From faction invasion to ‘evicting’ a dog on the subway; see what was in the news in MG

Minas Gerais had a week full of news, ranging from a small district of Itabirito, in the Central region, which is threatened by a mining project, to a little dog that has lived in a station for 8 years and is about to be expelled by Metrô BH, including the death of a PCC mega-drug trafficker and operations that exposed the invasion of factions from other states in Minas Gerais.

Below, THE TIME brings five news items to keep you up to date with what was highlighted in BH and Minas Gerais last week:

Bation threatened

Almost 300 years old and with just over 600 residents, São Gonçalo do Bação, district of Itabirito, in the Central region of Minas Gerais, is known for its tranquility and natural beauty, with waterfalls and historic buildings. However, the Peace and nature in the region are threatened, according to those who live there, by the construction of an ore terminal. The project is expected to transport 15 thousand tons of iron ore daily, generating traffic of up to 800 trucks on the way to the village.

According to residents, the terminal will be just 500 meters from the village and less than 100 meters from some farms, inns and a restaurant. Furthermore, all the ore will be stored in an area above one of the district’s main attractions — the Bem-Vinda waterfall — and surrounded by three streams that are extremely important for the Rio das Velhas basin.

Neither Sem Terra executed in the interior

Considered one of the biggest drug traffickers of the First Capital Command (PCC) in Minas Gerais, Carlos Alexandre da Silva Juscelino, the Nem Sem Terra, aged 42, was murdered in the city of Patrocínio, in Alto Paranaíba. The perpetrators of the shooting attack were two men who were wearing uniforms similar to those used by the Military Police (PM).

In the record made by the PM, it appears that the drug dealer’s wife, a 39-year-old woman, reported that the two were at home when someone knocked on the gate and she went there to answer it. Before opening it, she asked who it was, hearing in response that it was the police. After opening the gate, she then came across two men wearing uniforms. With a paper in one hand, one of them said that they would be there to monitor the “compliance with the conditions imposed by the Court” on her husband, then shooting the criminal several times.

Known for being a member of the PCC and commanding drug trafficking in Morro das Pedras, a favela located in the western region of Belo Horizonte, Nem Sem Terra has already been arrested for drug trafficking and homicides. Leader of drug trafficking in the cluster throughout the 90s and 2000s, he was sentenced to more than 70 years in prison in total. He was killed a week after obtaining provisional freedom.

Coffee theft

Criminals stole a farm in the city of Abre Campo, in Zona da Mata, and fled with 105 bags of coffee clean. The suspects used a farm truck to transport the stolen cargo. They also entered the property and took the security camera control unit, as well as R$12,000 in cash that were in the office safe.

During searches, the police located the truck used to transport bags of coffee abandoned on a local road on the banks of BR 262. The cargo, however, was not located.

Factions ‘sponsor’ crime in MG

O “patronage” of criminal organizations in Minas Gerais by factions from other states gains strength in Minas Gerais and challenges the State Public Security Forces. The union between drug traffickers operating in cities in Minas Gerais and residents in other locations, such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, intensified after the pandemic, with the transfer of expertise between criminals and the arrival of heavy weapons in Minas Gerais.

The situation has been combatted through police operations and the arrest of several criminal leaders. One of them this Tuesday morning (April 23), in Juiz de Fora, in the Zona da Mata region of Minas Gerais. Nine people linked to Comando Vermelho (CV) suspects were arrested for the crimes of torture and criminal formation. In the last eight days alone, four operations were carried out against groups formed by members of the CV and the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) in the State.

Lack of police structure

While criminal factions from outside the State ‘take over’ Minas Gerais, police, mayors and representatives of the security forces denounce the precariousness that puts the fight against crime at risk. With a starting salary of R$5,097 and net earnings of around R$4,000, military police officers feel undervalued — the amount is almost 40% lower than that paid in Paraná, in the south of Brazil, which leads the remuneration ranking. Furthermore, agents need to deal with the lack of structure to work. Reports show that even vehicle tires need to be donated by municipalities.

One of the main factors that make fighting crime difficult, according to police officers interviewed for the report, is the lack of manpower. “We even have police cars, but many are parked in the yard, as there is a lack of police officers. This harms actions to combat and repress drug trafficking, for example,” says an anonymous agent.

Death at UPA Central-South

The causes of death of Mariane Silva Torres, aged 26, in the Central-South Emergency Care Unit (Upa), in Belo Horizonte, are being investigated by the Civil Police. The patient died in the unit, last Tuesday (April 23), after suffering a cardiorespiratory arrest. The family denounces medical negligence, while the city hall claims that all necessary assistance was offered.

João Coelho, 25 years old, was Mariane’s boyfriend and says he was working in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte when he received a call from his partner. “When I left the apartment, she was fine. She had woken up calm, happy and had breakfast normally. However, at lunch time she called me saying she was going to Upa, as she felt pain and numbness in her leg,” he said.

After the repercussion of the complaints, this Friday (26) the City of BH announced that it gave 72 hours to the Research Development Foundation (Fundep), entity linked to the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), provide clarifications about the medical care provided to the patient.

Animal eviction

Protectors of the animal cause denounce that the company Metrô BH, responsible for the circulation of passenger trains in the capital and Contagem, tries to expel a puppy ‘adopted’ by José Candido da Silveira station employees, in the Santa Inês neighborhood, East region of Belo Horizonte. The animal has lived outside the platform, before the turnstiles, for at least 8 years.

Candinho, as he is called by subway users and employees, had containers of food, water and bedding removed from one of the station entrances as ordered by the concessionaire. However, the measure was in force for just over a month, as animal advocates and lawyers who pass through the station’s facilities missed the animal and the space reserved for it. The group then contacted the company, which decided to back down from its decision.

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