Brazil: Suspected organized crime boss shot dead by police in Rio

A man suspected of being a Rio de Janeiro organized crime boss was shot dead by police on Friday during a shootout during an arrest, local authorities said.

In a press release, Rio’s Civil Police explained that Rui Paulo Gonçalves Estevão, also known as “Pipito,” was the alleged leader of the “militia,” a criminal organization that spread terror in working-class neighborhoods and carried out various types of extortion.

“As he approached, he attacked the officer and a shootout ensued. The offender was shot and taken to hospital but succumbed to his injuries,” the release detailed.

Rio Governor Claudio Castro welcomed the news on social networks that, according to him, the “pipito” “ordered the burning of 35 buses” in poor neighborhoods in western Rio last October, following the death of another suspected militia leader. These bus fires deeply shocked Brazil and exposed the influence of these criminal groups in the “Marvelous City”.

The real mafia

Militias emerged in Rio about four decades ago, initially formed by former police officers and initially claiming to be self-defense groups against drug gangs.

But in reality, they operate like a mafia, with a sophisticated extortion system that controls services such as gas distribution, internet access, local transportation and cable TV. The militias also earn income by illegally building homes or commercial buildings on public lands they occupy.

Several investigations have revealed close links between these criminal groups and well-known public figures. According to the federal police, the city councillor Marielle Franco, who was shot in 2018, was assassinated for opposing the interests of the militia. The death of this left-wing black elected official who defended minorities moved people abroad.

AFP

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