{"id":24070,"date":"2015-09-25T10:46:20","date_gmt":"2015-09-25T13:46:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=24070"},"modified":"2018-01-15T13:13:25","modified_gmt":"2018-01-15T16:13:25","slug":"pacifying-police-unit-upp-installations-part-5-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=24070","title":{"rendered":"Pacifying Police Unit (UPP) Installations Part 5: 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas\"\"<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

This is Part 5<\/strong>\u00a0in a five-part series<\/a> documenting Pacifying Police Unit (UPP) installations<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

In 2014, with priorities focused on the FIFA World Cup<\/a> and with the entire Pacifying Police Unit (UPP)<\/a> program in somewhat of a crisis<\/a>, the implementation of new UPPs slowed dramatically. Mangueirinha became the first pacified community in the Baixada Fluminense<\/a> region\u2014a move that was long overdue considering the region\u2019s extreme levels of lethal violence. Next, Vila Kennedy<\/a> became the third West Zone<\/a> favela to receive a UPP force. Then just months before the start of the World Cup, Complexo da Mar\u00e9<\/a> in the North Zone<\/a> was occupied by the army<\/a>, in a move which symbolically marked the community as \u201cenemy territory.\u201d In spite of the huge investment of soldiers, resources and money, the area still has heavily armed drug gangs conducting business openly, and the army has failed to make residents feel safer.<\/p>\n

37. Mangueirinha – Duque de Caxias, Baixada Fluminense<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Date: February 7, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"UPP<\/a><\/p>\n

Already a region plagued by lethal violence, the Baixada Fluminense<\/a> in Rio’s Greater Metropolitan Region<\/a> saw a 25% increase in murders between 2012 and 2013<\/a>, from 1,381 to 1,782, perhaps partially caused by a migration of criminal activity<\/a>\u00a0from areas\u00a0of Rio proper that had undergone pacification. Despite the desperate need for public security attention in\u00a0the State of Rio de Janeiro\u2019s most violent region, the Baixada received its first UPP unit only in February 2014.<\/p>\n

When the UPP was implemented in Mangueirinha, a complex of favelas, unit commander Bruno Leite expressed hope<\/a> that the transition would be smooth, highlighting that the previous police force there had had a strong reputation. A musical project<\/a> coordinated by the police involving children from the neighborhood seems to attest to positive relations. However, one researcher\u00a0who attended an open meeting in March 2015 between the UPP and the community noted the absence of a community representative on the panel<\/a>, and the vague promises made by state representatives. As has often been the case, the active participation promised by the UPP<\/a> is substituted by token meetings<\/a> in which the State listens to residents\u2019 complaints, promises to address them but then does little. Hope on this front resides in the recently created CEMAPP<\/a>: a commission bringing together diverse public organs designed to monitor and evaluate<\/a> the process of pacification, with a particular emphasis on community participation.<\/p>\n

Resident perspective<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMayors and secretaries always said they weren\u2019t able to come here because of the shootouts. Now that they’re able to come here, they have to bring services. This place was abandoned, but that is going to change\u2026 today the community feels at peace.\u201d – Ivan Alvarenga<\/a>, President of the Residents\u2019 Association in Favela do Sapo, Mangueirinha<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

38. Vila Kennedy – West Zone<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Date: May 23, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Officers<\/a><\/p>\n

The installation of Vila Kennedy<\/a>‘s UPP was scheduled for the second half of 2014, but was\u00a0implemented earlier in the year<\/a> due to intense conflicts between competing trafficking factions. As with many other pacified communities, one of the principal complaints in Vila Kennedy is that the basic services that were promised to accompany pacification have still not been provided by the State. This footage<\/a> shows an area for which a medical clinic was promised in 2012, yet which two years later remained a wasteland used to dump garbage. Some reports claimed<\/a> that drug gangs had stolen the equipment that was to be used to build the clinic, while the State defended the lack of construction by arguing that the area was not yet safe enough. Over a year after the installation of the UPP, there still has been little progress. Whatever the reason, pacification means little without the implementation of these types of services.<\/p>\n

Two Vila Kennedy UPP officers were killed in November<\/a> and December<\/a>, 2014. An attack on the UPP base<\/a>\u00a0by alleged traffickers in June of this year is evidence the\u00a0police have not yet gained full control of the favela.<\/p>\n

On a positive note, following initial operations by pacification forces,\u00a0a football school sponsored by Leo Moura (an ex-professional who grew up in the community) was launched\u00a0in 2014<\/a>\u00a0and will provide training for over 700 children.<\/p>\n

