The Logic of Criminal Territorial Control: Military Intervention in Rio de Janeiro

Military interventions aimed at curbing organized criminal groups (OCGs) often backfire, leading to increased militarization and violence. A study focusing on Rio de Janeiro's favelas reveals that the primary driver for violent responses by OCGs is an active territorial threat from rivals rather than the intervention itself. Conducted over 18 months of ethnographic research in three favelas occupied by the Brazilian military between 2014 and 2015, this micro-comparative analysis demonstrates that geographic recruitment patterns also influence where rivalries turn violent during interventions. This insight challenges conventional explanations, emphasizing the role of inter-criminal competition in shaping OCG responses to state crackdowns.

Barnes, N. (2021). The Logic of Criminal Territorial Control: Military Intervention in Rio de Janeiro. Comparative Political Studies, 55(5), 789–831. https://doi.org/10.1177/00104140211036035