2023-12-09 22:47:51
Famous for its endless beach, the Copacabana neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro has become the center of attention in Brazil these days due to an explosion of crime and the creation of “justice” neighborhood groups, which mobilized the authorities.
Some cases made headlines: a tourist who was in town for a Taylor Swift concert was stabbed to death on the beach; another man was left unconscious after being beaten in a brutal assault, and a young woman was raped by a homeless man.
Due, Neighborhood groups organized and took to the streets with bats, brass knuckles and other weapons. to hunt down suspected criminals.
Viral videos showed young people dressed in black, with their faces covered, patrolling the neighborhood and violently beating those they accused of committing crimes.
In a deeply unequal Brazil, the “vigilantes” were also accused of racism when pointing out their “suspects.”
A country divided in the face of insecurity
The situation has exposed the polarization of a country still divided after last year’s elections between the then far-right president Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the center-left leader who lor narrowly defeated and who faces accusations from conservatives of being soft on crime.
Rio is no stranger to crime or violent reactions in response.
Five years ago, then-President Michel Temer deployed the army to take charge of security for 10 months, saying organized crime had become a “cancer” in Rio.
The host city of the 2016 Olympic Games is also a frequent scene of bloody battles between drug gangs heavily armed and police, generally in the “favelas”.
The traditional Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro. Photo: AFP
In addition, it has fought for decades with militias that initially formed as neighborhood anti-crime committees and evolved into organized criminal groups.
But the latest explosion of violence in Copacabana is affecting the identity of a neighborhood known for its carefree beach atmosphere, whose residents often walk around in bathing suits and flip-flops.
“Copacabana is sad,” said businessman Thiago Nogueira, 42, wearing a sleeveless T-shirt emblazoned with “Rio de Janeiro.”
“The violence is really serious and it is getting worse,” he told AFP.
Local businesses are also concerned about the impact on tourism, especially with the New Year holidays approaching.
The president of the hotel association HoteisRio urged harsher punishments to stop repeat offenders.
Police deployment
Robbery in Copacabana increased by 25% this year compared to the same period last year, and pedestrian robberies increased by 56%, according to the G1 news site, which cites figures from Brazil’s Public Security Institute.
Authorities announced the deployment of 1,000 police officers and a “security cordon” during nights and weekends.
The visibility of patrols and the number of police arrests will also be increased to counter violence. They also urged residents to leave surveillance in the hands of the police.
Rio de Janeiro authorities reinforced security on Copacabana beach. Photo: AFP
“Vigilantes commit crimes with the argument that they prevent other crimes. But they are also criminals,” said Victor Santos, security secretary for Rio state, a position recreated last month by right-wing governor Claudio Castro to address the rise in crime. delinquency.
Residents’ exaltation is fueled by the feeling that the justice system is not working.
Two of the alleged thieves accused of killing the 25-year-old Taylor Swift fan on November 19 had been arrested the day before for stealing chocolate from a store, local press reported.
They were granted probation at their custody hearing. In total, the three suspects detained in the case had been arrested 108 times.
Additionally, the assailant who left a man unconscious on the sidewalk on Dec. 2 was “well known to authorities, with nine tickets through the system,” the case’s lead investigator said Thursday.
“The system collapsed,” wrote journalist Octavio Guedes in a column for G1.
“When the message that ‘the police arrest them, the courts release them’ settles in people’s heads, it gives rise to another type of barbarism: these vigilante groups,” he added.
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