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Speaker 1: Causer Media. You're listening to the Away Days podcast on

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Speaker 1: the ground outside reporting from the underbelly with me Jake Hanrahan.

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Speaker 1: To watch Awaydays documentaries, go to YouTube dot com slash

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Speaker 1: at Away Days TV. This is part two for Velo Government,

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Speaker 1: Episode two. This podcast is a production of H eleven

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Speaker 1: Studio and Call his Own Media. For the first few

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Speaker 1: days in the favela, we've only really been around gang members.

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Speaker 1: Obviously that's a huge focus of the project, but I

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Speaker 1: want to see what civilians are doing as well, specifically

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Speaker 1: if there are any community outreach programs that might help

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Speaker 1: the people of the Favella in their everyday lives. I

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Speaker 1: speak to Carlos about this and he thinks for a moment, then,

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Speaker 1: as if a light bulb was flashed on in his head,

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Speaker 1: he says, yes.

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Speaker 2: The gym.

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Speaker 1: While CV is a violent foravela gang with international drugs

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Speaker 1: network set up across the world, it does actually do

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Speaker 1: some community outreach at home. Whether it's as a means

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Speaker 1: to coerce the population of the areas they control or

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Speaker 1: out of a genuine altruistic streak remains to be determined.

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Speaker 1: But I don't think it really matters the residence of

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Speaker 1: the favela's benefit when at least something is provided for

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Speaker 1: them at this stage, when the deprivation is so bad,

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Speaker 1: the intention is largely irrelevant for the people. Put yourself

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Speaker 1: in their shoes. If you're struggling day to day to

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Speaker 1: get by, and the armed group running in your area

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Speaker 1: does something to help, you're probably not going to ask

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Speaker 1: why or where it's coming from, saying goes. Beggars can't

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Speaker 1: be choosers. It's certainly not my place to cast any

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Speaker 1: judgment on what civilians of the favela accept. They're stuck

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Speaker 1: between a rock and a hard place. So the gym,

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Speaker 1: what Carlos is talking about is a place reported to

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Speaker 1: have been built entirely by Red Commands. Well, the construction

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Speaker 1: was funded by them, at least in philak Foggatro. The

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Speaker 1: gang is the only authority as a whole. The organization

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Speaker 1: is believed to make hundreds of millions of dollars a

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Speaker 1: year through their various criminal enterprises. Apparently, though they've invested

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Speaker 1: some of that many in the gym here. Of course,

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Speaker 1: I'm a bit skeptical. I want to see this gym

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Speaker 1: with my own eyes. So Carlos leads us up there,

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Speaker 1: gang members Watchohn as he does. After a few minutes,

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Speaker 1: stepping over short walls and walking up uneven steps, we

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Speaker 1: merge back at the intersection. Whether the CV guys were

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Speaker 1: dealing drugs out in the open. I'm confused. We've already

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Speaker 1: been here and I don't see a gym anywhere. Carlos

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Speaker 1: points towards one of the slopes leading out of the

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Speaker 1: area to get another collection of alleyways, snickets and diy roads.

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Speaker 2: But I still don't see it. Where is the gym?

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Speaker 1: Carlos points again to the huge building built out of

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Speaker 1: solid concrete to the left.

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Speaker 2: That is the gym.

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Speaker 1: I was picturing some kind of small time spit and

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Speaker 1: sawdust gym on a random corner somewhere. But this is

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Speaker 1: a massive sports hall. It must have cost an absolute

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Speaker 1: fortune to build. As well as all the obvious open

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Speaker 1: air criminality, CV actually do put money back into the community.

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Speaker 1: They actually built this sports hall. So we're going to

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Speaker 1: go and speak to a guy who's putting on a

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Speaker 1: wrestling class for the local kids here in the favela.

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Speaker 1: Inside the area is cool and the ceilings are high.

