Favela Drug Dealers cease sales of crack in Rio De Janerio

[Grimecraft]

in an unprecedented move, some drug traffickers have unilaterally decided to stop selling crack in the favelas they control.

In both Mandela and Jacarezinho favelas - combined home to more than 100,000 residents - crack can no longer be purchased. Two drug bosses, who control each favela, gave the orders to halt sales.

A dirt road bordering Mandela favela that previously was known to be one of Rio's largest concentrations of users (known as "cracolanidias" in Brazil) is where hundreds of users and sellers would congregate day and night.

The road is now clear of any signs of users or sellers.

"I am not going to lie to you, there is a lot of profit to be made on crack," said Rodrigo, a top trafficker in Mandela who used to manage all the crack operations, told Al Jazeera. He asked that his real name not be used. "But crack also brought destruction in our community as well, so we're not selling it anymore. Addicts were robbing homes, killing each other for nothing inside the community. We wanted to avoid all that, so we stopped selling it."

The traffickers in Mandela, like Rodrigo, readily admit they still sell marijuana and powder cocaine and were happy to show it to Al Jazeera. Business was good for those drugs; bags of money sat out on tables at sales points in the slum.

But those other drugs, they said, don't seem to cause the same social problems in the favelas they control.

Crack sales have been halted in just two of Rio's favelas, but Flavia Pinheiro Froes, a lawyer who represents many drug traffickers, said she expects more drug bosses to join in soon.

Well I remain skeptical but this appears to be a decent step forward. And if it spreads throughout the slums we could see a climbdown in the levels of violence and gang warfare.

[MathiasOfAthens]

Your forgot a source.

[Farnan]

Smart move. There is a lot less political and public pressure for police to go after Coke and Pot dealers than crack dealers. By ending the sale of crack they might lesson the police crackdown going on in Rio de Janero.

[Heinz Guderian]

Smart move. There is a lot less political and public pressure for police to go after Coke and Pot dealers than crack dealers.

surely coke and crack dealers are going to be the same? unless we are talking about completely different things, crack is freebased cocaine. You get some baking soda and bubble it up with some cocaine. It can be dangerous as Richard Pryor found out.

[Farnan]

surely coke and crack dealers are going to be the same? unless we are talking about completely different things, crack is freebased cocaine. You get some baking soda and bubble it up with some cocaine. It can be dangerous as Richard Pryor found out.

Its because of cost. Crack being cheaper destroys poor communities, while cocaine being more expensivetargets the middle class and rich who can afford it and or afford rehab. That's why black community leaders urged the crack down on crack in the US. because of the devastation that crack brings to communities it draws police attention.

[Heinz Guderian]

Its because of cost. Crack being cheaper destroys poor communities, while cocaine being more expensivetargets the middle class and rich who can afford it and or afford rehab. That's why black community leaders urged the crack down on crack in the US. because of the devastation that crack brings to communities it draws police attention.

Is it true that in America, prostitutes will suck a man's cock for just a wrap of crack because its so addictive?

[s.rwitt]

Is it true that in America, prostitutes will suck a man's cock for just a wrap of crack because its so addictive?

Yes, it is. Our cocks are widely known for their addictive qualities.

[Menelik_I]

Well I remain skeptical but this appears to be a decent step forward. And if it spreads throughout the slums we could see a climbdown in the levels of violence and gang warfare.

them, just send in the Military Police BOPE batalion to put this scum in maximum security prison.

They are probably trying to keep things quiet to not embarrass their friend from PT ruling party in prevision of the world cup.

[s.rwitt]

Powder is much more expensive and thus harder to get.

[Trey]

[spanish_emperor]

I actually went into a favela 5 years ago (accompanied obviously) and i can tell you that while the Brasilian government likes to demonize the people living there for political gain it is really the fault of government. This may sound unusual to be siding with the poor living in the favelas but they really have no other option but to sell drugs to make a living since the local government does not assistant them in any way and fails to provide other alternatives. The favelas are literally forgotten suburbs, the elephant in the room that everybody acknowledges exists but ignore it hoping it will go away. Very dangerous place and distrustful of any foreigners. They are basically independent areas where the most specialized police force dread of going in since EVERYONE has at least one gun (even women) so that going in guarantees being outnumbered, outgunned and because of the lack of space makes it impossible to advance with any speed.

I doubt this will last but hopefully in 50 years time the favelas will be significantly reduced with the growth of Brazil.

[Vizvii]

I actually went into a favela 5 years ago (accompanied obviously) and i can tell you that while the Brasilian government likes to demonize the people living there for political gain it is really the fault of government. This may sound unusual to be siding with the poor living in the favelas but they really have no other option but to sell drugs to make a living since the local government does not assistant them in any way and fails to provide other alternatives. The favelas are literally forgotten suburbs, the elephant in the room that everybody acknowledges exists but ignore it hoping it will go away. Very dangerous place and distrustful of any foreigners. They are basically independent areas where the most specialized police force dread of going in since EVERYONE has at least one gun (even women) so that going in guarantees being outnumbered, outgunned and because of the lack of space makes it impossible to advance with any speed.

I doubt this will last but hopefully in 50 years time the favelas will be significantly reduced with the growth of Brazil.

So doing something productive or attempting to find a place in the labour market is out of the question?

[spanish_emperor]

So doing something productive or attempting to find a place in the labour market is out of the question?

They don't have any skills to compete in the labour market. These people live in poverty stricken areas where their most basic education is missing. Many go to public schools but the amount of drop outs is unbelievable. The men usually go to join a gang because the culture surrounding them is all about guns and warfare: it is a rare night to sleep without hearing the distant shots of weapons. Kids are taught to kill a prisoner of another gang as an initiation ritual.

What can they do? The best they can get are works like salesman and they have to travel all the way down the the city for that. Many don't have vehicles to travel and those that do most likely received their fortunes from the drug trade.

[Vizvii]

They don't have any skills to compete in the labour market. These people live in poverty stricken areas where their most basic education is missing. Many go to public schools but the amount of drop outs is unbelievable. The men usually go to join a gang because the culture surrounding them is all about guns and warfare: it is a rare night to sleep without hearing the distant shots of weapons.

What can they do? The best they can get are works like salesman and they have to travel all the way down the the city for that. Many don't have vehicles to travel and those that do most likely received their fortunes from the drug trade.

The worst thing a government can do is to intrude even more on the lives of its lower-class citizens. This kind of problems eventually fix themselves if the areas are left on their own without crackdowns or raids, and perhaps in such cases the drug trade isn't such a bad thing after all if it's an avenue to economic growth. It simply goes to show how idiotic the ban on drugs actually is.

I can't imagine that the government of Brazil can do any magic for 11.4 million people. Providing education and scholarships for those willing to study would be one of the few possible measures. You can't do good by force is what I'm saying.

[spanish_emperor]

The worst thing a government can do is to intrude even more on the lives of its lower-class citizens. This kind of problems eventually fix themselves if the areas are left on their own without crackdowns or raids, and perhaps in such cases the drug trade isn't such a bad thing after all if it's an avenue to economic growth. It simply goes to show how idiotic the ban on drugs actually is.

I can't imagine that the government of Brazil can do any magic for 11.4 million people. Providing education and scholarships for those willing to study would be one of the few possible measures. You can't do good by force is what I'm saying.

I don't think it is actually beneficial for the favelas to have continuous gang violence over the control of drug supply routes and market share.
I understand the laizze faire economic approach but this won't fix itself and the poor won't just disappear if the favelas are torn down. The people will simply move into the city and increase violence there, if you can win the fight against them.

I don't know how to solve the problem but certainly to gaze the other way and pretend it will resolve itself will not work, it hasn't in the past.

The favelas originated from the poor migrating to the cities for work opportunities. With the brazilian slums you also have the slave past intertwined in its origins. This is what happens when house prices are too high for these people, there is a lack of low skilled jobs and a lack of education. This is certainly the government's responsibility.

[Sphere]

Is it true that in America, prostitutes will suck a man's cock for just a wrap of crack because its so addictive?

Like you don't know Heinz.

[Grimecraft]

source: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/fea...920225735.html

my bad

[Grimecraft]

Well I don't think this will last- when these drug lords die or whatever some hot-shot up and comer will re-start the selling. This will only last while these particular drug lords live.

[frozenprince]

Well I don't think this will last- when these drug lords die or whatever some hot-shot up and comer will re-start the selling. This will only last while these particular drug lords live.

You're ascribing too much to hollywood ideas of what the cartels and gangs really are. The drug trade is a business, and as such the people involved in making these decisions are doing it from a business perspective.

It's good business to stop selling it when it's draining money from the area, destroying any sort of goodwill or economic stability (affecting profits and pulling people towards competition) and causing an increase in crime rates, drawing more police attention.

It's always a business decision. If this negativly affects business in the short run to provide better long term stability and give them some much needed pull in the community because "we stopped selling this drug" to gain an advantage over competition, it'll stay the policy. If it drastically alters profits then it most likely wont last long.

[Grimecraft]

You're ascribing too much to hollywood ideas of what the cartels and gangs really are. The drug trade is a business, and as such the people involved in making these decisions are doing it from a business perspective.

It's good business to stop selling it when it's draining money from the area, destroying any sort of goodwill or economic stability (affecting profits and pulling people towards competition) and causing an increase in crime rates, drawing more police attention.

It's always a business decision. If this negativly affects business in the short run to provide better long term stability and give them some much needed pull in the community because "we stopped selling this drug" to gain an advantage over competition, it'll stay the policy. If it drastically alters profits then it most likely wont last long.

fair enough