A Brief History of 40 Years of Public Security Failures in the State of Rio Since Brazil’s Return to Democracy, Part 1: Policies Failed to Deliver Solutions [1983–2006]
Clique aqui para Português This article is part of a series on the 2026 Brazilian elections, focusing on the perspectives of Greater Rio’s favelas. It is also the first installment of a two-part article on the [...]
![A Brief History of 40 Years of Public Security Failures in the State of Rio Since Brazil’s Return to Democracy, Part 1: Policies Failed to Deliver Solutions [1983–2006]](/img/13754046)
From 1983 to 2006, the state of Rio de Janeiro was led by a series of governors, each promising to bring an end to crime. Leonel Brizola, who took office in 1983, aimed to break away from the police force's role as an instrument of repression and corruption. He removed Rio's public security structure from military control and advocated for civilian control of the police with a preventive approach that respected human rights.
However, his administration faced opposition and criticism, as public insecurity continued to rise. Moreira Franco, elected in 1987, also focused on police repression and the war on drugs. His approach resulted in the Acari Massacre, where eleven young people were killed, further highlighting the failures in public security policies during this time.
Written by urgent.news from RioOnWatch's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