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Speaker 1: The sound of happy children echo around the hall. There

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Speaker 1: were basketball courts a small weight gym and an area

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Speaker 1: for kids to train in the grappling heavy combat sport

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Speaker 1: Luta Levrey. That's upstairs to the right. Young kids around

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Speaker 1: eight to twelve years old are flooding in. There's a

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Speaker 1: class on soon. I make my way up the stairs

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Speaker 1: to the Luta Levre area. The floors are padded with

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Speaker 1: inch thick mats. On the walls that are shells with

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Speaker 1: several gold medals and championship cups. The smell of tye

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Speaker 1: oil and sweat is heavy in the air. A lean

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Speaker 1: man in his thirties wearing a skin tight rash guard

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Speaker 1: and wrestling shorts greets me warmly as the young fighters

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Speaker 1: gather on the mats. This is Diogo Alacantara. He runs

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Speaker 1: the Luta Levre club here in the gang built for

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Speaker 1: Vella Sports. His fight team here is called Boa Safrateine

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Speaker 1: and they're very good at Luta Livrey here.

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Speaker 3: With it's our grappling style, similar with jiujitsu.

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Speaker 1: Luta livre literally means free fighting in Portuguese. It's a

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Speaker 1: lesser norn but culturally deep combat sport that developed in

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Speaker 1: Brazil in the mid twentieth century. While often overshadowed by

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Speaker 1: the more popular martial art Brazilian jiu Jitsu or BJJ,

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Speaker 1: Luta libre has its own unique history, specific techniques, and

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Speaker 1: subcultural following. The sport demonstrates a different style of hand

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Speaker 1: to hand combat. Whilst Luta Libre's roots are in catch wrestling,

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Speaker 1: it's more a mix of dap judo and its own

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Speaker 1: effective customs. Differing from BJJ, the submission in luta libre

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Speaker 1: is always paramount. This wrestling style took a more defined

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Speaker 1: shape in the nineteen forties and nineteen fifties. Key figures

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Speaker 1: in its development include Ulysses Tattoo Hattem, a Lebanese Brazilian

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Speaker 1: catch wrestler often considered the father of Luta libre. He

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Speaker 1: was known for defeating numerous opponents from various styles, including

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Speaker 1: jiu jitsu practitioners. He laid the groundwork for what would

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Speaker 1: become a distinct Brazilian grappling art. What's more, Luta livre

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Speaker 1: is fought without a gee, the white jacket thing traditional

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Speaker 1: jiu jitsu fighters, where this nogi format made it appealing

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Speaker 1: for real world fighting scenarios and the early MMA style. Now,

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Speaker 1: the philosophical elements of Luta livre are specifically interesting, especially

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Speaker 1: in regards to their early class connections. For example, in

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Speaker 1: the early days, there was a divide when it came

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Speaker 1: to BJJ and Luta Livre. BJJ was associated with upper

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Speaker 1: class families, most notably the now famous Grazzi family. BJJ

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Speaker 1: academies were extensive, exclusive, and located in affluent areas. In contrast,

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Speaker 1: Luta livre was born in the poorer parts of Rio

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Speaker 1: de Janeiro. Where here in philak Fogeto, for example, it

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Speaker 1: still remains. Luta livre began as a working class discipline.

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Speaker 1: Its practitioners were often from backgrounds, and the art itself

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Speaker 1: carried a bit more weight on its shoulders.

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Speaker 2: Lute livray was for the street fighters.

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Speaker 1: By the nineteen eighties and nineteen nineties, this class and

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Speaker 1: cultural divide exploded into one of the most intense martial

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Speaker 1: arts rivalries in Brazil. There were literal gang fights between

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Speaker 1: teams from BJJ and Lua levre gyms. Some of these

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Speaker 1: brawls were organized challenges, arranged fights, and others were random

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Speaker 1: battles spontaneously happening when each side met the other.

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Speaker 2: Gyms were stormed.

