The Conversation Weekly How organised crime infiltrated Brazil
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Nov 6, 2025 Robert Muggah, founder of the Igarapé Institute and a researcher at Princeton's Brazil LAB, dives into the deep-rooted issue of organized crime in Brazil. He explains how groups like the Commando Vermelho have expanded from prisons into various sectors like mining and fintech. Muggah discusses the recent violent police raid in Rio, its political implications, and the public's mixed reactions. He also suggests that heavy-handed tactics often exacerbate the problem and emphasizes the need for community-focused policing and financial strategies to combat crime effectively.
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Resident's Firsthand Experience Of The Raid
- Robert Muggah heard the raid from his Rio apartment and saw smoke rise over the horizon.
- His child's school alerted parents and suspended classes as panic spread through WhatsApp groups.
Prisons Spawned Modern Factional Networks
- The Comando Vermelho formed inside prisons during Brazil's military dictatorship by mixing political prisoners and criminals.
- That fusion created an organization that later exported prison codes and tactics to street networks.
Cocaine Trade Transformed The Group's Business
- By the 1980s the group shifted from robberies to the higher-margin cocaine trade and embedded in Rio's tourist and wealthy markets.
- Rio became both a transit point and a consumption market amplifying the gang's revenues.