City of God without God
In City of God I spend month. Probably even year here is not enough to know that city but I saw it from different than tourist side. City Center I know as my backpack, I walked probably on every street and found unknown places even for tourist information or people who live here. I was in favelas and most expensive districts, shops and restaurants full of gold. I talked with homeless and I ate food with them. On police station I took high-five with cops who are chasing drag dealers. I tried to find God on twisting roads and in eyes of Cariocas and I saw terrifying situation. So in very subjective way I will write about some case with is extremely important for everybody who come here – security.
Permanent I was warning to watch out, to not showing my camera, to don’t do this, don’t go there. Maybe citizens of Rio exaggerate and it’s not so bad as they talking? Probably it’s also true but I saw strange situation and I talked with people who know that case and they didn’t had reason to lie to me. So, how is it? Dangerous, it’s obvious. This permanent real dangerous is exhausting. After first week here I thought that I’m going crazy. But it’s difficult to think all the time how to protect against robbery and thieves here are the best one. Most common way to robbery?
- Simple grabbing backpacks and running away
- Crashing windows in cars which are waiting on crossroads and grabbing laptops and backpacks (that’s way a lot of cars have tinted windows to not show what is inside. I eve saw couple with so tinted window that they needed to open window to see road)
- Grabbing through window telephones in buses and running away
Groups of thieves who are coming on Copacabana and grabbing everything is normal. Hijack to favelas and force someone to clean his bank account – classic. Armed robbery is normal thing and nobody can feel safe even of sex, skin color, nationality or profession. Few years ago when Sérgio Cabral was gubernator of state someone tried to steal motorcycle from his security convoy!
Hear nobody is punching, they start from gun or knifes. Members of gang witch I met there told me that more people die because of women than drugs. If you just send a smile to girl that who you like you can get bullet from her boyfriend. Only in 2009 in Rio was murdered 7100 people.
You can feel that permanent is New Years Eve here because almost constantly you can hear here fireworks. The problem is that are firearms. I will remember for long time when we came to most dangerous places and my friends listen intently to that sounds and theirs “it’s ok, they’re just ending”. I don’t want to be there when they are starting… In favelas gangs have weapons the same as Brazilian army – grenade launchers, sniper rifles and explosives (they’re saying that if in Brazil war will starting everything will fall down without favelas. Maybe also because of architecture – only one entrance, small streets). How well armored are favelas show story of pacification one of them – Rocinha. Government used in the same time 3 thousand of soldiers and policemen with tanks and choppers. They used also BOPE (elite squad of antiterrorists trained to fight with gangs), military police and even commandoes! What is most interesting during that action they didn’t shot even one bullet, but in different actions died many people or civilians.
I tried to enter to one of favelas but it’s not so simple and secure. Finally I came to City of God. You remember that movie from 2002? That’s story is true, I met someone who remember that time and district didn’t change so much since them. Unfortunately also culture of violence given to another generation wasn’t change. That city have incredible atmosphere – narrow not illuminated streets, strange alleys, people in shadows. When which my friend who live in Ciudade de Deus (CDD)crossed invisible border I felt that every street around know that gringo just came into town. I felt that everyone were observed us and some of them wanted to protect my wallet (and with knife play puzzle on my face). On every corner and roof lookout of gangs and a lot of messengers and couriers on motorcycles who are carrying strange bags and can put knife in your back.
We’ve been there only hour but I saw 5 points where I could buy drags (and they didn’t hide with that). One of them they opened near school party. Like in slow motion I felt when I saw a car full of guys with MP5 and one of them take aim at us… that was only few seconds but I felt like whole eternity. Than on corner we met 3 young boys smoked marihuana with rifles on arms. Thumb up and we can go. I heard a lot of shots (I hope) that in sky. People told me that even now most common punishment of gangs is “microwave” – they perfuse someone in gasoline and burn. Thanks God I didn’t saw it. But the best is that everywhere there is normal life – opened shops, restaurants, kids are playing on streets and few meter next to them someone is buying cocaine or clean his gun.
One of the crossroads in CCD. On the left you can buy adaptors, speakers and cocaine. Two guys on corner on the other side of the street are look-out or messengers of gang. And if you have few reales you can spend night with that three 14-15 years old girls on the right side. /// I turned on my camera few minutes after we enter to CDD. I grab it in hand but even that people saw it and I felt that they don’t like it so I stopped recording. Because of that I don’t have many shooting from there and mostly it’s crap. Unfortunately.
And what about police? During Olympic games there was a lot of police and soldier but after there will be nobody. I felt that they stood there only for effect. Many of policemen are corrupted and are protect boss of gangs or they are organizing informal squad which are taking “cleaned” from drag sectors of city and have cash from forced tribute or gambling. It’s very difficult to catch them because they have strong connection with politics. Officially in 2007 policemen killed 1330 criminals. How many of them died because they didn’t want to pay for protection and how many was not guilty but police putted guns in their hands and case was closed? In 2008 government organized UPP (Police Pacification Squad) and they’re putting inside of favelas. In CDD there are localized 3 of them. HQ of them from outside looks like small military base and inside there is full wall of policemen who died on duty. They’re going to action when on streets are going bad. But if it’s to hot, they’re going back to HQ and above CDD are coming army choppers and throwing tear gas. If you want to live there buy gas mask.
People live here, love, work. I don’t know how. Maybe if I stay here little longer I can find the solution. “God made world in 6 days. 7th was for Rio de Janeiro” said Cariocas. Maybe it’s true but after that he went for holiday (probably here) and nobody care about that beautiful garden. And vegetation here have teeth, but finally government since few years is trying to make dull. But still there’s much more work to do.
