazil
03/06/20 In the Estado de S. Paulo newspaper, Mourão inadvertently explains why we should occupy the streets right now. Read the full article →
Racist comments during coverage of anti-racist demonstrations in CNN and Globonews
02/06/20 "We suppose that was someone who even wanted to pick pockets", said a white journalist as a police officer violently detained a Black man. Read the full article →
"If you want to help solve crime cases, tracking is critical" says Raul Jungmann
26/05/20 The former head of the Justice Department says there are no reasons, nor explanations for Bolsonaro's decision to cancel directives that provided for tracking of weapons and ammunition. Read the full article →
Coronavirus: in Rio, humanitarian aid is interrupted by force of gunfire
19/05/20 Police raids and shootings have not stopped during the pandemic. They now prevent the delivery of basic supplies and kill those who just wanted to help. Read the full article →
Drug trafficking takes over, and violence kills as much as the coronavirus in the outskirts of Fortaleza
05/05/20 The 15 neighborhoods in Region I gathered the largest number of violent deaths in April and the greatest death rate for covid-19 in the city of Fortaleza. Read the full article →
Minas Gerais Governor Zema's hypocrisy concerning the coronavirus outbreak he protected workers, but dismissed 400 who worked in poor areas
15/04/20 Zema broke an order from the government itself to maintain the salaries of workers connected to the state and endangered a successful program. Read the full article →
Coronavirus: Today I agree with Doria and Witzel. But I won't forget who they are.
07/04/20 Despite their new disguise as statesmen, Doria and Witzel keep pushing their creepy agenda which only favors a small part of the population. They have even turned their backs to law enforcement agents. Read the full article →
Coronavirus: Rio de Janeiro military police enlists dentists after doctors go on sick leave with covid-19 symptoms
27/03/20 16 military health professionals from one of the main fire brigade hospitals in Rio have already gone on sick leave with potential covid-19 symptoms – eight of them are doctors Read the full article →
Coronavirus in the state of Roraima: Bolsonaro supporter governor leaves inmates with no water in crowded prisons
24/03/20 Despite judicial commands, Antônio Denarium administration has already informed they cannot meet all demands to control coronavirus in prisons. Read the full article →
Coronavirus in prisons: there are at least 4 suspected cases in the most overcrowded jail in Rio
18/03/20 Milton Dias Moreira Prison, in the Baixada Fluminense area, has informed of 4 suspected cases. The Witzel administration determined that inmates were to be isolated – inside the prison. Read the full article →
Rebellion in Ceará: how the fair fight for police rights has become a political stage
20/02/20 Yesterday in Bahia, today in Ceará, tomorrow maybe in other states. Police rebellions now include two explosive elements: Bolsonaro supporters and WhatsApp Read the full article →
The church has become 'a social institution which just happens to be religious' according to an American reverend
24/12/19 Kelly Brown Douglas talks about the role of religion in times of Trump and Bolsonaro, and comments about people leaving churches: 'Jesus would be with them' Read the full article →
We patrolled the streets in Rio after shootings and found bullets manufactured even in Cold War Europe
16/12/19 Unprecedented collection in 27 neighborhoods shows that ammunition from the US, Russia, former Yugoslavia and Belgium, dated even from the 1970s, have been used in shootings. Read the full article →
Weapon importers have been jumping for joy with Bolsonaro support: sales have increased more than 359% since 2018
04/12/19 Bolsonaro's decrees have made importers happier than ever. Read the full article →
"When the police kills, they tamper with the place of confrontation and pretend to help"
03/12/19 The story of Levi Miranda, the coroner who reconstructed crime scenes tampered with by policemen and neglected by the courts. Levi died last November. Read the full article →
600 days without Marielle – nor a decent investigation
04/11/19 The last time I saw her during Carnival, I could not imagine she would become the symbol of a failed system Read the full article →
These are Agatha and the eight children who have fallen victim to Wilson Witzel's policy of terror in Rio de Janeiro
22/09/19 The issue with the military police is not that it has gone wrong. It has gone too well. Read the full article →
With shootings taking place even in prisons, the state of Pernambuco now resorts to blackouts and censorship to hide the lack of security
08/06/19 Inmates are killing each other with firearms – and the government of Pernambuco does not know how they ended up in the prisons Read the full article →
Exclusive: a family in the favela of Maré accuses Rio police of executing 4 people in their home
08/05/19 "I have an order to kill", the police officer reportedly said, according to a resident who witnessed the raid. Read the full article →
80 rounds: watch exclusive video images of the car that was shot by the Army in Rio de Janeiro
08/04/19 The military shot a family's car and killed a musician. Without even ascertaining the facts, the Army stated the officers were reacting to an "ongoing robbery". Read the full article →
The USA has punished Taurus for their faulty weapons. Brazil is still a hostage to accidental shots.
17/03/19 Taurus was forced to enter a settlement for more than 7 million dollars and, since 2016, part of their sales catalog has been suspended in the country. Read the full article →
The war that was promised in Rio has already begun: it was a house like yours and it became the scene of a massacre.
08/02/19 Campaign promises are like debts. Read the full article →
Bolsonaro's connections to the militias.
22/01/19 Medals, honors and jobs: the relationship between the militias and the Bolsonaro family comes from the cradle. Read the full article →
We have found Queiroz's cars: a 1986 Belina and a 2010 Voyage.
12/01/19 And even if he could sell both of them, he wouldn't be able to afford the bill at Albert Einstein Hospital. Read the full article →
The end of a faction
13/12/18 The betrayals, emprisonments and lost battles that mark the fall of one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Rio de Janeiro. Read the full article →
Anonymous calls warn people of incoming raids in Rocinha, but the Rio State government prefers to only pay attention afterwards
06/12/18 Data from the Crime Report Hotline show that the Rio Security Department has received early information concerning invasions in the community at least three times. Read the full article →
A list for 365 days of Black awareness
01/11/18 From cinema to nanotechnology, 138 Black experts for the press to interview throughout the year. Read the full article →
What an election year looks like for drug trafficking: we interviewed Comando Vermelho and Terceiro Comando Puro
02/10/18 Leaders of Comando Vermelho and Terceiro Comando Puro factions explain how the elections work in their areas and why they – as part of the population – distrust politics. Read the full article →
Police officer Juh dies twice: through the hands of her killers and through the press.
09/08/18 Folha de S. Paulo transformed a brutal tragedy into a bad erotic tale. Read the full article →
Prosecutor Ailton Beneditino is fake news. Edition: abortion.
01/08/18 Chief Public Prosecutor in the State of Goiás complains that the right-wing is wrongly blamed for spreading fake news, while he himself spreads it. Read the full article →
Military operations during the intervention in Rio did not reduce violence, but have cost R$ 46 million.
31/07/18 Only at Vila Kennedy, known as the "intervention lab", 1.5 million have been spent per operation, and all for nothing: everyday violence has not changed. Read the full article →
"It's war! It's war!": Resident reports Operation Revenge at Cidade de Deus.
03/05/18 "For each of ours, ten will die": this is the law when a police officer is killed, says a resident who reported a police operation aimed at avenging the death of a police captain in the West of Rio. Read the full article →
General Villas Bôas has had a great idea against violence in Rio. But it has already been around for 24 years.
11/04/18 The Army Commander who was quick to press the STF before Lula's Habeas Corpus voting session forgot to do a Google search. Read the full article →
Exclusive: militias have taken control over Rio de Janeiro.
05/04/18 The number of complaints against paramilitary forces in the city has surpassed those against drug trafficking. Created under the applause of the government, they profit without being bothered. Read the full article →
Marielle Franco, my councilwoman, murdered
15/03/18 Marielle Franco fought against violence in Rio de Janeiro and became a victim herself, shot dead along with her driver. Read the full article →
Military intervention in Rio de Janeiro is just a television stunt.
17/02/18 What happens in Rio today is the result of corruption, poor planning, lack of investment, historical neglect and rampant social inequality. Read the full article →
"Lula is responsible, along with Dilma, for increasing the police state that turns against them"
25/01/18 Political instrumentalization of social issues made by Lula defenders tries to take him away from where the PT placed many people: within a robust police state. Read the full article →
Kim Kataguiri (the fake news combatant) spreads fake news about Lula's trial
18/01/18 The MBL leader posted a video: "UNION MEMBERS INVADE PUBLIC BUILDING TO TRY TO PREVENT LULA'S CONVICTION". The protest had nothing to do with him. Read the full article →
"I failed my family by choosing to be a police officer"
05/01/18 A police officer from Rio Grande do Norte reports that, without payment, there are officers starving. Read the full article →
Taurus, whose defective weapons killed and wounded police officers, sponsors "heroism" awards for agents.
09/11/17 Taurus and Marcos do Val reward police officers' stories, but many have died or have serious health problems now because of the company's defective guns. Read the full article →
In the US, Jair Bolsonaro offers vague promises to entrepreneurs and “carte blanche for the police to kill”
10/10/17 Congressman Bolsonaro, second place in voting intention public polls, is touring the US as a pre-campaign for the 2018 elections. Read the full article →
Misinformation is a strategy used by the security agencies of Rio de Janeiro to disrupt journalists
27/09/17 Both Rio de Janeiro journalists and correspondents report a lack of transparency and obstacles to obtain information that should be publicly available. Read the full article →
Beheaded bodies, a split between factions and a blinded police: a weekend in Rio de Janeiro
20/09/17 Burned and beheaded bodies in the favelas are a consequence of the lack of investment in intelligence and coordination. The scenario is perfect for criminal organizations to act. Read the full article →
Brazilian media hides the real culprits for drug trafficking, according to Carl Hart
13/09/17 Young favela residents discuss drug policies with the American researcher. Read the full article →
By creating a war editorial, Jornal Extra endorses the State's failed security policies.
16/08/17 There is a reciprocal relationship between the State and the media, which favors a shared and hegemonic worldview, and where one discourse resonates the other. Read the full article →
"Truly terrifying": a former commander of Rio de Janeiro military police criticizes a general's view on the military occupation in Rio.
