• by IPS Correspondents (san jose)
• Friday, November 18, 1994
• Inter Press Service

SAN JOSE, Nov 18 (IPS) - The Brazilian army is back on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, 15 years after being sent back to barracks at the end of two decades of military dictatorship.

Then, they were chasing communists and members of the political opposition, while now they are hunting thieves, drug dealers and murderers, and launching an assault against a private army funded by drug money in the slums of Rio.

This force has become the most powerful threat to institutional authority since the military coup in 1964 flattened the socialist coalition which was endangering the elite's monopoly on political power.

Soldiers have also been used to fight delinquency in Honduras and Colombia, though the efficiency of military action against narcotrafficking is questionable, and the political implications are even more controversial, throwing doubt on the future role of the army and the democratic condition of the Latin American nations.

The reappearance of troops on the streets of Rio was welcomed by the tired and terrified local population, and a great sense of relief was felt by the middle classes who had felt helpless against the rising tide of urban violence.

The army was sent in to fight crime and reorganise the corrupt and inefficient local police force which could no longer guarantee public safety, after organised crime and drug syndicates had taken over the marginalised "favela' areas of the city - a phenomenon common in many Latin American cities.

The army was thus given a task labelled "mission impossible" by the local press, to round up all the criminals while reforming the police force, having to succeed at both while avoiding any damage to their image at a time when society is questioning the future role of the armed forces in a stable democracy.

We are dealing with a "war to guarantee usefulness and continue employment," said Rene Dreyfus, Brazilian political commentator.

If the military really wants to succeed at its mission, it is going to need techniques far beyond those taught in the manuals, and it was with this in mind that the commander of the anti-crime drive in Rio appealed for help from the general public.

This was one of the first incidences of a high ranking officer suggesting discussions with nongovernmental organisations in order to fight delinquency together. While no one knows if this will actually occur, or simply remain empty rhetoric, it may be the only solution available for the "mission impossible."

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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