Downtown São Paulo is experiencing a crisis. In recent months, the Cracolândia, an agglomeration of drug addicts and sellers, has already moved through several streets in the neighborhoods of Campos Elíseos, Santa Cecília and República and is currently on the corner of Rua dos Gusmões and Rua Conselheiro Nébias. This concentration of drug users is often associated with robberies, mass robberies, violence and vandalism and has generated fear and concern in those who work, have business, or frequent the region. On Friday (07/04), a pharmacy and a minimarket were looted on Avenida São João. According to the Metropolitan Civil Guard (GCM), the mass robberies were carried out by drug users from Cracolândia. On Sunday (09/04) drug users invaded a snack bar on Avenida Rio Branco.According to the City Hall, various occurrences involving drug addicts who circulate through the region began after they started project to dismantle the Cracolândia. Since the beginning of the month, a joint action involving the Metropolitan Civil Guard, Military Police and Civil Police in Cracolândia, in addition to health agents, has carried out operations in the Santa Ifigênia and Campos Elíseos neighborhoods. There are rounds three times a day by janitor teams on the streets of the central region where Cracolândia has been established over the last four months. Amid this increase in tension and disturbance, Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) inaugurated, on Tuesday (11/04), the Care Hub for Crack and Other Drugs. The new point of reference place to take care of drug users will replace the Reference Center for Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs (Cratod), which had been operating since 2012 and was reformulated to make way for this new project. With this, the government seeks to expand assistance to drug addicts.
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Our Analysis:
The sum of almost a decade of economic crisis in the country and the series of failed “revitalization” projects over the last 40 years have left São Paulo historic center a scene of abandonment. The two public actions created by Mayor Ricardo Nunes (MDB) and Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) generated insecurity in the population who lives there. According to experts, the violent solution and criminalization of a social issue facilitate conservative discourse and promote urban changes without public consultation. An example of this would be the displacement of “Cracolândia” carried out by the “Nova Luz” project in the Gilberto Kassab (2006-2013) administration and again dispersed by state intervention of the Princesa Isabel square in 2022. In recent months, this agglomeration of drug users has already occupied several streets in the neighborhoods of Campos Elíseos, Santa Cecília and República and it is currently on the corner of Rua dos Gusmões and Rua Conselheiro Nébias. The issue is too great, and the speed of the city hall to provide a response is slow. The center’s problem is one of public management, and housing should be the main focus, say experts. The actions to disperse users worsens security in the region, they only spread the problem further and mix drug users with other homeless people and criminals.
07/04/2023 – The home of comedian Wellington Muniz, known as Ceará, and his wife, model Mirella Santos, was invaded and robbed by three criminals during the Easter holiday. The thieves took valuables from the house, such as designer handbags, watches, and family jewelry. In one of the videos captured by the security camera located in the garage, the safe also appears to be being carried by them.
09/04/2023 – A Spanish woman was robbed inside a taxi near the Armenian subway station, in downtown São Paulo. The tourist was making only one connection in Brazil and decided to visit the historic center. She was photographing Praça da Sé when an officer from the Municipal Civil Guard warned her that that part of the city was not safe and decided to call her taxi. The tourist got into a taxi but was surprised by at least three people who broke the vehicle’s glass and grabbed the victim’s purse.
09/04/2023 – A body was found inside a stream in Itaquera, East Zone. The victim had his pants down and had head injuries. Residents of the region claim to have heard, moments before, a rush and discussion in the street. The man has not yet been recognized by anyone, and the motive or suspect of the crime are not known.
10/04/2023 – A person was likely killed during a home burglary in Pirituba, North Zone. According to information from the Civil Police, the victim was killed after a robbery at her residence, and neighbors would have heard her asking for help before she died.
10/04/2023 – An elderly man was robbed while passing through Cracolândia, downtown São Paulo. The robbery was filmed by a reporter from Rede Record, in the images it is possible to see a young man approaching the elderly who still try to defend himself but is unable to do so. The criminal steals his cell phone and leaves quietly.
11/04/2023 – Mother and son were killed inside a car on Rua Veratro, in Parque São Lucas, East Zone. The woman was 52 years old and the man, 28. According to witnesses, two men on a motorcycle approached and shot at least 10 times at the victims. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the woman already dead. The boy was taken care by firefighters, but he couldn’t resist. The main hypothesis is execution, since none of their belongings were taken.
12/04/2023 – A truck driver was kidnapped and spent almost two days in captivity. The victim was close to the company where he was going to load his truck in Jaguaré, West Zone, when he was approached by two criminals. The truck driver was taken to captivity in the region of Parada de Taipas, North Zone where three criminals made several bank transfers via Pix, and it was through this data that the police reached captivity.
13/04/2023 – Seven people were arrested for removing pieces from stolen vehicles. They were found on Avenida Bandeira dos Cataguazes, in the Itaim Paulista region, East Zone. Police officers received a call for a possible kidnapping at the address, but upon arriving at the scene, they identified that it was used for other illegal activity. When the police arrived, some of the criminals tried to escape through the roof but were arrested.
14/04/2023 – Two military police (PM) officers were caught attacking a pedestrian with punches, kicks and blows with a truncheon, in Campo Limpo, South Zone. The video, captured by a security camera, shows a pedestrian walking, at which point at least two military police officer jump out of a vehicle and begin to attack him. The victim, on the ground, is punched and kicked. One of the PMs returns to the car, looks for a cassette, and continues to attack the pedestrian, who does not seem to react to the attacks by the military. The attack only stops when a white car passes through the street and the victim flees.
