In Rio de Janeiro, one of Brazil’s biggest and most iconic cities, the balance of power may be shifting from militias to one of the city’s oldest criminal groups.
While fighting intensified in 2022, the Red Command (Comando Vermelho – CV), a notorious gang with roots in Rio’s prison system, has recently increased its efforts to reclaim territory from the militias, a powerful network of paramilitary-style organizations that has held sway over many of the city’s poorest neighborhoods for at least a decade.
In June, the militia-dominated neighborhood of Rio das Pedras endured daily attacks by the Red Command as it tried to take over the area. Residents reported widespread extortion and constant gunfire, as the militias allegedly set fires to block the gang’s advance and prevent it from seizing the neighborhood.
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The Red Command has now seized control over at least three neighborhoods in Rio that were previously under militia control, according to O Globo, and it has been fighting to secure another four, including Rio das Pedras.
Despite losing about 20% of their territory over the past two years, the militias remain deeply entrenched, controlling over 60% of the city due to their powerful political and institutional connections, according to Brazilian academic Carolina Grillo, who studies criminal dynamics in the region.
“We saw a decrease in armed territorial control, especially outside the favelas, and it was the militias that suffered the greatest losses,” Grillo told InSight Crime.
Yet, this does not imply that militias have disappeared from these areas. Rather, they continue to operate, albeit more discreetly, without exerting direct control, Grillo says.
Tangled Roots
The Red Command and the militias both date back to Brazil’s 1964-1985 military dictatorship. The Red Command originated as a left-inspired prisoners-rights movement in the state’s penitentiaries. It is the oldest and second-biggest gang in Brazil, integrating several international cocaine networks, among other criminal economies.
For their part, the militias are paramilitary-style organizations, composed of current and former police officers, some of whom trace their own roots back to the dictatorship. Since the 2010s, they have dominated much of the city’s criminal economy through extortion, drug trafficking, and exerting control over public services. Their influence is fortified by close ties to government officials and security forces.
Factions like Escritório do Crime and Bonde do Zinho have diversified by illegally monopolizing internet, cable TV, public transport, and real estate in parts of Rio. They force residents – under threat of violence – to use their networks and charge inflated prices, while preventing legitimate companies from operating in the area. This monopoly serves as a significant source of income for the militias and reinforces their control over the community while expanding their extortion operations.
Over time, the Red Command has also expanded its criminal portfolio beyond drug trafficking into areas once dominated by the militias, such as the real estate market, where these groups finance construction projects and sell apartments.
Red Command Attacks
Beginning in 2022, the Red Command has hit back and made significant progress in reclaiming key Rio neighborhoods previously under militia control, but their criminal model makes it more difficult for them to hold territory.
The gang operates through the establishment of parallel systems of government inside Rio’s favelas, or shantytowns, where it has near total control of the physical territory. Red Command lookouts fan the area, and the group maintains strict control over entryways and access points to ensure it is not surprised by rival groups or law enforcement. This requires near constant vigilance and a large number of foot soldiers. As the gang’s power is deeply tied to territorial control, maintaining a strong presence on the ground is essential to upholding its influence and ensuring its continued dominance in the area.
SEE ALSO: Local Police Could Disrupt Attempts to Remove Militias From Rio, Brazil
The militias, meanwhile, maintain ties to the state, in particular the police, which means they can control territory with far fewer foot soldiers. Their contacts also offer a level of impunity, according to Maria Isabel Couto, director of data and transparency at the Fogo Cruzado Institute.
“Militias have a method of territorial economic exploitation and maintaining political support that differentiates them from drug trafficking groups, giving them more stability and power,” she said.
Not all the police are favorable to the militias. As Couto notes, a recent intensification of police operations in militia-controlled areas may have weakened the militias’ grip, leading to territorial losses to the Red Command.
Yet, both groups seem to realize that their connections with authorities may determine the outcome of this battle, Couto added. The militias, in particular, have a history of trying to influence municipal officials, in part because these local officials help determine the direction of police operations, and can steer regulatory and judicial investigations. .
“We need to see what the outcome of this year’s municipal elections will be, whether or not this will have an impact on the election of people close or supposedly close to the militias,” she said.
Featured image: Rio security force official stands next to a Red Command graffiti. Credit: Chico Sant’Anna