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Speaker 1: Rival athletes would fight in car parks, beaches, or at

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Speaker 1: televised events, and at this time the lines between the

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Speaker 1: street and the gym were very much blurred. Luteleivre fighters

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Speaker 1: felt disrespected and marginalized, not just by the BJJ elite,

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Speaker 1: but by the media and wider martial arts community. BJJ

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Speaker 1: had the prestige, the international recognition, and a lot of

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Speaker 1: financial backing. Luteivre had the the streets and the defiance.

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Speaker 1: Sadly though, that's not enough in the elitist world of

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Speaker 1: big money combat sports promotions.

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Speaker 2: At the time.

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Speaker 1: One of the most iconic flash points was a challenge

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Speaker 1: match in the early nineties where Eugenio Tadoo, a top

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Speaker 1: blue toa Lire fighter, faced Walid Ishmael, a tough BJJ

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Speaker 1: black belt. The match was televised nationally and it ended

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Speaker 1: in chaos. Wyatt police had to intervene when the crowd

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Speaker 1: went mental, turning very violent against each other. Another infamous

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Speaker 1: moment came in nineteen ninety seven when Tado for Renzo

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Speaker 1: Grazie in a bare knuckle fight that spaked a full

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Speaker 1: scale riot among fans in Rio. To put it lightly,

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Speaker 1: the rivalry was serious business in many ways, though I

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Speaker 1: think it directly reflects the class issues of Brazil.

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Speaker 2: Today.

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Speaker 1: The rivalry wasn't just for show or promo either. They

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Speaker 1: were bitter, real and deep embedded in the social tension

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Speaker 1: of the country. Luta Livre was seen as the fight

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Speaker 1: of the favelas BJJ was the marshal out of the suburbs.

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Speaker 1: Despite the talent and the toughness of many Luta Livre fighters,

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Speaker 1: the style never really gained the same global attraction as BJJ.

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Speaker 1: Part of this was due to marketing. BJJ had the

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Speaker 1: Gracie family pushing it hard overseas, particularly in the US,

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Speaker 1: where it exploded after Royce Gracie dominated early UFC events.

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Speaker 1: At the same time, Luteivra was lacking a unified voice

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Speaker 1: or even charismatic promoters, and it never really broke through internationally.

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Speaker 1: Another issue was accessibility. Many top Luta Livro coaches and

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Speaker 1: gyms were based in impoverished areas like the favelas. They

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Speaker 1: simply didn't have the same access for money to go

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Speaker 1: and do international travel or media exposure. As BJJ grew

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Speaker 1: into a massive global empire with worldwide academies, big competitions,

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Speaker 1: and even celebrities endorsing it, Luta Livre became increasingly localized,

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Speaker 1: still respected by hardcore fans, but fading from the spotlight

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Speaker 1: as a whole. Today, Luta Livre is far from dead

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Speaker 1: dog in Brazil, particularly here in Rio, you'll find dedicated

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Speaker 1: jyms teaching this aggressive no gi grappling support. Now, as

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Speaker 1: I've just explained that Luta Livre has always been more

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Speaker 1: than just a marshal art. It's a symbol of the

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Speaker 1: working class counterculture here in Brazil. It carries the legacy

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Speaker 1: of Rio's poorer communities, the hardcore culture of street fights

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Speaker 1: in and the belief that you don't need money or

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Speaker 1: prestige to be a good fighter. Fogato is of course

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Speaker 1: a natural place for Luta Livre, despite the poverty and

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Speaker 1: the minimal support. The Ogos Boa Safra team are one

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Speaker 1: of the best in Brazil, live and direct from the favela.

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Speaker 3: Right now, we want the nationals and the International Cup.

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Speaker 3: So the kids love fight, fight is their lives.

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Speaker 1: How did you get it tied like here? Because this

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Speaker 1: is obviously an area that a lot of people don't

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Speaker 1: go to.

