Daniel Arce-Lopez/BBC reports that in Rio, gangsters are blending religion and crime as they expand their territory. When authorities seize drugs in Rio, they often find them marked with the Star of David, not as a nod to Judaism, but to symbolize the belief of some Pentecostal Christians in the Second Coming of Christ through the return of Jews to Israel.
The Pure Third Command, a prominent criminal group in Rio, has adopted this branding strategy and controls the Israel Complex, a cluster of five favelas in the city’s north. The gang’s leader reportedly received a divine revelation, leading them to see themselves as “soldiers of crime” with Jesus as the ultimate authority.
Some have labeled them “Narco-Pentecostals”, a controversial term for criminals who use religious symbols in their illegal activities. Pastor Diego Nascimento, a former member of Rio’s Red Command gang, now preaches in prisons and helps individuals turn their lives around.
However, conflicts arise as these criminal groups use violence to suppress Afro-Brazilian faiths, leading to religious intolerance in these areas. The rise of evangelical Christianity in Brazil has fueled these tensions, with gangsters targeting non-Christian religious practices in the favelas.
Overall, the intertwining of religion and crime in Rio’s favelas reflects a complex and troubling trend, with criminal organizations using religious symbols and beliefs to assert power and control over their territories. Daniel Arce-Lopez/BBC Vemos la presencia de San Jorge, la presencia de [el dios afrobrasileño] Ògún, los tatuajes, los crucifijos, las velas, las ofrendas.
“Por eso llamarlo Narco-Pentecostalismo es reducir esa relación que es tan histórica y tradicional entre el crimen y la religión. Prefiero llamarlo ‘Narco-Religiosidad’.”
Sea como sea que uno llame a esta mezcla de fe y criminalidad, una cosa parece clara: pone en peligro un derecho que está consagrado en la constitución de Brasil – el de la libertad religiosa.
Y es otra forma más en la que los violentos traficantes de drogas causan daño a las comunidades obligadas a vivir bajo su dominio.