04/08/17 Lack of planning for security is as common as the investment in expensive, aggressive and ineffective solutions. Read the full article →
Rio Security Secretary's shock concerning violence reflects a historical lack of planning
18/07/17 From a record security investment in Rio to a former governor arrested for corruption who had been reelected and helped elect his successor. The crisis in Rio is first and foremost a political one. Read the full article →
Apps show stories from Rio's port area "forgotten" by the City Hall
29/06/17 From the horrors of slavery to Operation Car Wash, facts can be rediscovered as tourist attractions. Read the full article →
Police officer who called an activist a terrorist in the state of Goiás is accused of execution, threatening a judge and more
29/05/17 According to the Public Prosecutors Office, the police officer had been involved with drug trafficking, took part in a bank robbery and was facing four different charges for the crimes of bodily injury and threat. Read the full article →
Noblat suggests that he and O Globo newspaper are undemocratic and scores 4 own goals in 4 tweets
22/05/17 The work of a journalist requires proximity with politicians and businessmen. But when the trappings of power become too attractive, surveilling it becomes an afterthought. Read the full article →
"Racism free" farm strikes a settlement with the Public Prosecution to avoid lawsuit
09/05/17 A spokesperson for the property says he does not see anything wrong in slavery reenactments. Other farms will be assessed later this month. Read the full article →
"Terrorist" protest motivated the assault on a student in the state of Goiás, says police officer
04/05/17 Baton broken upon hitting an activist is not a one-off police brutality incident in the state. Read the full article →
21 slaughters killed at least 76 people in Rio and you didn't hear about it
10/04/17 Lack of recording, victim's profiles and location of the slaughters contribute for crimes to go unnoticed. Read the full article →
Death by a Taurus puts "executioner" and the victim's family together against the company and the State of São Paulo
03/04/17 The police officer's weapon had a manufacturing defect and fired during an operation, killing a person. Read the full article →
Marcelo Crivella demands that a journalist be fired: a serious attack against democracy and freedom of the press
20/03/17 A reporter from a Rio newspaper was fired after writing an article criticizing public health clinics in the city. Read the full article →
Do you know the vast literature written by Black women?
08/03/17 Black woman, you can recognize yourself in Brazilian literature. Read the full article →
Even with successful models in the country, Brazil looks for outdated policies concerning crack abroad.
07/03/17 Common sense and clinging to obsolete policies prevent the country from advancing in crack treatment policies. Read the full article →
Cedae: the expensive sacrificial lamb in Rio de Janeiro's economic crisis.
17/02/17 Deterioration of the state was caused by the same people involved in the sanitation company's privatization process. Read the full article →
José Beltrame left Rio de Janeiro drowned in chaos and "war", and now Temer scouts him for a Department.
15/02/17 The Government emphasizes the "prestige" of the former Secretary of Security of Rio de Janeiro and ignores the failed UPPs and the expansion of criminal factions. Read the full article →
Mass lay-offs in the National Council of Criminal and Prison Policy of the Ministry of Justice
25/01/17 Members claim that the criminal and prison policies adopted by Justice Alexandre de Moraes will worsen the prison system crisis. Read the full article →
Carnage in prisons shows that the authorities' way of handling prison population is limited
21/01/17 Despite not following the Criminal Execution Law, Rio de Janeiro is quick in using palliative action to curb the tension in prisons. Rio Grande do Norte makes a series of mistakes and allows for barbarism Read the full article →
Tourists can become slave masters for a day in "racism free" farm
06/12/16 Slavery as a tourist attraction exposes how Brazil underplays its prejudice. Read the full article →
Alexandre de Moraes minimizes "war" between the CV and the PCC factions and ends up benefiting drug trafficking
21/10/16 Authorities keep denying the importance of alliances between factions and planning ineffective security policies that cost many lives. Read the full article →
Rio before and after José Mariano Beltrame: 10 years later, we are still on ground zero.
14/10/16 From kidnapping by the police to wars between factions, when will the State government admit the collapse of their only security program, the UPPs? Read the full article →
Voz da Comunidade journalists are arrested and assaulted by the Military Police for doing their job
01/10/16 The case of Rene Silva and Renato Moura demonstrate how real journalism is under daily attack in Brazil. Read the full article →
A Facebook comment criticizing the police ends up in arrests in Rio Grande do Norte.
26/09/16 "This police state does not serve the people, let alone the police officers", wrote João Figueiredo, who may remain in prison for 15 days. Read the full article →
Taurus faulty weapons kill without consequences, shielded by lobbying and the Army
15/09/16 In the US, nearly one million customers entered a class action settlement to return or exchange their weapons. In Brazil, despite the victims' claims and reports, authorities remain silent. Until now. Read the full article →
With at least 92 shot during the Olympics, Rio de Janeiro wins lead medal
23/08/16 During the Olympics, the PMERJ (Rio de Janeiro State Military Police) website registered 71 general reports, 12 of which included shootings. The number does not match the survey made by the Fogo Cruzado app. Read the full article →
Brazil imports racist and failed security policies implemented in last-century US.
11/08/16 The USA and Brazil have more in common than their slavery history. Why do we insist on importing failed initiatives such as drug policies, thus perpetuating racism? Read the full article →
Marco Feliciano is accused of rape, and media is silent
05/08/16 Senator Vanessa Grazziotin requested the opening of an investigation in the Senate. Despite the weight of the accusations and the evidence available, very little has been said in the mainstream media about the case. Read the full article →
Outdated mainstream press criticizes internet phenomena while reproducing racism and fake news
02/12/22 Jornalismo vira a cara para nomes como Casimiro e se esconde atrás do selo de ‘grande imprensa’ para seguir cometendo os mesmos erros de sempre.. Read the full article →
Press returns to anti-PT sentiment with sexist remarks against Janja
18/11/22 Jair Bolsonaro hasn't even left office yet, and journalists like Eliane Cantanhêde have already started picking quarrels disguised as political analysis about Lula and his wife. Read the full article →
Pro-gun influencers call on followers to block highways
01/11/22 The head of the Academia Brasileira de Armas shooting club even said that he had dismissed employees so that they could 'speak out'. Read the full article →
Criminal weapons are more powerful and modern thanks to Bolsonaro government measures, analysis shows
27/10/22 Releasing weapons of greater offensive potential to ordinary citizens facilitates detour to criminals and jeopardizes the work of the police. Read the full article →
God, country, family - and guns
21/10/22 The advance of the arms agenda in evangelical circles has been gestated for decades by ultraconservatives, and they are organized globally. Read the full article →
Why do we keep going in circles?
01/08/22 Police brutality is the security policy in Rio de Janeiro. Read the full article →
How many fingers can fit in a trigger?
20/07/22 The finger that pulls the trigger is only there because someone gave it the gun, the ammunition and the authority. Shooting is an individual choice, but the consequence of a collective effort. Read the full article →
There is a solution for gun violence in Pernambuco
27/01/22 Investing in intelligence is essential to solve problems such as those of the Pernambuco civil police. Read the full article →
Rio: Old and failed solutions cannot bring different results
20/01/22 How to expect a different result using the same "solutions" for at least the last 40 years? This is what the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Claudio Castro (PL), wants Rio citizens to expect. Read the full article →
Hesitance of the Supreme Court does not curb the sale of weapons encouraged by Bolsonaro
17/09/21 Moraes blocks another of the president's directives to facilitate weapon selling. The Supreme Court is analyzing 15 similar cases. Average weapon registration has grown eight times in two years. Read the full article →
Security companies have 'lost', on average, 7 weapons a day in the last 5 years
13/09/21 Data obtained by EL PAÍS from data agency Fiquem Sabendo shows that 12,000 weapons used by the private sector disappeared during that time and may have ended up on the streets irregularly. Read the full article →
Bolsonaro doubles down on the audacity, this time with a new element: guns
06/09/21 Hunters and collectors, part of the president's base, have 409,000 registered weapons. The author of an attack against the STF in 2020 had one, which was seized before he drove a car into the Ministry of Justice. Read the full article →
The myth of the invincible policeman created by the fictional war on drugs
03/08/21 Police who grant themselves special power, such as Da Cunha, aid in the convenient creation of heroic myths, used by heads of state and hierarchical superiors who often act with shady goals. Read the full article →
Ecko is gone and the militia remains, undisturbed by Rio de Janeiro police
18/06/21 Death of the head of one of the largest militias in the state of Rio changes nothing. Government has no plan to combat the paramilitary, and very few raids target their territories. Read the full article →
Kathlen and her baby, two more black lives interrupted in Brazil
08/06/21 Pictures show a young woman happy with her pregnancy, who couldn't experience her future. She was shot during a police raid in Rio de Janeiro. In the last 5 years, 15 pregnant women have been shot in the Greater Rio area. Read the full article →
The press that ignores risks for 2022
30/05/21 We are approaching a very emblematic election year for the country. There are no two sides when one side means brutality, science denial and failure to protect the lives of Brazilians. Read the full article →
100 children shot in five years of war against childhood in Rio de Janeiro
28/04/21 One third of the victims were hit during police raids or operations and six out of 10 children were hit in the state capital. Read the full article →
How a militia man is born: the story of a former military policeman, from uniform to crime
16/12/20 How a Rio policeman became a militia man afer being expelled from the corporation for illegal use of weapons and driving without a license. It is almost the same story that happened with death squads. Read the full article →
There is a war on drugs, but Black girls like Emily and Rebeca are the ones dying
07/12/20 Brazil's decision to oppose marijuana reclassification makes it clear that the stance of the current administration is to keep certain groups under control – in this case, poor and Black Brazilians. Read the full article →
Reports show that Taurus modified weapons without Army authorization – and the guns failed
25/11/20 According to the documents, changes have caused accidents and even deaths. Read the full article →
Apartheid, the Brazilian way: How the fallacy of racial democracy has hidden racism in laws
10/11/20 In Brazil, we have fallen for the tale of racial democracy, a myth that was popularized after the slavery period. Meanwhile, we enact racist laws whose effects are felt every day. Read the full article →
The "sausage car" and other massacres on wheels that slaughter poor areas while the government turns a blind eye
26/10/20 A Veraneio in São Paulo, a silver car in Pará, a ferryboat in Goiás. All throughout the country there are deadly vehicles killing many and never accounted for. Read the full article →
The USA are doing everything to stop Blacks and Latinos from voting
20/10/20 Black, Latino and Asian people born in the 1980s represent almost 60% of voters in the U.S. and have more progressive ideas. But they can never reach the polls. Read the full article →
What the militias are and what their impact is on elections
09/10/20 How the militias in Rio work, their main differences from the mafia and how these groups have enough political power to influence election results. Read the full article →
Get ready for the "most militia-influenced election in history"
29/09/20 Researchers say the idea that order and safety are obtained through force and gunfire has become widespread. There were 112 incidents involving deaths and aggression against politicians this year alone Read the full article →
"I never had a Black person as a lead, not even close", says Marie Claire editor
10/09/20 Black beauty editor Paola Deodoro, from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, tells how the magazine has won over a new audience by picturing Brazilian diversity on its pages. Read the full article →
I warned you': the rise and fall of Wilson Witzel from the point of view of a police colonel and former supporter.
