Favela Frontlines: War on Drugs (Episode Two)

“Order for the people, progress for the rich”: such is the ideology that governs Brazil’s drug policy. Through interviews with both police and militia men, this episode exposes how successive governments have entrenched an approach that increases trafficking while reducing the price of drugs.

It also looks to historians to explain the roots of these policies. When Nixon launched the War on Drugs in 1971, he had three key goals: arresting Blacks, Latinos and Leftists, establishing greater control over Latin America, and restoring his reputation after defeat in Vietnam. Fifty years on, his ideas continue to get Brazilian politicians elected, despite abundant evidence of their failure.

Rather than tackle arms barons or invest in education, the Brazilian government continues to pour millions into a security industry that benefits the wealthy while targeting the most vulnerable. Never was this clearer than during the spree of sporting events held in Rio between 2007-2016. As thousands were evicted from the favelas, the rest of the world celebrated Brazil as a shining example of economic development.

Full series