"The operations are carried out by surprise. At dawn, dozens of Rio de Janeiro city officials, escorted by police, prepare to demolish illegal buildings. Sometimes they are simple houses, on other occasions, real mansions, refuges for drug lords. It is work that has intensified in recent years and has become one of the most effective ways to hit the finances of organized crime."
"On a cold winter morning, a dozen workers gather at a meeting point a few blocks from the demolition site, at the entrance to a favela in the Ilha do Governador neighborhood, not far from Rio's international airport. They wait for the Military Police to arrive before heading together to the sensitive area. Protocol is strictly followed because you never know what you might find when you arrive. It wouldn't be the first time they've been greeted with rifles."
"Among the early-rising neighbors, expressions of surprise predominate, although no one tries to stop the demolition. Everyone knows it was illegal. You see it growing, you see it expanding, but you don't know who owns it or anything, said the head of an evangelical church on the sidewalk across the street. Nearby, another group murmured: What a shame, with how expensive materials are these days In about three hours, not a trace will remain. An excavator will finish demolishing"
Surprise dawn operations by city officials and police focus on demolishing illegal buildings ranging from simple houses to mansions used by drug lords. Since 2021, 5,568 demolitions were carried out, 70% in areas dominated by traffickers or paramilitary militias, causing 1.8 billion reais in losses for criminals. Workers assemble near favela entrances and wait for the Military Police, following strict protocol due to potential armed resistance. Operations remove commercial structures encroaching on sidewalks and public space, draw muted surprise from neighbors, and are completed in hours with excavators erasing remaining traces.
Read at english.elpais.com
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