On Wednesday (18), a 14-year-old girl was shot in the Maré Complex, in the North Zone of Rio. The young girl, who had come from Minas Gerais, was shot in the hip after her father mistakenly entered the community. This is not the first time that a person has been shot by criminals after mistakenly entering a favela in Rio. Because they are surrounded by expressways, favelas have seen several cases of attacks on drivers who take the wrong route. In the last 10 years, at least 11 people have been shot in attacks of this type.
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Understand the Case
Father and daughter are from Minas Gerais and are staying with relatives in Barra da Tijuca. They were returning from the American consulate via Avenida Brasil. When they tried to return to Linha Amarela, the father mistakenly turned to Avenida Guilherme Maxwell, this region is part of the Baixa do Sapateiro community, dominated by the Terceiro Comando Puro. It is one of the 16 that make up the Maré Complex. As they passed through Guilherme Maxwell Avenue, they were approached by bandits armed with rifles. The criminals ordered the driver to stop the vehicle. Frightened, he accelerated and fled. The bandits shot at the vehicle, hitting the teenager.
Other Cases
- Maré Complex: In October 2022, two Italian tourists were shot when they mistakenly entered the Maré Complex. They left a party at Marina da Glória and were on their way to São Paulo when they decided to stop at a snack bar on Avenida Brasil.
- Vila do João: In 2016, two police officers from the National Security Force (FN) were ambushed. The vehicle took the wrong route and entered Vila do João. Soldier Hélio Vieira, a native of Roraima, was shot in the face.
- Vila do João: In June 2013, engineer Gil Augusto Barbosa, 53, died after being shot in the head while also mistakenly entering Vila do João, on the same route taken by the National Force agents.
- Quitungo: In June, a ride-hailing driver and his passenger were shot after mistakenly entering the Quitungo community, in Brás de Pina, in the North Zone of Rio.
- Chapadão: In 2022, ride-hailing driver Paulo Alberto Lara Fernandes, 56, was killed when he entered Rua Fernando Lobo, in Ricardo de Albuquerque, in the Complexo do Chapadão region, in the North Zone of Rio.
- Cidade Alta: In 2020, Christiano Coimbra de Mendonça, 43, was shot when he mistakenly entered a street that leads to the Cidade Alta community, located on the banks of Avenida Brasil. He was following the route suggested by a traffic app.
Analysis:
The case of the young woman shot in the Complexo da Maré exemplifies a recurring problem in Rio de Janeiro: urban violence and the risk faced by drivers who accidentally enter areas controlled by criminal gangs. The presence of favelas surrounded by expressways such as Avenida Brasil, Linha Amarela, and other important routes increases the chances that both residents and tourists will make navigation errors that lead them to areas dominated by militias or drug trafficking.
This situation reveals a structural failure in terms of public safety and urban signage, aggravated by the dependence on navigation apps that are not always accurate in suggesting safe routes.
