The Brazillian government is cracking down on masked militias after an incident last month where several journalists were tortured for more than six hours by a gang of armed thugs wearing ninja hoods. The reporters had gone undercover in one of Rio de Janeiro's infamous favelas to investigate the "illegal economy" in the notorious slums.
The journalists assumed they'd be safe because they chose a slum that's controlled by a militia rather than by drug dealers. (Armed militias have apparently been replacing drug gangs as the authority on the streets in many of Rio's favelas.) Though many citizens say they feel safer with the militias in charge, the experience of the journalists is proof that, in many cases, the militants are just as violent and criminal as their drug-dealing predecessors.
According to the IHT, militias are on the rise in Brazil and this incident is evidence of a dangerous, growing phenomenon. This could mean that Rio is crawling with gangs of ninja murderers, but since the article was penned by Alexei Barrionuevo, one of the New York Times Company's most notoriously unethical and inaccurate reporters, we'll have to take that assumption with a grain of salt.
That said, it's probably not a good idea to investigate dirty doings in Rio's favelas unless you have some serious muscle on your side.
Related Stories
· In a Rio Slum, Armed Militia Replaces Drug Gang [IHT]
· Rio de Janeiro: Drug Lord Style [Jaunted]
· Brazil Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo of Rocinha: Alicia Nijdam]
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by Hunter Walker
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