Militia

The groups now known as “militias” (milícias) are not a new concept; however, the use of the term is a recent phenomenon. For years, it has been a proven fact  that communities in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro have been under the control of “irregular groups” previously referred to as “police miners” (polícia mineira) or “extermination groups” (grupos de extermínio). The best example of this is the neighborhood of Rio das Pedras, a classic case of a favela “without drug trafficking.” The origin of the common usage of the term “militia” is generally attributed to the press. The word reconstructs an old issue by replacing obviously negative labels associated with corruption and murder with another, more neutral or even positive one.

While the definition and action of militias in Rio de Janeiro is vague and varied, researchers have identified five broad points that can be commonly agreed upon.

1. The control of a territory and the population that inhabits it by an irregular, armed group.
2. A character that is defined, to some extent, by the exertion of coercive control over the population of that territory.
3. The desire for personal profit as the principal motivating factor of the members of the group.
4. A legitimating discourse referring to the protection of inhabitants and the institution of order that, like all order, guarantees certain rights and excludes others, but allows the creation of certain normative rules and expectations of conduct.
5. The active participation of recognized agents of the state as members of the groups

Broadly speaking, militias are paralegal organizations typically comprised of former and off-duty police officers and firemen and often have local political support or contacts (or are even led by local politicians). These groups enter an area and often remove or dismantle extant narco-trafficking gangs by whatever means necessary. They then begin by charging an “optional” monthly security fee to residents and businesses (the degree of the word “optional” varies and the fee is usually between R$5 and R$30 for residents and more for businesses). The militias often then branch into other businesses, such as the sale of gas canisters, irregular transportation (mototaxis and kombi vans), pirated TV/internet/phones, taxation on the sale and purchase of real estate, and sometimes even drug trafficking; these activities have been known to net a hefty profit for militia members and have led to violent inter-militia competition over territory, just as the narco-gangs used to before being ousted.

Since 2005, the number of these groups has expanded rapidly and the media attention has as well. Media coverage exploded in late 2006 and early 2007 and again in May and June of 2008 after two O Dia reporters were tortured by members of an infamous militia known as “The Justice League” (a Liga da Justiça). The greatest concentration of militias is in the West Zone, North Zone, Baixada Fluminense, in that order. Between January 2006 and April 2008, the neighborhoods with the most reported complaints to Disque-Denúncia (see glossary) that used the terms “milícia” or “polícia mineira” are:

Neighborhoods with the Greatest Number
of Hotline Reports against Militias
	Neighborhood	Zone	# of Calls
1	Campo Grande	West	258
2	Jacarepaguá	West	199
3	Santa Cruz	West	169
4	Anchieta	North	167
5	Guadalupe	North	131
6	Realengo	West	113
7	Paciencia	West	107
8	Quintino Bocaiúva	North	99
9	Brás de Pina	North	92
10	Praça Seca	West	67
11	Taquara	West	64
12	Inhoaiba	West	63
13	Ramos	North	57
14	Penha	North	57
15	Recreio dos Bandeirantes	West	50
16	Guaratiba	West	48
17	Cascadura	North	47
18	Ilha Do Governador	North	47
19	Cosmos	West	45
20	Piedade	North	44
21	Inhauma	North	40

 

This information was taken from a report called “Seis por meia dúzia? Um estudo exploratório do fenômeno das chamadas ‘milícias’ no Rio de Janeiro,” by Ignacio Cano, published in Segurança, tráfico e milícias no Rio de Janeiro (2008), Rio de Janeiro: Justiça Global.