Complaints against the militias that operate in the state of Rio de Janeiro increased by 87% in five years, according to a survey produced by Disque Denuncia at the request of Folha.
From January to March 2014, there were 864 complaints in the state, of which 637 were in the capital. In the first quarter of 2019, there were 1,614, of which 1,140 were in Rio de Janeiro.
According to José Claudio Alves, a sociologist, and professor at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, the numbers reveal increased militia activity, which is now operating in different areas.
In the past these paramilitary groups sold security, gas, and access to pay-TV , but in recent years business has expanded.
The militia has extended their tentacles and now charge fishermen and motorbike fees for hospital visits and even bury garbage in landfills built by them.
Irregular real estate, like the two buildings that collapsed in April in the Muzema community in the Rio de Janeiro, represents another leg of the group's financial support.
Sociologist Ignacio Cano, the coordinator of UERJ's Laboratory for Analysis of Violence, agrees that the figures show that militias are starting to upset the population so much that people decided to report them, despite fears of reprisals.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon