posted
It was an eventful night. Kinda dangerous, but interesting, nonetheless. There was I, teaching my class in the favela (slums) when I heard this strange sound. It seemed like a big wheeled vehicle moving. I thought it could be a truck or something like that, but it seemed to stop right in front the relief association building, although its motor was still on. I went to the window with some students, and we saw an armored military vehicle, painted pitch black, with a livid skull painted on its side over the letters B.O.P.E. Then I recognized something I already heard about, but never saw. I was in front of the fabled “Caveirão” (Big Skull), the armored vehicle belonging to B.O.P.E. (Batalhão de Operações Especiais – Special Ops Batallion), it is like the Rio de Janeiro’s SWAT. Then I started to became nervous, because they only enter favelas when hunting down some big-wig criminal (usually drug dealers). I told all that to my students, already expecting to hear the guns blazing, but one of them told me: “teacher, the dealers won’t shoot the “Caveirão”. They might shoot police officers, or even the army, but they know B.O.P.E. are killers, every bit as mean as they are. They’re probably holing up somewhere, waiting for the cops to go away”. There was no way I could teach anymore. Everyone wanted to see the men who were coming out from the vehicle. All dressed in black, with a white skull on their chests, and masked, all of them, also in black (I heard they never show their faces while in mission, to protect themselves and their families). One of my students started to get nervous when three of the squad entered the class. I wasn’t exactly calm, myself, but the officers were very respectful to me. Of course, it felt strange to talk with big armed unindentifiable men dressed and masked in black. They asked to examine the closets and... the students bags. Then, this studant who was nervous, a boy who was 16 years old, started to flip out, and tried to run away. The officers were on top of him so quicly I couldn’t believe it! While the boy was held, one of the officers found a pistol tucked into his backpack. Then, he was taken away, and all other students had to show their bags (they didn’t ask for my bag, though). When they went away from the class, I could see how the people who live there resent the police, because everybody were very angry that they had come to “disturb” the favela. Although I teach there, I don’t live there. So, there are things I still don’t understand. When I went home, the “Caveirão” was still there, and there was black-claded men everywhere. The streets were awfully quiet, and my student, together with other 5 or 5 young men, where already handcuffed, guarded by two officers. Well...I felt like telling it here because It was really...strange. Although I already survived a shoot-out while teaching, I never actually saw the shooters. But this time, I’ve got to experience, first-hand, the presence of the men who actually “go there” to fight drug-dealers, and, although I knew they were the police, and so, “the good guys”, they gave me the creeps, to tell you the truth. Isn’t third world exciting, people? Posts: 1785 | Registered: Oct 2003
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I maintain that you are courageous and giving an invaluable opportunity to the people you work with -
Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
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By the way...I hope they don't screw the Punisher's movie. He's one of my favorite comic book Marvel Character.
Posts: 1785 | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
Thank you for your, as usual, very interesting post, Eduardo.
This kind of thing is exactly what I was talking about when I talked about the failure of hard power to win people over.
Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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posted
I looked at that site you linked to, Eduardo. Why is it so strange to me that they have music there? That really bothers me, for some reason.
Posts: 2454 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
Littlemissattitude, would you believe that I had the sound turned off when I went to the BOPE website? Now that you mentioned, I went there and that's true. There's music: "Neverending Story"'s Theme to boot! Sheesh. Yup, that's Creepy.
TMedina, I agree with you. The drug dealers are not paragons of innocence and virtue. I'd like to see all of them put in jail, if I could. I'm sure all these police officers from BOPE are really hard-working guys who trained a lot and do a very dangerous job. The problem is that, for the "favelados" (people who live in the favela), the drug dealers are the evil they know. Since the dealers usually don't attack the "citizens" who live there, people are used to them (why an annalogy to Saddan creeps to mind?) When the Police, the Army, or BOPE go there, they don't go there to offer food, or jobs, or medical care. They go there to fight. To arrest people. They bring violence with them. IMHO, that's some reasons why people dislikes them, in the favela.
Storm Saxon: I agree with you. Hard Power won't win people over, even if they're doing a good job. People won't relate to guys breaking into their neighborhood to shoot and/or arrest people who may be criminals, but that you've known for years and are your neighbors. There should be some kind of social work over there. Something more visible, that would send the message that "government cares". If that doesn't happend, slums everywhere in the world will continue to be feuds to crimelords and petty dictators.
kaioshin00: Yup. The flag is cool
Green: for our forests Gold: For the gold Blue: For our sky White Stripe: meaning peace
There is a star for each brazilian State, and their position is akin to the sky in the day of brazilian independence (07/09/1822).
And written within the white stripe is the positivistic motto: Ordem e Progresso - "Order and Progress".
Posts: 1785 | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
It scared me when it first came on, because I don't usually go to any pages with music, and the speakers were up really high. Plus, it opened with tsssssssssssssssss right when the image was clearing to show some vague reddish cloud in the corner of the picture.
Posts: 1547 | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
Wow. Eduardo, you are so brave to undertake such a job, but I know you're making a difference in the students' lives. Stay safe!
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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quote:I knew they were the police, and so, “the good guys”
"Good Guys" seems way to optomistic. This type of thing makes my skin crawl. If you try to fight evil by adopting the tactics of evil, you insure that evil will win. One way or another.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
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posted
I agree with Rabbit, the whole idea of BOPE scares me. It seems to me that it's only a short step from BOPE to people being disappeared like what occured in Guatemala, Argentina and other Latin American countries.
posted
Well...I wouldn't take things too far. I guess in every country the police has its special unity. U.S. has the SWAT. Brazil has BOPE. We're a democracy over here.
Yup, the BOPE tactics are a little harsh, but they're fighting a harsh enemy. Of course, many of my students have horror stories of police abuse, and I only used the words "good guys" to describe what one usually should think about the police. Theoretically, they are there to protect citizens. Although I have to say they were respectful to me, and just held, not beat or anything, the boy they arrested.
It is a difficult situation, I guess. Favelas, and the drug traffic are some major problems here in Brazil. I mantain that it'll only be solved by social work, not police action.
Oh, and we had plenty "vanished people" here in the 70's. Some of them were never found. Fortunatelly, the military dictatorship ended in 1984, when the first civilian president in 20 years was elected (our current president is even a leftist, now).
Posts: 1785 | Registered: Oct 2003
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I'll grant waging a "war on drugs" is far too simplistic and ultimately will prove ineffectual.
But throw in all the social work you want - rich people still do drugs and the demand will still be there. I remember the article about Prince William (?) of England going to a party with drugs out for casual consumption.
I'm new here. What do you teach and why do you teach in a war zone?
Seriously, you are very brave and will be in my prayers. I teach here in the states and I thought things were sort of rough at my school (Chattahoochee Technical College), but at least I'm fairly safe. There ought to be medals for teachers like you.
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TMedina: Hi, Trevor. Unfortunatelly, what you say is true. In one of the places I teach, the "Morro" (Hill. Most "favelas" are located on hills) is near a big University. Everytime, I mean EVERYTIME I go there, there are pretty college boys and girls smoking weed and buying stuff. It's maddening. They just sit there, together with armed dealers, with their bags full of books and their heads full of smoke!
Posts: 1785 | Registered: Oct 2003
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You are exceptional. Wow. I don't know too many teachers here in the states that would willingly stay in your situation. Your students will definitely benefit from your heart.
God bless you, man!
Posts: 392 | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
I'm sure many do, Jess. Everywhere in the world there are people doing good work. Everywhere...
Posts: 1785 | Registered: Oct 2003
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