25/08/20 An underdog in the polls, Witzel won using rhetoric against corruption and crime, but lost his credibility through poor security choices. Read the full article →
Mainstream press and the balancing act to omit faction names put citizens at risk
11/08/20 Most newspapers and TV shows do not name factions and militias to avoid valuing these groups. But this decision has proven pointless – and dangerous. Read the full article →
Zema and the chronicle of an outbreak foretold: government neglect got an entire prison infected with the coronavirus.
28/07/20 Exclusive documents show how neglect of inmates caused COVID-19 to shoot up in a prison in the city of Manhumirim, in the countryside of the state of Minas Gerais. Read the full article →
Control over military police brutality is a joke. And the Public Prosecution is an accomplice to it.
14/07/20 Two surveys show that only a tiny fraction of deaths caused by the military police undergo proper investigation and indictment. Read the full article →
Taurus says they're concerned about COVID-19. What about their faulty guns?
30/06/20 Imagine if your weapon was to shoot on its own? That is what happened to a police officer on leave while he was grocery shopping. Read the full article →
Witzel administration wants to silence former policemen who have become police critics
25/06/20 Those who disregard the new rule can be punished with up to a year in prison. Military personnel with an academic career believe this might be "retaliation". Read the full article →
11 gaps in the Bilynskyj case, the police chief and firearms influencer whose girlfriend "committed suicide"
16/06/20 Investigation gaps benefit the version of police chief Paulo Bilynskyj, who received support from the Bolsonaro family. Model Priscila Bairros' family believes she was murdered. Read the full article →
Weapon faults cost next to nothing in Brazil
15/06/20 Taurus faulty weapons and CBC production line issues have given cause to mere R$12.500 in fines – and that was it. Read the full article →
Vice Presidente Mourão quotes slave owner to deny racism in Brazil
03/06/20 In the Estado de S. Paulo newspaper, Mourão inadvertently explains why we should occupy the streets right now. Read the full article →
Racist comments during coverage of anti-racist demonstrations in CNN and Globonews
02/06/20 "We suppose that was someone who even wanted to pick pockets", said a white journalist as a police officer violently detained a Black man. Read the full article →
"If you want to help solve crime cases, tracking is critical" says Raul Jungmann
26/05/20 The former head of the Justice Department says there are no reasons, nor explanations for Bolsonaro's decision to cancel directives that provided for tracking of weapons and ammunition. Read the full article →
Coronavirus: in Rio, humanitarian aid is interrupted by force of gunfire
19/05/20 Police raids and shootings have not stopped during the pandemic. They now prevent the delivery of basic supplies and kill those who just wanted to help. Read the full article →
Drug trafficking takes over, and violence kills as much as the coronavirus in the outskirts of Fortaleza
05/05/20 The 15 neighborhoods in Region I gathered the largest number of violent deaths in April and the greatest death rate for covid-19 in the city of Fortaleza. Read the full article →
Minas Gerais Governor Zema's hypocrisy concerning the coronavirus outbreak he protected workers, but dismissed 400 who worked in poor areas
15/04/20 Zema broke an order from the government itself to maintain the salaries of workers connected to the state and endangered a successful program. Read the full article →
Coronavirus: Today I agree with Doria and Witzel. But I won't forget who they are.
07/04/20 Despite their new disguise as statesmen, Doria and Witzel keep pushing their creepy agenda which only favors a small part of the population. They have even turned their backs to law enforcement agents. Read the full article →
Coronavirus: Rio de Janeiro military police enlists dentists after doctors go on sick leave with covid-19 symptoms
27/03/20 16 military health professionals from one of the main fire brigade hospitals in Rio have already gone on sick leave with potential covid-19 symptoms – eight of them are doctors Read the full article →
Coronavirus in the state of Roraima: Bolsonaro supporter governor leaves inmates with no water in crowded prisons
24/03/20 Despite judicial commands, Antônio Denarium administration has already informed they cannot meet all demands to control coronavirus in prisons. Read the full article →
Coronavirus in prisons: there are at least 4 suspected cases in the most overcrowded jail in Rio
18/03/20 Milton Dias Moreira Prison, in the Baixada Fluminense area, has informed of 4 suspected cases. The Witzel administration determined that inmates were to be isolated – inside the prison. Read the full article →
Rebellion in Ceará: how the fair fight for police rights has become a political stage
20/02/20 Yesterday in Bahia, today in Ceará, tomorrow maybe in other states. Police rebellions now include two explosive elements: Bolsonaro supporters and WhatsApp Read the full article →
The church has become 'a social institution which just happens to be religious' according to an American reverend
24/12/19 Kelly Brown Douglas talks about the role of religion in times of Trump and Bolsonaro, and comments about people leaving churches: 'Jesus would be with them' Read the full article →
We patrolled the streets in Rio after shootings and found bullets manufactured even in Cold War Europe
16/12/19 Unprecedented collection in 27 neighborhoods shows that ammunition from the US, Russia, former Yugoslavia and Belgium, dated even from the 1970s, have been used in shootings. Read the full article →
Weapon importers have been jumping for joy with Bolsonaro support: sales have increased more than 359% since 2018
04/12/19 Bolsonaro's decrees have made importers happier than ever. Read the full article →
"When the police kills, they tamper with the place of confrontation and pretend to help"
03/12/19 The story of Levi Miranda, the coroner who reconstructed crime scenes tampered with by policemen and neglected by the courts. Levi died last November. Read the full article →
600 days without Marielle – nor a decent investigation
04/11/19 The last time I saw her during Carnival, I could not imagine she would become the symbol of a failed system Read the full article →
These are Agatha and the eight children who have fallen victim to Wilson Witzel's policy of terror in Rio de Janeiro
22/09/19 The issue with the military police is not that it has gone wrong. It has gone too well. Read the full article →
With shootings taking place even in prisons, the state of Pernambuco now resorts to blackouts and censorship to hide the lack of security
08/06/19 Inmates are killing each other with firearms – and the government of Pernambuco does not know how they ended up in the prisons Read the full article →
Exclusive: a family in the favela of Maré accuses Rio police of executing 4 people in their home
08/05/19 "I have an order to kill", the police officer reportedly said, according to a resident who witnessed the raid. Read the full article →
80 rounds: watch exclusive video images of the car that was shot by the Army in Rio de Janeiro
08/04/19 The military shot a family's car and killed a musician. Without even ascertaining the facts, the Army stated the officers were reacting to an "ongoing robbery". Read the full article →
The USA has punished Taurus for their faulty weapons. Brazil is still a hostage to accidental shots.
17/03/19 Taurus was forced to enter a settlement for more than 7 million dollars and, since 2016, part of their sales catalog has been suspended in the country. Read the full article →
The war that was promised in Rio has already begun: it was a house like yours and it became the scene of a massacre.
08/02/19 Campaign promises are like debts. Read the full article →
Bolsonaro's connections to the militias.
22/01/19 Medals, honors and jobs: the relationship between the militias and the Bolsonaro family comes from the cradle. Read the full article →
We have found Queiroz's cars: a 1986 Belina and a 2010 Voyage.
12/01/19 And even if he could sell both of them, he wouldn't be able to afford the bill at Albert Einstein Hospital. Read the full article →
The end of a faction
13/12/18 The betrayals, emprisonments and lost battles that mark the fall of one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Rio de Janeiro. Read the full article →
Anonymous calls warn people of incoming raids in Rocinha, but the Rio State government prefers to only pay attention afterwards
06/12/18 Data from the Crime Report Hotline show that the Rio Security Department has received early information concerning invasions in the community at least three times. Read the full article →
A list for 365 days of Black awareness
01/11/18 From cinema to nanotechnology, 138 Black experts for the press to interview throughout the year. Read the full article →
What an election year looks like for drug trafficking: we interviewed Comando Vermelho and Terceiro Comando Puro
02/10/18 Leaders of Comando Vermelho and Terceiro Comando Puro factions explain how the elections work in their areas and why they – as part of the population – distrust politics. Read the full article →
Police officer Juh dies twice: through the hands of her killers and through the press.
09/08/18 Folha de S. Paulo transformed a brutal tragedy into a bad erotic tale. Read the full article →
Prosecutor Ailton Beneditino is fake news. Edition: abortion.
01/08/18 Chief Public Prosecutor in the State of Goiás complains that the right-wing is wrongly blamed for spreading fake news, while he himself spreads it. Read the full article →
Military operations during the intervention in Rio did not reduce violence, but have cost R$ 46 million.
31/07/18 Only at Vila Kennedy, known as the "intervention lab", 1.5 million have been spent per operation, and all for nothing: everyday violence has not changed. Read the full article →
"It's war! It's war!": Resident reports Operation Revenge at Cidade de Deus.
03/05/18 "For each of ours, ten will die": this is the law when a police officer is killed, says a resident who reported a police operation aimed at avenging the death of a police captain in the West of Rio. Read the full article →
General Villas Bôas has had a great idea against violence in Rio. But it has already been around for 24 years.
11/04/18 The Army Commander who was quick to press the STF before Lula's Habeas Corpus voting session forgot to do a Google search. Read the full article →
Exclusive: militias have taken control over Rio de Janeiro.
05/04/18 The number of complaints against paramilitary forces in the city has surpassed those against drug trafficking. Created under the applause of the government, they profit without being bothered. Read the full article →
Marielle Franco, my councilwoman, murdered
15/03/18 Marielle Franco fought against violence in Rio de Janeiro and became a victim herself, shot dead along with her driver. Read the full article →
Military intervention in Rio de Janeiro is just a television stunt.
17/02/18 What happens in Rio today is the result of corruption, poor planning, lack of investment, historical neglect and rampant social inequality. Read the full article →
"Lula is responsible, along with Dilma, for increasing the police state that turns against them"
25/01/18 Political instrumentalization of social issues made by Lula defenders tries to take him away from where the PT placed many people: within a robust police state. Read the full article →
Kim Kataguiri (the fake news combatant) spreads fake news about Lula's trial
18/01/18 The MBL leader posted a video: "UNION MEMBERS INVADE PUBLIC BUILDING TO TRY TO PREVENT LULA'S CONVICTION". The protest had nothing to do with him. Read the full article →
"I failed my family by choosing to be a police officer"
05/01/18 A police officer from Rio Grande do Norte reports that, without payment, there are officers starving. Read the full article →
Taurus, whose defective weapons killed and wounded police officers, sponsors "heroism" awards for agents.
