Another reminder from today's SP CNN news

[mvan1]

Sao Paulo, Brazil (CNN) -- A pregnant 14-year-old raped, a grenade tossed into a crowd by robbers during a getaway. Those are just a few of the stories tucked inside Rio de Janeiro's main newspaper, O Globo, this week.

Crime and violence are chronic problems in Brazil, where the murder rate is even higher than in Mexico.

Which helps explain why news of the grisly killing and beheading of a former professional football player didn't even make front-page news in many papers.
Police believe that 35-year-old Joao Rodrigo Silva Santos was abducted on Monday evening. When his wife opened the door to leave for work the following morning, she found a backpack with her husband's head inside.

According to Brazilian media, Santos' eyes and tongue had been cut out.
Santos played for a number of mostly second-tier Rio de Janeiro football clubs before retiring and opening a health food store.

Police refused to comment on lines of investigation, but media have speculated that it could be related to a break-in at Santos' store this year.
Some newspapers also pointed out that his wife works for the police department in one of the shantytowns that recently came under police control, although she reportedly is a social worker there.

The news did, however, make headlines around the world, shining the spotlight yet again on violence in one of the host cities of the 2014 World Cup.

And while World Cup tickets are selling at record rates, experts say the violent protest marches that erupted during the Confederations Cup, combined with headlines about crime and violence, might make fans think twice about bringing their families to Brazil.

Brazilians themselves were horrified by the story, but to a certain degree, they have become accustomed to crime and violence.

In Rio de Janeiro, cars drive through red lights at night. The drivers don't stop for fear of being robbed. Brazilians rarely carry cash, using debit cards even to pay for a cup of espresso.

In Sao Paulo, criminal "sweeps" of restaurants and bars are common. An armed gang moves through in a matter of minutes, relieving patrons of all their valuables.

[ihpguy]

I have been posting on a certain matter here for quite some time, whether anyone here chooses to read and consider is something else.

Here in Rio, where police, fire and military wages and pensions are often only a little above the minimum wage and not enough to survive on, and where any retire needs two pensions to actually live above starvation level, the malicia protection rackets have taken over the favelas as the UPP have"pacified" them by evicting the traficantes from them. I have read reports that the malicia now control about 60 percent of all of the favelas and poorer neighborhoods. They demand and get small amounts of monthly tribute from the residents and larger amounts from the business owners to be kept "safe." I have been told that Acyr and Jorge at Meio Mundo, as well as Monik at 117 have to pay much large sums for "protection"of their businesses. It is possible that Joao Rodrigo Silva Santos chose not to pay, figuring that since his wife worked as some type of social worker for the UPP, that was "good enough."

[Guest riosul77]

Ihpguy, everything you post is interesting. Particularly like your comments on neighborhoods, restaurants, and your take, as a resident, on social / political issues.

On topic, these malicia protection gangs, interesting. Is this a new phenomena in the 'pacified' favelas of Rio? Have they moved in to fill a void left by the organized drug cartels that, I presume , have moved underground? Or, is this just a more aggresive presence of the local neighborhood protection goons. I know they have always been present like Jeitinho (or breathing) but has there been an increase, post-pacification? Remember a friend of mine who owned a restaurant in Recife paying some pimply kid a twenty once a week. Protection from what he could possibly provide I have no idea but it was just done routinely like paying the electric bill.

[ihpguy]

Thanks for the props, riosul77.

These militias are made up of retired firemen, police officers and ex-military. Besides recently occupying the vacuum left by the expulsion of the drug trafficers from the favelas, they have more many more years had this established racket in various neighborhoods of the city. Without question, there would be no way for them to control high-rise neighborhoods such as Flamengo, Botafog, Ipa and Copa. However, I have acquaintances who live in two western suburbs, Taquara and Barra da Guaratiba who have been paying 100Reais/month for at least 6 or 7 years, if not longer. Interestingly, I met someone on BADOO as possible boyfriend material, whose father is a retired army officer living in Barra da Guaratiba. Now the dad is fairly young and doesn't need to work. It didn't work out with the son. A simpleton. Really he is. And he hasn't worked in about five years. Live in a very nice house. Do not seem to have money troubles. Wonder why?

So this goes back to the murder of Joao Rodrigo. Of course, without question, this can be a very violent place. Could be any number of reasons why he was murder. But one that wasn't mentioned was not paying off his store for protection. This is something no one here really talks about. Except when statistics are studied and publicized as to who actually controls the favelas after their "pacification"by the UPP.

[Guest tomcal]

"...I have been told that Acyr and Jorge at Meio Mundo, as well as Monik at 117 have to pay much large sums for "protection"of their businesses."

I have been told all business's pay this and for the saunas and other smaller business's its $400.R a week(1U.S. = $2.21R), I was told there are 400 small business owners in the sector that Meo mundo is in. So 400 x $400.R = 160000 to be divided up among the police!

Last week the Police raided Pointe and took all boys/customers/workers to the jail and then released them soon afterwards as a warning, there are two versions of what happened but they both point to not paying the police

, 1)Junior the owner didn't pay his dues for the month

2)He had one of his "parties" which is a late night combo nightclub/rave party and he didn't pay the proper people off before he threw it.

[Lucky]

Mexico's murder rate per 100,000 people is 23.7 annually. Brazil does top that with a rate of 25.8. For comparison, the U.S. has a rate of 4.7. The rate for posters here is very low, in fact, I think it is 0.0. in any of the three countries. Murder, not natural deaths, are what we are talking about.