Old strategies and new approaches towards policing drug markets in Rio de Janeiro

The present article reviews how policing illegal drug markets has evolved in Rio de Janeiro over the last 30 years. It begins with the traditional paradigm, based on the concept of the ‘war on drugs’, that uses militarized and confrontational strategies. Next, it assesses the impact of recent developments, such as the spread of so called ‘militias’, composed of corrupt law enforcement agents who dominate many communities, and the introduction of the Police Pacification Unit programme (UPP) in 2008. This new programme sets as its main goals the recovery of territorial control from criminal groups and the reduction of violence rather than the end of drug trafficking. Advances, contradictions and limitations of this intervention are discussed.