09/11/17 Taurus and Marcos do Val reward police officers' stories, but many have died or have serious health problems now because of the company's defective guns. Read the full article →
In the US, Jair Bolsonaro offers vague promises to entrepreneurs and “carte blanche for the police to kill”
10/10/17 Congressman Bolsonaro, second place in voting intention public polls, is touring the US as a pre-campaign for the 2018 elections. Read the full article →
Misinformation is a strategy used by the security agencies of Rio de Janeiro to disrupt journalists
27/09/17 Both Rio de Janeiro journalists and correspondents report a lack of transparency and obstacles to obtain information that should be publicly available. Read the full article →
Beheaded bodies, a split between factions and a blinded police: a weekend in Rio de Janeiro
20/09/17 Burned and beheaded bodies in the favelas are a consequence of the lack of investment in intelligence and coordination. The scenario is perfect for criminal organizations to act. Read the full article →
Brazilian media hides the real culprits for drug trafficking, according to Carl Hart
13/09/17 Young favela residents discuss drug policies with the American researcher. Read the full article →
By creating a war editorial, Jornal Extra endorses the State's failed security policies.
16/08/17 There is a reciprocal relationship between the State and the media, which favors a shared and hegemonic worldview, and where one discourse resonates the other. Read the full article →
"Truly terrifying": a former commander of Rio de Janeiro military police criticizes a general's view on the military occupation in Rio.
04/08/17 Lack of planning for security is as common as the investment in expensive, aggressive and ineffective solutions. Read the full article →
Rio Security Secretary's shock concerning violence reflects a historical lack of planning
18/07/17 From a record security investment in Rio to a former governor arrested for corruption who had been reelected and helped elect his successor. The crisis in Rio is first and foremost a political one. Read the full article →
Apps show stories from Rio's port area "forgotten" by the City Hall
29/06/17 From the horrors of slavery to Operation Car Wash, facts can be rediscovered as tourist attractions. Read the full article →
Police officer who called an activist a terrorist in the state of Goiás is accused of execution, threatening a judge and more
29/05/17 According to the Public Prosecutors Office, the police officer had been involved with drug trafficking, took part in a bank robbery and was facing four different charges for the crimes of bodily injury and threat. Read the full article →
Noblat suggests that he and O Globo newspaper are undemocratic and scores 4 own goals in 4 tweets
22/05/17 The work of a journalist requires proximity with politicians and businessmen. But when the trappings of power become too attractive, surveilling it becomes an afterthought. Read the full article →
"Racism free" farm strikes a settlement with the Public Prosecution to avoid lawsuit
09/05/17 A spokesperson for the property says he does not see anything wrong in slavery reenactments. Other farms will be assessed later this month. Read the full article →
"Terrorist" protest motivated the assault on a student in the state of Goiás, says police officer
04/05/17 Baton broken upon hitting an activist is not a one-off police brutality incident in the state. Read the full article →
21 slaughters killed at least 76 people in Rio and you didn't hear about it
10/04/17 Lack of recording, victim's profiles and location of the slaughters contribute for crimes to go unnoticed. Read the full article →
Death by a Taurus puts "executioner" and the victim's family together against the company and the State of São Paulo
03/04/17 The police officer's weapon had a manufacturing defect and fired during an operation, killing a person. Read the full article →
Marcelo Crivella demands that a journalist be fired: a serious attack against democracy and freedom of the press
20/03/17 A reporter from a Rio newspaper was fired after writing an article criticizing public health clinics in the city. Read the full article →
Do you know the vast literature written by Black women?
08/03/17 Black woman, you can recognize yourself in Brazilian literature. Read the full article →
Even with successful models in the country, Brazil looks for outdated policies concerning crack abroad.
07/03/17 Common sense and clinging to obsolete policies prevent the country from advancing in crack treatment policies. Read the full article →
Cedae: the expensive sacrificial lamb in Rio de Janeiro's economic crisis.
17/02/17 Deterioration of the state was caused by the same people involved in the sanitation company's privatization process. Read the full article →
José Beltrame left Rio de Janeiro drowned in chaos and "war", and now Temer scouts him for a Department.
15/02/17 The Government emphasizes the "prestige" of the former Secretary of Security of Rio de Janeiro and ignores the failed UPPs and the expansion of criminal factions. Read the full article →
Mass lay-offs in the National Council of Criminal and Prison Policy of the Ministry of Justice
25/01/17 Members claim that the criminal and prison policies adopted by Justice Alexandre de Moraes will worsen the prison system crisis. Read the full article →
Carnage in prisons shows that the authorities' way of handling prison population is limited
21/01/17 Despite not following the Criminal Execution Law, Rio de Janeiro is quick in using palliative action to curb the tension in prisons. Rio Grande do Norte makes a series of mistakes and allows for barbarism Read the full article →
Tourists can become slave masters for a day in "racism free" farm
06/12/16 Slavery as a tourist attraction exposes how Brazil underplays its prejudice. Read the full article →
Alexandre de Moraes minimizes "war" between the CV and the PCC factions and ends up benefiting drug trafficking
21/10/16 Authorities keep denying the importance of alliances between factions and planning ineffective security policies that cost many lives. Read the full article →
Rio before and after José Mariano Beltrame: 10 years later, we are still on ground zero.
14/10/16 From kidnapping by the police to wars between factions, when will the State government admit the collapse of their only security program, the UPPs? Read the full article →
Voz da Comunidade journalists are arrested and assaulted by the Military Police for doing their job
01/10/16 The case of Rene Silva and Renato Moura demonstrate how real journalism is under daily attack in Brazil. Read the full article →
A Facebook comment criticizing the police ends up in arrests in Rio Grande do Norte.
26/09/16 "This police state does not serve the people, let alone the police officers", wrote João Figueiredo, who may remain in prison for 15 days. Read the full article →
Taurus faulty weapons kill without consequences, shielded by lobbying and the Army
15/09/16 In the US, nearly one million customers entered a class action settlement to return or exchange their weapons. In Brazil, despite the victims' claims and reports, authorities remain silent. Until now. Read the full article →
With at least 92 shot during the Olympics, Rio de Janeiro wins lead medal
23/08/16 During the Olympics, the PMERJ (Rio de Janeiro State Military Police) website registered 71 general reports, 12 of which included shootings. The number does not match the survey made by the Fogo Cruzado app. Read the full article →
Brazil imports racist and failed security policies implemented in last-century US.
11/08/16 The USA and Brazil have more in common than their slavery history. Why do we insist on importing failed initiatives such as drug policies, thus perpetuating racism? Read the full article →
Marco Feliciano is accused of rape, and media is silent
05/08/16 Senator Vanessa Grazziotin requested the opening of an investigation in the Senate. Despite the weight of the accusations and the evidence available, very little has been said in the mainstream media about the case. Read the full article →
Outdated mainstream press criticizes internet phenomena while reproducing racism and fake news
02/12/22 Jornalismo vira a cara para nomes como Casimiro e se esconde atrás do selo de ‘grande imprensa’ para seguir cometendo os mesmos erros de sempre.. Read the full article →
Press returns to anti-PT sentiment with sexist remarks against Janja
18/11/22 Jair Bolsonaro hasn't even left office yet, and journalists like Eliane Cantanhêde have already started picking quarrels disguised as political analysis about Lula and his wife. Read the full article →
Pro-gun influencers call on followers to block highways
01/11/22 The head of the Academia Brasileira de Armas shooting club even said that he had dismissed employees so that they could 'speak out'. Read the full article →
Criminal weapons are more powerful and modern thanks to Bolsonaro government measures, analysis shows
27/10/22 Releasing weapons of greater offensive potential to ordinary citizens facilitates detour to criminals and jeopardizes the work of the police. Read the full article →
God, country, family - and guns
21/10/22 The advance of the arms agenda in evangelical circles has been gestated for decades by ultraconservatives, and they are organized globally. Read the full article →
Why do we keep going in circles?
01/08/22 Police brutality is the security policy in Rio de Janeiro. Read the full article →
How many fingers can fit in a trigger?
20/07/22 The finger that pulls the trigger is only there because someone gave it the gun, the ammunition and the authority. Shooting is an individual choice, but the consequence of a collective effort. Read the full article →
There is a solution for gun violence in Pernambuco
27/01/22 Investing in intelligence is essential to solve problems such as those of the Pernambuco civil police. Read the full article →
Rio: Old and failed solutions cannot bring different results
20/01/22 How to expect a different result using the same "solutions" for at least the last 40 years? This is what the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Claudio Castro (PL), wants Rio citizens to expect. Read the full article →
Hesitance of the Supreme Court does not curb the sale of weapons encouraged by Bolsonaro
17/09/21 Moraes blocks another of the president's directives to facilitate weapon selling. The Supreme Court is analyzing 15 similar cases. Average weapon registration has grown eight times in two years. Read the full article →
Security companies have 'lost', on average, 7 weapons a day in the last 5 years
13/09/21 Data obtained by EL PAÍS from data agency Fiquem Sabendo shows that 12,000 weapons used by the private sector disappeared during that time and may have ended up on the streets irregularly. Read the full article →
Bolsonaro doubles down on the audacity, this time with a new element: guns
06/09/21 Hunters and collectors, part of the president's base, have 409,000 registered weapons. The author of an attack against the STF in 2020 had one, which was seized before he drove a car into the Ministry of Justice. Read the full article →
The myth of the invincible policeman created by the fictional war on drugs
03/08/21 Police who grant themselves special power, such as Da Cunha, aid in the convenient creation of heroic myths, used by heads of state and hierarchical superiors who often act with shady goals. Read the full article →
Ecko is gone and the militia remains, undisturbed by Rio de Janeiro police
18/06/21 Death of the head of one of the largest militias in the state of Rio changes nothing. Government has no plan to combat the paramilitary, and very few raids target their territories. Read the full article →
Kathlen and her baby, two more black lives interrupted in Brazil
08/06/21 Pictures show a young woman happy with her pregnancy, who couldn't experience her future. She was shot during a police raid in Rio de Janeiro. In the last 5 years, 15 pregnant women have been shot in the Greater Rio area. Read the full article →
The press that ignores risks for 2022
30/05/21 We are approaching a very emblematic election year for the country. There are no two sides when one side means brutality, science denial and failure to protect the lives of Brazilians. Read the full article →
100 children shot in five years of war against childhood in Rio de Janeiro
28/04/21 One third of the victims were hit during police raids or operations and six out of 10 children were hit in the state capital. Read the full article →
How a militia man is born: the story of a former military policeman, from uniform to crime
16/12/20 How a Rio policeman became a militia man afer being expelled from the corporation for illegal use of weapons and driving without a license. It is almost the same story that happened with death squads. Read the full article →
There is a war on drugs, but Black girls like Emily and Rebeca are the ones dying
07/12/20 Brazil's decision to oppose marijuana reclassification makes it clear that the stance of the current administration is to keep certain groups under control – in this case, poor and Black Brazilians. Read the full article →
Reports show that Taurus modified weapons without Army authorization – and the guns failed
25/11/20 According to the documents, changes have caused accidents and even deaths. Read the full article →
Apartheid, the Brazilian way: How the fallacy of racial democracy has hidden racism in laws
10/11/20 In Brazil, we have fallen for the tale of racial democracy, a myth that was popularized after the slavery period. Meanwhile, we enact racist laws whose effects are felt every day. Read the full article →
The "sausage car" and other massacres on wheels that slaughter poor areas while the government turns a blind eye
26/10/20 A Veraneio in São Paulo, a silver car in Pará, a ferryboat in Goiás. All throughout the country there are deadly vehicles killing many and never accounted for. Read the full article →
The USA are doing everything to stop Blacks and Latinos from voting
20/10/20 Black, Latino and Asian people born in the 1980s represent almost 60% of voters in the U.S. and have more progressive ideas. But they can never reach the polls. Read the full article →
What the militias are and what their impact is on elections
09/10/20 How the militias in Rio work, their main differences from the mafia and how these groups have enough political power to influence election results. Read the full article →
Get ready for the "most militia-influenced election in history"
29/09/20 Researchers say the idea that order and safety are obtained through force and gunfire has become widespread. There were 112 incidents involving deaths and aggression against politicians this year alone Read the full article →
"I never had a Black person as a lead, not even close", says Marie Claire editor
10/09/20 Black beauty editor Paola Deodoro, from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, tells how the magazine has won over a new audience by picturing Brazilian diversity on its pages. Read the full article →
I warned you': the rise and fall of Wilson Witzel from the point of view of a police colonel and former supporter.
