Redes da Maré, a civil society organization that has been active in the favelas of Maré, Rio de Janeiro, for over 20 years, hereby shares its stance regarding the widely publicized announcement of potential joint law enforcement actions between federal and state forces to be carried out in the Maré Favela Complex. These actions were prompted by the impact of a report aired on the TV Globo program "Fantástico" on September 24th.
In the face of yet another situation that places the 140,000 residents of the region in a context of apprehension and risk, we believe it is necessary to critically and cautiously reflect on what has been disclosed. This reflection should consider both the historical context of public security policies in Rio de Janeiro's favelas and our own efforts, as well as those of other civil society organizations, to propose alternatives to militarized and bellicose strategies in these territories.
Historically, public security policies in Brazil have prioritized the use of force in a strategy that has repeatedly proven to be ineffective in the so-called war on drugs in favelas and peripheral areas of the country. An example of this was the occupation of Maré favelas by the Armed Forces for fourteen months, between 2014 and 2015. It can be stated that the use of force and the high cost of this operation (R$1.2 million per day, totaling R$529 million by the end of the occupation) did not reduce armed violence in the territory. On the contrary, it resulted in the intensification of armed power and conflicts, without any more structurally effective measures in the construction of the population's right to public security.
Another commonly used strategy as a state public security policy is the use of police operations in Rio de Janeiro's favelas as the primary method of confronting armed groups. These interventions lead to deaths, numerous violations of rights, and various impacts on the daily lives of residents in these areas. We have extensively documented the cruel impact of this policy on residents through the annual publication, initiated in 2016, of the “Bulletin Right to Public Security in Maré”, available on our website.
One of the fundamental areas of action for Redes da Maré is the Right to Public Security and Access to Justice. This right has never been fully realized for favela and peripheral residents, just like many other rights that do not materialize fully for this population. Since 2009, when this axis was established, we have produced knowledge, mobilized residents, developed concrete actions, and influenced possible public policies to materialize the right to public security for favela and peripheral populations.
According to data from the Bulletin the Right to Public Security in Maré, we have identified, since 2016, 219 police operations and 122 confrontations between armed groups, resulting in 135 days without school activities and 153 days without health care services. In 2023 alone, children and adolescents in Maré have already lost 14 days of school due to armed conflicts. Faced with these violations, Redes da Maré has focused its efforts primarily on dialoguing with representatives of the public authorities regarding alternatives to this model of police action in favelas. The ‘Public Civil Action of Maré’ and the ‘Petition for Non-Compliance with Fundamental Precepts 635’ are examples of how this dialogue can contribute to reducing cases of violence and rights violations during police operations.
Through monitoring the impacts of armed violence at Maré, when comparing the years 2019 and 2020, we can identify a 64% reduction in the number of police operations, an 88% reduction in deaths, and a 72% decrease in days without access to healthcare, especially after the provisional decision of the Petition 635, on June 5th 2020. Involving the Judiciary and the entire society in the debate on public security in Rio de Janeiro's favelas has been crucial for reducing violence and rights violations we have identified during police operations.
Amid the uncertainties of the past week, brought about by the alignment between the federal and state governments for the so-called "Operation Maré," Redes da Maré emphasizes the need for compliance with legality in any and all police actions conducted in this favela complex, especially in relation to the judicial decisions already established by PCA of Maré and Petition 635, as mentioned above. Among other regulations, it is crucial to ensure that police officers are properly identified, that video cameras are used on uniforms during operations, that school schedules are respected, that ambulances are present, and that the so-called "flying armored vehicles," helicopters armed with rifles that often fire indiscriminately in the favelas, are not used. Furthermore, it is of fundamental importance to understand how different levels of government can contribute to guaranteeing fundamental rights that have historically been neglected for the population of Maré and must not be forgotten at this moment.
Considering that violence is a complex, multi-causal, and multi-scalar process, strategies for addressing it must also be sophisticated and varied. Responses should be preventive and integrated, with medium and long-term solutions. These solutions can only be effective when applied alongside other strategies for realizing the rights of residents in these territories, beyond just police actions.
The government must be present through public policies in various areas that structure human life, such as education, social assistance, health, urban planning, environment, and culture. It is not acceptable for the population of Maré, as well as all citizens in favelas and peripheral areas of the country, to have their basic rights disregarded. The state must guarantee rights and preserve life definitively and without exception.
We understand that this is a significant opportunity for the federal and state governments to make a qualitative leap in the public security policy historically applied in the favelas of Maré and to recognize the importance and urgency of implementing a citizen-focused and rights-promoting policy.
Redes da Maré
Rio de Janeiro, October 4th, 2023.
