Brazil has long suffered from one of the highest rates of urban crime in Latin America. Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Brasilia rank among the 15 most violent cities in Latin America. The government has attempted to remedy this burgeoning crisis by imprisoning some 360,000 people, the fourth-largest population of inmates in the world.
PCC
Large and often times unruly prisoners have sparked prison violence throughout Brazil?s penal system. In May 2006, prison rioting in Sao Paulo, instigated by members of the infamous First Capital Command (Group Profile forthcoming) gang, resulted in approximately 100 casualties and led to vocal political protests against the state of Brazil?s prisons . Brazil?s correction officers demonstrate a lax attitude toward prison inmates, allowing illegal activities via cell phone by PCC members from their prison cells.
The Strengthening PCC
The May 2006 prison rioting and civil unrest surprised Brazilian government and security personnel who were unaware of the PCC?s strength and organizational ability. The impetus for the PCC?s campaign was the government?s planned transfer of high-ranking gang members to remote prisons.
Since the rioting, international security experts and Brazilian security personnel have acknowledged the strength and sophistication of the PCC. Moreover, the PCC is ensuring its continued ability to operate outside the law by financing law school and graduate school for Brazilian adults and by offering security training. The benefactors, in turn, are obliged to assist PCC operations when called upon.
Some Brazilians admire the PCC as an armed faction of Brazil?s extreme left, working to improve the rights and lives of impoverished Brazilians. PCC?s grassroots campaign to provide social services to Brazil?s shantytown (favelas) residents, has earned the group considerable support and admiration.
The PCC-Red Command Relationship
A strategic relationship exists between the PCC and the Red Command, Rio de Janeiro?s most powerful drug trafficking organization. The leader of the Red Command, Fernandinho Beira-Mar, supplies the PCC?s leader, Williams Herbas Camacho (aka Marcola), with cocaine for both personal consumption and distribution. Together, these two men control the drug trade in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The PCC?s manifesto refers to a coalition with the Red Command that will ?revolutionize the country from within prisons,? but there is no evidence of an ideological alliance between the two groups. The alliance has allowed for increased earnings for the PCC in Sao Paulo and additional manpower for the Red Command in its turf war in Rio.
In the beginning of 2000, the PCC aligned with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC; Group Profile). Red Command?s Beira-Mar provided the initial introductions. PCC gang members provide FARC cadres with weapons while the FARC supplies illegal narcotics to PCC traffickers; FARC militants also instructed PCC gang members in kidnap for ransom techniques. The PCC has been responsible for approximately 75 kidnappings in 2006 alone. The PCC and Red Command also operate gun smuggling routes out of Paraguay and purchase weapons from corrupt policemen and military soldiers in Sao Paulo and Rio.