25/08/20 An underdog in the polls, Witzel won using rhetoric against corruption and crime, but lost his credibility through poor security choices. Read the full article →
Mainstream press and the balancing act to omit faction names put citizens at risk
11/08/20 Most newspapers and TV shows do not name factions and militias to avoid valuing these groups. But this decision has proven pointless – and dangerous. Read the full article →
Zema and the chronicle of an outbreak foretold: government neglect got an entire prison infected with the coronavirus.
28/07/20 Exclusive documents show how neglect of inmates caused COVID-19 to shoot up in a prison in the city of Manhumirim, in the countryside of the state of Minas Gerais. Read the full article →
Control over military police brutality is a joke. And the Public Prosecution is an accomplice to it.
14/07/20 Two surveys show that only a tiny fraction of deaths caused by the military police undergo proper investigation and indictment. Read the full article →
Taurus says they're concerned about COVID-19. What about their faulty guns?
30/06/20 Imagine if your weapon was to shoot on its own? That is what happened to a police officer on leave while he was grocery shopping. Read the full article →
Witzel administration wants to silence former policemen who have become police critics
25/06/20 Those who disregard the new rule can be punished with up to a year in prison. Military personnel with an academic career believe this might be "retaliation". Read the full article →
11 gaps in the Bilynskyj case, the police chief and firearms influencer whose girlfriend "committed suicide"
16/06/20 Investigation gaps benefit the version of police chief Paulo Bilynskyj, who received support from the Bolsonaro family. Model Priscila Bairros' family believes she was murdered. Read the full article →
Weapon faults cost next to nothing in Brazil
15/06/20 Taurus faulty weapons and CBC production line issues have given cause to mere R$12.500 in fines – and that was it. Read the full article →
Vice Presidente Mourão quotes slave owner to deny racism in Brazil
03/06/20 In the Estado de S. Paulo newspaper, Mourão inadvertently explains why we should occupy the streets right now. Read the full article →
Racist comments during coverage of anti-racist demonstrations in CNN and Globonews
02/06/20 "We suppose that was someone who even wanted to pick pockets", said a white journalist as a police officer violently detained a Black man. Read the full article →
"If you want to help solve crime cases, tracking is critical" says Raul Jungmann
26/05/20 The former head of the Justice Department says there are no reasons, nor explanations for Bolsonaro's decision to cancel directives that provided for tracking of weapons and ammunition. Read the full article →
Coronavirus: in Rio, humanitarian aid is interrupted by force of gunfire
19/05/20 Police raids and shootings have not stopped during the pandemic. They now prevent the delivery of basic supplies and kill those who just wanted to help. Read the full article →
Drug trafficking takes over, and violence kills as much as the coronavirus in the outskirts of Fortaleza
05/05/20 The 15 neighborhoods in Region I gathered the largest number of violent deaths in April and the greatest death rate for covid-19 in the city of Fortaleza. Read the full article →
Minas Gerais Governor Zema's hypocrisy concerning the coronavirus outbreak he protected workers, but dismissed 400 who worked in poor areas
15/04/20 Zema broke an order from the government itself to maintain the salaries of workers connected to the state and endangered a successful program. Read the full article →
Coronavirus: Today I agree with Doria and Witzel. But I won't forget who they are.
07/04/20 Despite their new disguise as statesmen, Doria and Witzel keep pushing their creepy agenda which only favors a small part of the population. They have even turned their backs to law enforcement agents. Read the full article →
Coronavirus: Rio de Janeiro military police enlists dentists after doctors go on sick leave with covid-19 symptoms
27/03/20 16 military health professionals from one of the main fire brigade hospitals in Rio have already gone on sick leave with potential covid-19 symptoms – eight of them are doctors Read the full article →
Coronavirus in the state of Roraima: Bolsonaro supporter governor leaves inmates with no water in crowded prisons
24/03/20 Despite judicial commands, Antônio Denarium administration has already informed they cannot meet all demands to control coronavirus in prisons. Read the full article →
Coronavirus in prisons: there are at least 4 suspected cases in the most overcrowded jail in Rio
18/03/20 Milton Dias Moreira Prison, in the Baixada Fluminense area, has informed of 4 suspected cases. The Witzel administration determined that inmates were to be isolated – inside the prison. Read the full article →
Rebellion in Ceará: how the fair fight for police rights has become a political stage
20/02/20 Yesterday in Bahia, today in Ceará, tomorrow maybe in other states. Police rebellions now include two explosive elements: Bolsonaro supporters and WhatsApp Read the full article →
The church has become 'a social institution which just happens to be religious' according to an American reverend
24/12/19 Kelly Brown Douglas talks about the role of religion in times of Trump and Bolsonaro, and comments about people leaving churches: 'Jesus would be with them' Read the full article →
We patrolled the streets in Rio after shootings and found bullets manufactured even in Cold War Europe
16/12/19 Unprecedented collection in 27 neighborhoods shows that ammunition from the US, Russia, former Yugoslavia and Belgium, dated even from the 1970s, have been used in shootings. Read the full article →
Weapon importers have been jumping for joy with Bolsonaro support: sales have increased more than 359% since 2018
04/12/19 Bolsonaro's decrees have made importers happier than ever. Read the full article →
"When the police kills, they tamper with the place of confrontation and pretend to help"
03/12/19 The story of Levi Miranda, the coroner who reconstructed crime scenes tampered with by policemen and neglected by the courts. Levi died last November. Read the full article →
600 days without Marielle – nor a decent investigation
04/11/19 The last time I saw her during Carnival, I could not imagine she would become the symbol of a failed system Read the full article →
These are Agatha and the eight children who have fallen victim to Wilson Witzel's policy of terror in Rio de Janeiro
22/09/19 The issue with the military police is not that it has gone wrong. It has gone too well. Read the full article →
Troca de tiros
24/07/19 A produção de dados sobre violência armada em operações policiais no Rio de Janeiro. Leia o artigo acadêmico (em francês) →
With shootings taking place even in prisons, the state of Pernambuco now resorts to blackouts and censorship to hide the lack of security
08/06/19 Inmates are killing each other with firearms – and the government of Pernambuco does not know how they ended up in the prisons Read the full article →
Exclusive: a family in the favela of Maré accuses Rio police of executing 4 people in their home
08/05/19 "I have an order to kill", the police officer reportedly said, according to a resident who witnessed the raid. Read the full article →
80 rounds: watch exclusive video images of the car that was shot by the Army in Rio de Janeiro
08/04/19 The military shot a family's car and killed a musician. Without even ascertaining the facts, the Army stated the officers were reacting to an "ongoing robbery". Read the full article →
The USA has punished Taurus for their faulty weapons. Brazil is still a hostage to accidental shots.
17/03/19 Taurus was forced to enter a settlement for more than 7 million dollars and, since 2016, part of their sales catalog has been suspended in the country. Read the full article →
The war that was promised in Rio has already begun: it was a house like yours and it became the scene of a massacre.
08/02/19 Campaign promises are like debts. Read the full article →
Bolsonaro's connections to the militias.
22/01/19 Medals, honors and jobs: the relationship between the militias and the Bolsonaro family comes from the cradle. Read the full article →
We have found Queiroz's cars: a 1986 Belina and a 2010 Voyage.
12/01/19 And even if he could sell both of them, he wouldn't be able to afford the bill at Albert Einstein Hospital. Read the full article →
The end of a faction
13/12/18 The betrayals, emprisonments and lost battles that mark the fall of one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Rio de Janeiro. Read the full article →
Anonymous calls warn people of incoming raids in Rocinha, but the Rio State government prefers to only pay attention afterwards
06/12/18 Data from the Crime Report Hotline show that the Rio Security Department has received early information concerning invasions in the community at least three times. Read the full article →
A list for 365 days of Black awareness
01/11/18 From cinema to nanotechnology, 138 Black experts for the press to interview throughout the year. Read the full article →
What an election year looks like for drug trafficking: we interviewed Comando Vermelho and Terceiro Comando Puro
02/10/18 Leaders of Comando Vermelho and Terceiro Comando Puro factions explain how the elections work in their areas and why they – as part of the population – distrust politics. Read the full article →
Police officer Juh dies twice: through the hands of her killers and through the press.
09/08/18 Folha de S. Paulo transformed a brutal tragedy into a bad erotic tale. Read the full article →
Prosecutor Ailton Beneditino is fake news. Edition: abortion.
01/08/18 Chief Public Prosecutor in the State of Goiás complains that the right-wing is wrongly blamed for spreading fake news, while he himself spreads it. Read the full article →
Military operations during the intervention in Rio did not reduce violence, but have cost R$ 46 million.