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Speaker 3: I grew up here, Yeah, I live here since all

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Speaker 3: my life, so I know all the kids, uh, since

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Speaker 3: the day one we start here. Because we kind of

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Speaker 3: feel that we need to give the kids an opportunity

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Speaker 3: to bus someone. We teach two the kids have a

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Speaker 3: right feature.

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Speaker 2: So what was it like growing up here?

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Speaker 3: Very difficult, especially because of my background history. My father

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Speaker 3: used to be a cop, yeah you know, and he

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Speaker 3: died when I was two, he got murder and when

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Speaker 3: I have a two years so I grew up without

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Speaker 3: a father. Was very complicated in LA and I was

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Speaker 3: thinking in that revenge or bad feelings, you know. But

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Speaker 3: when I make eighteen, I started to think, oh, I

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Speaker 3: have to make a thing to the kids. Don't follow

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Speaker 3: what the guy make with with my father, you know,

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Speaker 3: so two other families have a good future, a bright future.

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Speaker 1: Do you feel like there's maybe a bad rap like

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Speaker 1: this area gets like a lot of bad press when

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Speaker 1: it's maybe not warranted, or do you think like it's

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Speaker 1: you know, it's understandable.

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Speaker 3: It's complicated, right, Yeah, it's complicated because the government dot

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Speaker 3: com true help. We don't have help here, so are

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Speaker 3: doing is for free. It's very complicated, but it's a life.

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Speaker 4: You know.

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Speaker 1: We live in af Avella and like the gangs around

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Speaker 1: here that are kind of cool with this, I like.

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Speaker 3: What yeah, yeah, a lot of members they put the

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Speaker 3: kids on to do because they could see that this

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Speaker 3: is an opportunity to the kids get a right path,

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Speaker 3: you know, So they are they like that.

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Speaker 1: There's a part you said the government is kind of

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Speaker 1: like a band in the area. Do they do anything here?

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Speaker 2: Like is any of this linked to the government?

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Speaker 3: Ah?

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Speaker 2: No, no, no, wow? So who built this thela okay?

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Speaker 3: You know, yeah, tuggs.

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Speaker 1: That's that's interesting though it's unusual.

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Speaker 3: The pang was crack because it's how you say, it's huge.

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Speaker 4: It's huge.

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Speaker 1: All right man, I'll let you go on. Thank you

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Speaker 1: so muank you very much, start right now. I think

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Speaker 1: it's amazing what you're doing.

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Speaker 3: You back.

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Speaker 1: The theogo is a true diamond in the dirt. His

218
00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:48,240
Speaker 1: father was killed by the gang, and yet he works

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00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:50,360
Speaker 1: with them so the youth of the favela can have

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Speaker 1: a better life for themselves. As is with any extreme situation,

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Speaker 1: there were many different shades of gray hair. Surviving in

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Speaker 1: the favela is not so sick. This gym is a

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Speaker 1: great refuge for the kids of Philett Fogatero. But the

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Speaker 1: coach is fighting an uphill battle. Street violence is out

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Speaker 1: of control. Young men are still getting caught up in

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Speaker 1: the gangs, often joining when they're just children. In recent years,

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Speaker 1: CV has ramped up operations. The gang has ambushed police stations,

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Speaker 1: shot up banks, launched deadly prison riots, extended their drugs network,

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Speaker 1: and executed people. CV now controls the majority of gang

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Speaker 1: municipalities across Rio. The bloodshed is non stop. There were

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Speaker 1: over three and a half thousand murders in this state

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Speaker 1: last year. That's almost three hundred killings a month. This

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Speaker 1: doesn't happen in a vacuum. The police and their so

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Speaker 1: called militias play a big role in the violence. The

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Speaker 1: militias are criminal squads formed mostly of rogue police. They

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Speaker 1: shoot their way into favelas, extort the residents, and set

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Speaker 1: up protection rackets. Brazil's military police are also involved, specifically

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Speaker 1: both a notorious shoot to kill tactical unit. In Rio

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Speaker 1: twenty nineteen, they executed thirteen men here in Philette Fogetero.