Resident perspectives<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cComlurb<\/a> collects litter when they want to, but we have no way of avoiding accumulating garbage. Should I keep my garbage in my house? Worse, flies and cockroaches get in and we don\u2019t know what to do.\u201d – Estela Maria de Jesus<\/a>, resident<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cI live on the worst street here, there are times when it is very difficult. But with the arrival of the UPP residents are definitely going to be more satisfied. It\u2019s going to bring us more calm.\u201d – Luciana Quercia<\/a>, resident<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Occupation of Complexo da Mar\u00e9 – North Zone<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Occupation date: March 30, 2014 [<\/b>UPP installation dates to be determined]<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

\"May<\/a><\/p>\n

Just months before the 2014 World Cup, Mar\u00e9 was occupied by the Brazilian army<\/a> as a precursor to moving in UPP units. At a reported cost of over R$1 million per day<\/a>, soldiers from different states of Brazil worked for two months at a time in one of the more unstable favela complexes in the city, where three different drug factions dispute control of the territory. In the year since the occupation began there have been numerous human rights abuses<\/a>, which is unsurprising when a force theoretically designed to protect the country from outside invaders is sent to \u201cpolice\u201d an local community. A protest against police violence<\/a> in February 2015 descended into violence between police and protesters\u2014which police claim was a conflict with suspected drug traffickers\u2014and left\u00a0two people dead\u00a0and three injured. To see soldiers patrolling one\u2019s own community is a particularly visceral image, especially for young children. Controversy arose when the army distributed cartoon booklets<\/a> to school children that included a cut-out of the very tank used in operations in the community. Director of local NGO Redes da Mar\u00e9<\/a>\u00a0Edson Diniz lamented<\/a> the \u201ctotal lack of tact and knowledge” by the\u00a0occupying forces.\u00a0The State has pointed to a heavy reduction in lethal violence\u2014official statistics show that the area\u2019s homicide rate dropped from almost 22 to 5.33 in just over a year\u2014yet the perception of many residents is that the community is no safer. Mar\u00e9’s active civil society organizations<\/a> have played a key role in facilitating\u00a0discussions\u00a0about public security policies<\/a> and the impacts on the community, working to improve communication between residents and authorities.<\/p>\n

In April 2015 a gradual pacification process began<\/a>, with Military Police taking over from the army in six<\/a> of Mare\u2019s 16\u00a0communities<\/a>. Mar\u00e9 will eventually receive four UPP units. Initial signs have not been positive: this video<\/a>\u00a0shows a police officer talking excitedly about shooting criminals in the area. Furthermore, the Military Police have rightly expressed concern about the logic and feasibility<\/a> of 200 police officers replacing a much larger group of army soldiers.<\/p>\n

Resident perspectives<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe actions of the army have triggered\u00a0various reactions, but the relationships that the soldiers have built are nothing like the proximity to residents [mandated by the program]. They have not concerned themselves with this. On the contrary, I believe this is an intimidating stance.\u201d – Rat\u00e3o Diniz<\/a>, local photographer<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

“There are still armed drug dealers in the favela.” – Resident<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is Part 5<\/strong>\u00a0in a five-part series documenting Pacifying Police Unit (UPP) Installations. For other articles in the series click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas This is Part 5\u00a0in a five-part series documenting Pacifying Police Unit (UPP) installations. In 2014, with priorities focused on the FIFA World Cup and with the entire Pacifying Police Unit (UPP) […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":24096,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1277,335,1282,1329],"tags":[1162,460,1711,280,1692,1370,37,15,17,809,1616,2634,1529,1173,612,21,167,365],"writer":[1095],"translator":[],"illustrator":[],"photographer":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-24070","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uppwatch","8":"category-policies","9":"category-research-analysis","10":"category-by-international-observers","11":"tag-army-occupation","12":"tag-baixada-fluminense","13":"tag-complexo-da-mangueirinha","14":"tag-complexo-da-mare","15":"tag-crime","16":"tag-music","17":"tag-north-zone","18":"tag-pacifying-police-unit","19":"tag-police-brutality","20":"tag-public-security","21":"tag-reference","22":"tag-series","23":"tag-series-upp","24":"tag-soccer","25":"tag-vila-kennedy","26":"tag-west-zone","27":"tag-world-cup","28":"tag-zero-participation","29":"writer-patrick-ashcroft"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24070"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24070\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/24096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24070"},{"taxonomy":"writer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fwriter&post=24070"},{"taxonomy":"translator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftranslator&post=24070"},{"taxonomy":"illustrator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fillustrator&post=24070"},{"taxonomy":"photographer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fphotographer&post=24070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}