31/07/18 Only at Vila Kennedy, known as the "intervention lab", 1.5 million have been spent per operation, and all for nothing: everyday violence has not changed. Read the full article →
"It's war! It's war!": Resident reports Operation Revenge at Cidade de Deus.
03/05/18 "For each of ours, ten will die": this is the law when a police officer is killed, says a resident who reported a police operation aimed at avenging the death of a police captain in the West of Rio. Read the full article →
General Villas Bôas has had a great idea against violence in Rio. But it has already been around for 24 years.
11/04/18 The Army Commander who was quick to press the STF before Lula's Habeas Corpus voting session forgot to do a Google search. Read the full article →
Exclusive: militias have taken control over Rio de Janeiro.
05/04/18 The number of complaints against paramilitary forces in the city has surpassed those against drug trafficking. Created under the applause of the government, they profit without being bothered. Read the full article →
Marielle Franco, my councilwoman, murdered
15/03/18 Marielle Franco fought against violence in Rio de Janeiro and became a victim herself, shot dead along with her driver. Read the full article →
Military intervention in Rio de Janeiro is just a television stunt.
17/02/18 What happens in Rio today is the result of corruption, poor planning, lack of investment, historical neglect and rampant social inequality. Read the full article →
"Lula is responsible, along with Dilma, for increasing the police state that turns against them"
25/01/18 Political instrumentalization of social issues made by Lula defenders tries to take him away from where the PT placed many people: within a robust police state. Read the full article →
Kim Kataguiri (the fake news combatant) spreads fake news about Lula's trial
18/01/18 The MBL leader posted a video: "UNION MEMBERS INVADE PUBLIC BUILDING TO TRY TO PREVENT LULA'S CONVICTION". The protest had nothing to do with him. Read the full article →
"I failed my family by choosing to be a police officer"
05/01/18 A police officer from Rio Grande do Norte reports that, without payment, there are officers starving. Read the full article →
Taurus, whose defective weapons killed and wounded police officers, sponsors "heroism" awards for agents.
09/11/17 Taurus and Marcos do Val reward police officers' stories, but many have died or have serious health problems now because of the company's defective guns. Read the full article →
In the US, Jair Bolsonaro offers vague promises to entrepreneurs and “carte blanche for the police to kill”
10/10/17 Congressman Bolsonaro, second place in voting intention public polls, is touring the US as a pre-campaign for the 2018 elections. Read the full article →
Misinformation is a strategy used by the security agencies of Rio de Janeiro to disrupt journalists
27/09/17 Both Rio de Janeiro journalists and correspondents report a lack of transparency and obstacles to obtain information that should be publicly available. Read the full article →
Beheaded bodies, a split between factions and a blinded police: a weekend in Rio de Janeiro
20/09/17 Burned and beheaded bodies in the favelas are a consequence of the lack of investment in intelligence and coordination. The scenario is perfect for criminal organizations to act. Read the full article →
Brazilian media hides the real culprits for drug trafficking, according to Carl Hart
13/09/17 Young favela residents discuss drug policies with the American researcher. Read the full article →
By creating a war editorial, Jornal Extra endorses the State's failed security policies.
16/08/17 There is a reciprocal relationship between the State and the media, which favors a shared and hegemonic worldview, and where one discourse resonates the other. Read the full article →
"Truly terrifying": a former commander of Rio de Janeiro military police criticizes a general's view on the military occupation in Rio.
04/08/17 Lack of planning for security is as common as the investment in expensive, aggressive and ineffective solutions. Read the full article →
Rio Security Secretary's shock concerning violence reflects a historical lack of planning
18/07/17 From a record security investment in Rio to a former governor arrested for corruption who had been reelected and helped elect his successor. The crisis in Rio is first and foremost a political one. Read the full article →
Apps show stories from Rio's port area "forgotten" by the City Hall
29/06/17 From the horrors of slavery to Operation Car Wash, facts can be rediscovered as tourist attractions. Read the full article →
Police officer who called an activist a terrorist in the state of Goiás is accused of execution, threatening a judge and more
29/05/17 According to the Public Prosecutors Office, the police officer had been involved with drug trafficking, took part in a bank robbery and was facing four different charges for the crimes of bodily injury and threat. Read the full article →
Noblat suggests that he and O Globo newspaper are undemocratic and scores 4 own goals in 4 tweets
22/05/17 The work of a journalist requires proximity with politicians and businessmen. But when the trappings of power become too attractive, surveilling it becomes an afterthought. Read the full article →
"Racism free" farm strikes a settlement with the Public Prosecution to avoid lawsuit
09/05/17 A spokesperson for the property says he does not see anything wrong in slavery reenactments. Other farms will be assessed later this month. Read the full article →
"Terrorist" protest motivated the assault on a student in the state of Goiás, says police officer
04/05/17 Baton broken upon hitting an activist is not a one-off police brutality incident in the state. Read the full article →
21 slaughters killed at least 76 people in Rio and you didn't hear about it
10/04/17 Lack of recording, victim's profiles and location of the slaughters contribute for crimes to go unnoticed. Read the full article →
Death by a Taurus puts "executioner" and the victim's family together against the company and the State of São Paulo
03/04/17 The police officer's weapon had a manufacturing defect and fired during an operation, killing a person. Read the full article →
Marcelo Crivella demands that a journalist be fired: a serious attack against democracy and freedom of the press
20/03/17 A reporter from a Rio newspaper was fired after writing an article criticizing public health clinics in the city. Read the full article →
Do you know the vast literature written by Black women?
08/03/17 Black woman, you can recognize yourself in Brazilian literature. Read the full article →
Even with successful models in the country, Brazil looks for outdated policies concerning crack abroad.
07/03/17 Common sense and clinging to obsolete policies prevent the country from advancing in crack treatment policies. Read the full article →
Cedae: the expensive sacrificial lamb in Rio de Janeiro's economic crisis.
17/02/17 Deterioration of the state was caused by the same people involved in the sanitation company's privatization process. Read the full article →
José Beltrame left Rio de Janeiro drowned in chaos and "war", and now Temer scouts him for a Department.
15/02/17 The Government emphasizes the "prestige" of the former Secretary of Security of Rio de Janeiro and ignores the failed UPPs and the expansion of criminal factions. Read the full article →
Mass lay-offs in the National Council of Criminal and Prison Policy of the Ministry of Justice
25/01/17 Members claim that the criminal and prison policies adopted by Justice Alexandre de Moraes will worsen the prison system crisis. Read the full article →
Carnage in prisons shows that the authorities' way of handling prison population is limited
21/01/17 Despite not following the Criminal Execution Law, Rio de Janeiro is quick in using palliative action to curb the tension in prisons. Rio Grande do Norte makes a series of mistakes and allows for barbarism Read the full article →
Tourists can become slave masters for a day in "racism free" farm
06/12/16 Slavery as a tourist attraction exposes how Brazil underplays its prejudice. Read the full article →
Alexandre de Moraes minimizes "war" between the CV and the PCC factions and ends up benefiting drug trafficking
21/10/16 Authorities keep denying the importance of alliances between factions and planning ineffective security policies that cost many lives. Read the full article →
Rio before and after José Mariano Beltrame: 10 years later, we are still on ground zero.
14/10/16 From kidnapping by the police to wars between factions, when will the State government admit the collapse of their only security program, the UPPs? Read the full article →
Voz da Comunidade journalists are arrested and assaulted by the Military Police for doing their job
01/10/16 The case of Rene Silva and Renato Moura demonstrate how real journalism is under daily attack in Brazil. Read the full article →
A Facebook comment criticizing the police ends up in arrests in Rio Grande do Norte.
26/09/16 "This police state does not serve the people, let alone the police officers", wrote João Figueiredo, who may remain in prison for 15 days. Read the full article →
Taurus faulty weapons kill without consequences, shielded by lobbying and the Army
15/09/16 In the US, nearly one million customers entered a class action settlement to return or exchange their weapons. In Brazil, despite the victims' claims and reports, authorities remain silent. Until now. Read the full article →
With at least 92 shot during the Olympics, Rio de Janeiro wins lead medal
23/08/16 During the Olympics, the PMERJ (Rio de Janeiro State Military Police) website registered 71 general reports, 12 of which included shootings. The number does not match the survey made by the Fogo Cruzado app. Read the full article →
Brazil imports racist and failed security policies implemented in last-century US.
11/08/16 The USA and Brazil have more in common than their slavery history. Why do we insist on importing failed initiatives such as drug policies, thus perpetuating racism? Read the full article →
Marco Feliciano is accused of rape, and media is silent
05/08/16 Senator Vanessa Grazziotin requested the opening of an investigation in the Senate. Despite the weight of the accusations and the evidence available, very little has been said in the mainstream media about the case. Read the full article →
Outdated mainstream press criticizes internet phenomena while reproducing racism and fake news
02/12/22 Jornalismo vira a cara para nomes como Casimiro e se esconde atrás do selo de ‘grande imprensa’ para seguir cometendo os mesmos erros de sempre.. Read the full article →
Press returns to anti-PT sentiment with sexist remarks against Janja
18/11/22 Jair Bolsonaro hasn't even left office yet, and journalists like Eliane Cantanhêde have already started picking quarrels disguised as political analysis about Lula and his wife. Read the full article →
Pro-gun influencers call on followers to block highways
01/11/22 The head of the Academia Brasileira de Armas shooting club even said that he had dismissed employees so that they could 'speak out'. Read the full article →
Criminal weapons are more powerful and modern thanks to Bolsonaro government measures, analysis shows
27/10/22 Releasing weapons of greater offensive potential to ordinary citizens facilitates detour to criminals and jeopardizes the work of the police. Read the full article →
God, country, family - and guns
21/10/22 The advance of the arms agenda in evangelical circles has been gestated for decades by ultraconservatives, and they are organized globally. Read the full article →
Why do we keep going in circles?
01/08/22 Police brutality is the security policy in Rio de Janeiro. Read the full article →
How many fingers can fit in a trigger?
20/07/22 The finger that pulls the trigger is only there because someone gave it the gun, the ammunition and the authority. Shooting is an individual choice, but the consequence of a collective effort. Read the full article →
There is a solution for gun violence in Pernambuco
27/01/22 Investing in intelligence is essential to solve problems such as those of the Pernambuco civil police. Read the full article →
Rio: Old and failed solutions cannot bring different results
20/01/22 How to expect a different result using the same "solutions" for at least the last 40 years? This is what the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Claudio Castro (PL), wants Rio citizens to expect. Read the full article →
Hesitance of the Supreme Court does not curb the sale of weapons encouraged by Bolsonaro
17/09/21 Moraes blocks another of the president's directives to facilitate weapon selling. The Supreme Court is analyzing 15 similar cases. Average weapon registration has grown eight times in two years. Read the full article →
Security companies have 'lost', on average, 7 weapons a day in the last 5 years
13/09/21 Data obtained by EL PAÍS from data agency Fiquem Sabendo shows that 12,000 weapons used by the private sector disappeared during that time and may have ended up on the streets irregularly. Read the full article →
Bolsonaro doubles down on the audacity, this time with a new element: guns
06/09/21 Hunters and collectors, part of the president's base, have 409,000 registered weapons. The author of an attack against the STF in 2020 had one, which was seized before he drove a car into the Ministry of Justice. Read the full article →
The myth of the invincible policeman created by the fictional war on drugs
03/08/21 Police who grant themselves special power, such as Da Cunha, aid in the convenient creation of heroic myths, used by heads of state and hierarchical superiors who often act with shady goals. Read the full article →
Ecko is gone and the militia remains, undisturbed by Rio de Janeiro police
18/06/21 Death of the head of one of the largest militias in the state of Rio changes nothing. Government has no plan to combat the paramilitary, and very few raids target their territories. Read the full article →
Kathlen and her baby, two more black lives interrupted in Brazil
08/06/21 Pictures show a young woman happy with her pregnancy, who couldn't experience her future. She was shot during a police raid in Rio de Janeiro. In the last 5 years, 15 pregnant women have been shot in the Greater Rio area. Read the full article →
The press that ignores risks for 2022
30/05/21 We are approaching a very emblematic election year for the country. There are no two sides when one side means brutality, science denial and failure to protect the lives of Brazilians. Read the full article →
100 children shot in five years of war against childhood in Rio de Janeiro
28/04/21 One third of the victims were hit during police raids or operations and six out of 10 children were hit in the state capital. Read the full article →
How a militia man is born: the story of a former military policeman, from uniform to crime
16/12/20 How a Rio policeman became a militia man afer being expelled from the corporation for illegal use of weapons and driving without a license. It is almost the same story that happened with death squads. Read the full article →
There is a war on drugs, but Black girls like Emily and Rebeca are the ones dying
07/12/20 Brazil's decision to oppose marijuana reclassification makes it clear that the stance of the current administration is to keep certain groups under control – in this case, poor and Black Brazilians. Read the full article →
Reports show that Taurus modified weapons without Army authorization – and the guns failed
25/11/20 According to the documents, changes have caused accidents and even deaths. Read the full article →
Apartheid, the Brazilian way: How the fallacy of racial democracy has hidden racism in laws
10/11/20 In Brazil, we have fallen for the tale of racial democracy, a myth that was popularized after the slavery period. Meanwhile, we enact racist laws whose effects are felt every day. Read the full article →
The "sausage car" and other massacres on wheels that slaughter poor areas while the government turns a blind eye
26/10/20 A Veraneio in São Paulo, a silver car in Pará, a ferryboat in Goiás. All throughout the country there are deadly vehicles killing many and never accounted for. Read the full article →
The USA are doing everything to stop Blacks and Latinos from voting
20/10/20 Black, Latino and Asian people born in the 1980s represent almost 60% of voters in the U.S. and have more progressive ideas. But they can never reach the polls. Read the full article →
What the militias are and what their impact is on elections
09/10/20 How the militias in Rio work, their main differences from the mafia and how these groups have enough political power to influence election results. Read the full article →
Get ready for the "most militia-influenced election in history"
29/09/20 Researchers say the idea that order and safety are obtained through force and gunfire has become widespread. There were 112 incidents involving deaths and aggression against politicians this year alone Read the full article →
"I never had a Black person as a lead, not even close", says Marie Claire editor
10/09/20 Black beauty editor Paola Deodoro, from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, tells how the magazine has won over a new audience by picturing Brazilian diversity on its pages. Read the full article →
I warned you': the rise and fall of Wilson Witzel from the point of view of a police colonel and former supporter.
25/08/20 An underdog in the polls, Witzel won using rhetoric against corruption and crime, but lost his credibility through poor security choices. Read the full article →
Mainstream press and the balancing act to omit faction names put citizens at risk
11/08/20 Most newspapers and TV shows do not name factions and militias to avoid valuing these groups. But this decision has proven pointless – and dangerous. Read the full article →
Zema and the chronicle of an outbreak foretold: government neglect got an entire prison infected with the coronavirus.
28/07/20 Exclusive documents show how neglect of inmates caused COVID-19 to shoot up in a prison in the city of Manhumirim, in the countryside of the state of Minas Gerais. Read the full article →
Control over military police brutality is a joke. And the Public Prosecution is an accomplice to it.
14/07/20 Two surveys show that only a tiny fraction of deaths caused by the military police undergo proper investigation and indictment. Read the full article →
Taurus says they're concerned about COVID-19. What about their faulty guns?
30/06/20 Imagine if your weapon was to shoot on its own? That is what happened to a police officer on leave while he was grocery shopping. Read the full article →
Witzel administration wants to silence former policemen who have become police critics
25/06/20 Those who disregard the new rule can be punished with up to a year in prison. Military personnel with an academic career believe this might be "retaliation". Read the full article →
11 gaps in the Bilynskyj case, the police chief and firearms influencer whose girlfriend "committed suicide"
16/06/20 Investigation gaps benefit the version of police chief Paulo Bilynskyj, who received support from the Bolsonaro family. Model Priscila Bairros' family believes she was murdered. Read the full article →
Weapon faults cost next to nothing in Brazil
15/06/20 Taurus faulty weapons and CBC production line issues have given cause to mere R$12.500 in fines – and that was it. Read the full article →
Vice Presidente Mourão quotes slave owner to deny racism in Brazil
03/06/20 In the Estado de S. Paulo newspaper, Mourão inadvertently explains why we should occupy the streets right now. Read the full article →
Racist comments during coverage of anti-racist demonstrations in CNN and Globonews
02/06/20 "We suppose that was someone who even wanted to pick pockets", said a white journalist as a police officer violently detained a Black man. Read the full article →
"If you want to help solve crime cases, tracking is critical" says Raul Jungmann
26/05/20 The former head of the Justice Department says there are no reasons, nor explanations for Bolsonaro's decision to cancel directives that provided for tracking of weapons and ammunition. Read the full article →
Coronavirus: in Rio, humanitarian aid is interrupted by force of gunfire
19/05/20 Police raids and shootings have not stopped during the pandemic. They now prevent the delivery of basic supplies and kill those who just wanted to help. Read the full article →
Drug trafficking takes over, and violence kills as much as the coronavirus in the outskirts of Fortaleza
05/05/20 The 15 neighborhoods in Region I gathered the largest number of violent deaths in April and the greatest death rate for covid-19 in the city of Fortaleza. Read the full article →
Minas Gerais Governor Zema's hypocrisy concerning the coronavirus outbreak he protected workers, but dismissed 400 who worked in poor areas
15/04/20 Zema broke an order from the government itself to maintain the salaries of workers connected to the state and endangered a successful program. Read the full article →
Coronavirus: Today I agree with Doria and Witzel. But I won't forget who they are.
07/04/20 Despite their new disguise as statesmen, Doria and Witzel keep pushing their creepy agenda which only favors a small part of the population. They have even turned their backs to law enforcement agents. Read the full article →
Coronavirus: Rio de Janeiro military police enlists dentists after doctors go on sick leave with covid-19 symptoms
27/03/20 16 military health professionals from one of the main fire brigade hospitals in Rio have already gone on sick leave with potential covid-19 symptoms – eight of them are doctors Read the full article →
Coronavirus in the state of Roraima: Bolsonaro supporter governor leaves inmates with no water in crowded prisons
24/03/20 Despite judicial commands, Antônio Denarium administration has already informed they cannot meet all demands to control coronavirus in prisons. Read the full article →
Coronavirus in prisons: there are at least 4 suspected cases in the most overcrowded jail in Rio
18/03/20 Milton Dias Moreira Prison, in the Baixada Fluminense area, has informed of 4 suspected cases. The Witzel administration determined that inmates were to be isolated – inside the prison. Read the full article →
Rebellion in Ceará: how the fair fight for police rights has become a political stage
20/02/20 Yesterday in Bahia, today in Ceará, tomorrow maybe in other states. Police rebellions now include two explosive elements: Bolsonaro supporters and WhatsApp Read the full article →
The church has become 'a social institution which just happens to be religious' according to an American reverend
24/12/19 Kelly Brown Douglas talks about the role of religion in times of Trump and Bolsonaro, and comments about people leaving churches: 'Jesus would be with them' Read the full article →
We patrolled the streets in Rio after shootings and found bullets manufactured even in Cold War Europe
16/12/19 Unprecedented collection in 27 neighborhoods shows that ammunition from the US, Russia, former Yugoslavia and Belgium, dated even from the 1970s, have been used in shootings. Read the full article →
Weapon importers have been jumping for joy with Bolsonaro support: sales have increased more than 359% since 2018
04/12/19 Bolsonaro's decrees have made importers happier than ever. Read the full article →
"When the police kills, they tamper with the place of confrontation and pretend to help"
03/12/19 The story of Levi Miranda, the coroner who reconstructed crime scenes tampered with by policemen and neglected by the courts. Levi died last November. Read the full article →
600 days without Marielle – nor a decent investigation
04/11/19 The last time I saw her during Carnival, I could not imagine she would become the symbol of a failed system Read the full article →
These are Agatha and the eight children who have fallen victim to Wilson Witzel's policy of terror in Rio de Janeiro
22/09/19 The issue with the military police is not that it has gone wrong. It has gone too well. Read the full article →
With shootings taking place even in prisons, the state of Pernambuco now resorts to blackouts and censorship to hide the lack of security
08/06/19 Inmates are killing each other with firearms – and the government of Pernambuco does not know how they ended up in the prisons Read the full article →
Exclusive: a family in the favela of Maré accuses Rio police of executing 4 people in their home
08/05/19 "I have an order to kill", the police officer reportedly said, according to a resident who witnessed the raid. Read the full article →
80 rounds: watch exclusive video images of the car that was shot by the Army in Rio de Janeiro
08/04/19 The military shot a family's car and killed a musician. Without even ascertaining the facts, the Army stated the officers were reacting to an "ongoing robbery". Read the full article →
The USA has punished Taurus for their faulty weapons. Brazil is still a hostage to accidental shots.
17/03/19 Taurus was forced to enter a settlement for more than 7 million dollars and, since 2016, part of their sales catalog has been suspended in the country. Read the full article →
The war that was promised in Rio has already begun: it was a house like yours and it became the scene of a massacre.
08/02/19 Campaign promises are like debts. Read the full article →
Bolsonaro's connections to the militias.
22/01/19 Medals, honors and jobs: the relationship between the militias and the Bolsonaro family comes from the cradle. Read the full article →
We have found Queiroz's cars: a 1986 Belina and a 2010 Voyage.
12/01/19 And even if he could sell both of them, he wouldn't be able to afford the bill at Albert Einstein Hospital. Read the full article →
The end of a faction
13/12/18 The betrayals, emprisonments and lost battles that mark the fall of one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Rio de Janeiro. Read the full article →
Anonymous calls warn people of incoming raids in Rocinha, but the Rio State government prefers to only pay attention afterwards
06/12/18 Data from the Crime Report Hotline show that the Rio Security Department has received early information concerning invasions in the community at least three times. Read the full article →
A list for 365 days of Black awareness
01/11/18 From cinema to nanotechnology, 138 Black experts for the press to interview throughout the year. Read the full article →
What an election year looks like for drug trafficking: we interviewed Comando Vermelho and Terceiro Comando Puro
02/10/18 Leaders of Comando Vermelho and Terceiro Comando Puro factions explain how the elections work in their areas and why they – as part of the population – distrust politics. Read the full article →
Police officer Juh dies twice: through the hands of her killers and through the press.
09/08/18 Folha de S. Paulo transformed a brutal tragedy into a bad erotic tale. Read the full article →
Prosecutor Ailton Beneditino is fake news. Edition: abortion.
01/08/18 Chief Public Prosecutor in the State of Goiás complains that the right-wing is wrongly blamed for spreading fake news, while he himself spreads it. Read the full article →
Military operations during the intervention in Rio did not reduce violence, but have cost R$ 46 million.
31/07/18 Only at Vila Kennedy, known as the "intervention lab", 1.5 million have been spent per operation, and all for nothing: everyday violence has not changed. Read the full article →
"It's war! It's war!": Resident reports Operation Revenge at Cidade de Deus.
03/05/18 "For each of ours, ten will die": this is the law when a police officer is killed, says a resident who reported a police operation aimed at avenging the death of a police captain in the West of Rio. Read the full article →
General Villas Bôas has had a great idea against violence in Rio. But it has already been around for 24 years.
11/04/18 The Army Commander who was quick to press the STF before Lula's Habeas Corpus voting session forgot to do a Google search. Read the full article →
Exclusive: militias have taken control over Rio de Janeiro.
05/04/18 The number of complaints against paramilitary forces in the city has surpassed those against drug trafficking. Created under the applause of the government, they profit without being bothered. Read the full article →
Marielle Franco, my councilwoman, murdered
15/03/18 Marielle Franco fought against violence in Rio de Janeiro and became a victim herself, shot dead along with her driver. Read the full article →
Military intervention in Rio de Janeiro is just a television stunt.
17/02/18 What happens in Rio today is the result of corruption, poor planning, lack of investment, historical neglect and rampant social inequality. Read the full article →
"Lula is responsible, along with Dilma, for increasing the police state that turns against them"
25/01/18 Political instrumentalization of social issues made by Lula defenders tries to take him away from where the PT placed many people: within a robust police state. Read the full article →
Kim Kataguiri (the fake news combatant) spreads fake news about Lula's trial
18/01/18 The MBL leader posted a video: "UNION MEMBERS INVADE PUBLIC BUILDING TO TRY TO PREVENT LULA'S CONVICTION". The protest had nothing to do with him. Read the full article →
"I failed my family by choosing to be a police officer"
05/01/18 A police officer from Rio Grande do Norte reports that, without payment, there are officers starving. Read the full article →
Taurus, whose defective weapons killed and wounded police officers, sponsors "heroism" awards for agents.
09/11/17 Taurus and Marcos do Val reward police officers' stories, but many have died or have serious health problems now because of the company's defective guns. Read the full article →
In the US, Jair Bolsonaro offers vague promises to entrepreneurs and “carte blanche for the police to kill”
10/10/17 Congressman Bolsonaro, second place in voting intention public polls, is touring the US as a pre-campaign for the 2018 elections. Read the full article →
Misinformation is a strategy used by the security agencies of Rio de Janeiro to disrupt journalists
27/09/17 Both Rio de Janeiro journalists and correspondents report a lack of transparency and obstacles to obtain information that should be publicly available. Read the full article →
Beheaded bodies, a split between factions and a blinded police: a weekend in Rio de Janeiro
20/09/17 Burned and beheaded bodies in the favelas are a consequence of the lack of investment in intelligence and coordination. The scenario is perfect for criminal organizations to act. Read the full article →
Brazilian media hides the real culprits for drug trafficking, according to Carl Hart
13/09/17 Young favela residents discuss drug policies with the American researcher. Read the full article →
By creating a war editorial, Jornal Extra endorses the State's failed security policies.
16/08/17 There is a reciprocal relationship between the State and the media, which favors a shared and hegemonic worldview, and where one discourse resonates the other. Read the full article →
"Truly terrifying": a former commander of Rio de Janeiro military police criticizes a general's view on the military occupation in Rio.
04/08/17 Lack of planning for security is as common as the investment in expensive, aggressive and ineffective solutions. Read the full article →
Rio Security Secretary's shock concerning violence reflects a historical lack of planning
18/07/17 From a record security investment in Rio to a former governor arrested for corruption who had been reelected and helped elect his successor. The crisis in Rio is first and foremost a political one. Read the full article →
Apps show stories from Rio's port area "forgotten" by the City Hall
29/06/17 From the horrors of slavery to Operation Car Wash, facts can be rediscovered as tourist attractions. Read the full article →
Police officer who called an activist a terrorist in the state of Goiás is accused of execution, threatening a judge and more
29/05/17 According to the Public Prosecutors Office, the police officer had been involved with drug trafficking, took part in a bank robbery and was facing four different charges for the crimes of bodily injury and threat. Read the full article →
Noblat suggests that he and O Globo newspaper are undemocratic and scores 4 own goals in 4 tweets
22/05/17 The work of a journalist requires proximity with politicians and businessmen. But when the trappings of power become too attractive, surveilling it becomes an afterthought. Read the full article →
"Racism free" farm strikes a settlement with the Public Prosecution to avoid lawsuit
09/05/17 A spokesperson for the property says he does not see anything wrong in slavery reenactments. Other farms will be assessed later this month. Read the full article →
"Terrorist" protest motivated the assault on a student in the state of Goiás, says police officer
04/05/17 Baton broken upon hitting an activist is not a one-off police brutality incident in the state. Read the full article →
21 slaughters killed at least 76 people in Rio and you didn't hear about it
10/04/17 Lack of recording, victim's profiles and location of the slaughters contribute for crimes to go unnoticed. Read the full article →
Death by a Taurus puts "executioner" and the victim's family together against the company and the State of São Paulo
03/04/17 The police officer's weapon had a manufacturing defect and fired during an operation, killing a person. Read the full article →
Marcelo Crivella demands that a journalist be fired: a serious attack against democracy and freedom of the press
20/03/17 A reporter from a Rio newspaper was fired after writing an article criticizing public health clinics in the city. Read the full article →
Do you know the vast literature written by Black women?
08/03/17 Black woman, you can recognize yourself in Brazilian literature. Read the full article →
Even with successful models in the country, Brazil looks for outdated policies concerning crack abroad.
07/03/17 Common sense and clinging to obsolete policies prevent the country from advancing in crack treatment policies. Read the full article →
Cedae: the expensive sacrificial lamb in Rio de Janeiro's economic crisis.
17/02/17 Deterioration of the state was caused by the same people involved in the sanitation company's privatization process. Read the full article →
José Beltrame left Rio de Janeiro drowned in chaos and "war", and now Temer scouts him for a Department.
15/02/17 The Government emphasizes the "prestige" of the former Secretary of Security of Rio de Janeiro and ignores the failed UPPs and the expansion of criminal factions. Read the full article →
Mass lay-offs in the National Council of Criminal and Prison Policy of the Ministry of Justice
25/01/17 Members claim that the criminal and prison policies adopted by Justice Alexandre de Moraes will worsen the prison system crisis. Read the full article →
Carnage in prisons shows that the authorities' way of handling prison population is limited
21/01/17 Despite not following the Criminal Execution Law, Rio de Janeiro is quick in using palliative action to curb the tension in prisons. Rio Grande do Norte makes a series of mistakes and allows for barbarism Read the full article →
Tourists can become slave masters for a day in "racism free" farm
06/12/16 Slavery as a tourist attraction exposes how Brazil underplays its prejudice. Read the full article →
Alexandre de Moraes minimizes "war" between the CV and the PCC factions and ends up benefiting drug trafficking
21/10/16 Authorities keep denying the importance of alliances between factions and planning ineffective security policies that cost many lives. Read the full article →
Rio before and after José Mariano Beltrame: 10 years later, we are still on ground zero.
14/10/16 From kidnapping by the police to wars between factions, when will the State government admit the collapse of their only security program, the UPPs? Read the full article →
Voz da Comunidade journalists are arrested and assaulted by the Military Police for doing their job
01/10/16 The case of Rene Silva and Renato Moura demonstrate how real journalism is under daily attack in Brazil. Read the full article →
A Facebook comment criticizing the police ends up in arrests in Rio Grande do Norte.
26/09/16 "This police state does not serve the people, let alone the police officers", wrote João Figueiredo, who may remain in prison for 15 days. Read the full article →
Taurus faulty weapons kill without consequences, shielded by lobbying and the Army
15/09/16 In the US, nearly one million customers entered a class action settlement to return or exchange their weapons. In Brazil, despite the victims' claims and reports, authorities remain silent. Until now. Read the full article →
With at least 92 shot during the Olympics, Rio de Janeiro wins lead medal
23/08/16 During the Olympics, the PMERJ (Rio de Janeiro State Military Police) website registered 71 general reports, 12 of which included shootings. The number does not match the survey made by the Fogo Cruzado app. Read the full article →
Brazil imports racist and failed security policies implemented in last-century US.
11/08/16 The USA and Brazil have more in common than their slavery history. Why do we insist on importing failed initiatives such as drug policies, thus perpetuating racism? Read the full article →
Marco Feliciano is accused of rape, and media is silent
05/08/16 Senator Vanessa Grazziotin requested the opening of an investigation in the Senate. Despite the weight of the accusations and the evidence available, very little has been said in the mainstream media about the case. Read the full article →