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Speaker 1: The victims were shot after surrendering. They were unarmed, restrained,

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Speaker 1: and yet still got a bullet in the head. All

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Speaker 1: of the cops involved were cleared of any wrongdoing. We

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Speaker 1: get word that one of the higher up CV members

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Speaker 1: might be willing to speak to us so far, it's

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00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:04,840
Speaker 1: been mostly foot soldiers and mid level street buses. The

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00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:08,280
Speaker 1: higher ups are, no doubt here, there and everywhere, watching on,

247
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Speaker 1: but they're not stepping out to talk to us, not yet.

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Speaker 1: Much like a rebel group or militia detachment, CV as

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Speaker 1: a criminal gang has a strict hierarchical structure. At the

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00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:25,240
Speaker 1: top is the general leadership. This is composed of high

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Speaker 1: ranking members who are either running things directly from prison

252
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Speaker 1: or whilst on the run in hiding, often stowed away

253
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Speaker 1: in the depths of the favelas. For the top members

254
00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:38,920
Speaker 1: of CV, being sent to prison by no means stops

255
00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:43,360
Speaker 1: their operations. Leaders continue to run things via smuggled mobile

256
00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:46,720
Speaker 1: phones or corrupt prison staff, both of which are in

257
00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:53,080
Speaker 1: abundance in Brazil. These top level figures coordinate alliances, resolve disputes,

258
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Speaker 1: handle external communications, and manage the organization's financial game plan.

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Speaker 1: Beneath are what's called the fronts. These are mid tier

260
00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:08,000
Speaker 1: commanders responsible for managing a specific territory, either a whole

261
00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:12,760
Speaker 1: favella or a cluster of communities within one. A front

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Speaker 1: overseas drug operations, local enforcement, and strategic decisions in their

263
00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:21,560
Speaker 1: zone of control. It's a cell system that fitters upwards.

264
00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:26,760
Speaker 1: The fronts maintain punishments, collect profits, and enforce loyalty to

265
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Speaker 1: the wider CV command. Each front has what you could

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Speaker 1: call sub bosses who handle daily operations. These include supervising lookouts,

267
00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:41,480
Speaker 1: coordinating drug runners, and overseeing the soldados, the gang's armed

268
00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:46,040
Speaker 1: foot soldiers. These sub bosses act as go between for

269
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Speaker 1: the street level operatives and the upper leadership. The lad

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00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:53,399
Speaker 1: we mentioned in Episode one, Fat Sexy is one of

271
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Speaker 1: such sub bosses. As a whole, CV operates as a

272
00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:02,440
Speaker 1: system like a decentralized franchise. What everyone involved is united

273
00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:06,080
Speaker 1: by allegiance to CV and their shared criminal code. Each

274
00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:11,320
Speaker 1: front has relative autonomy in managing its local operations. This

275
00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:14,679
Speaker 1: model allows flexibility and means that if one cell is

276
00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:18,160
Speaker 1: wiped out, either through death or arrest, it doesn't really

277
00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:21,840
Speaker 1: affect the full structure of the gang. These networks keep

278
00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:25,280
Speaker 1: it all moving and are very important, as drug trafficking

279
00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:30,560
Speaker 1: is the lifeblood of CV. Territories are fiercely defended to

280
00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:34,440
Speaker 1: protect sales points, which generate consistent revenue for the gang.

281
00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:40,520
Speaker 1: Arms trafficking, extortion, and robbery supplement their income. The drug

282
00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:44,720
Speaker 1: store is that bread and butter Internal discipline in CV

283
00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:48,520
Speaker 1: is enforced through a code known as the estatuto the

284
00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:53,760
Speaker 1: crime literally a crime statute. This is a kind of

285
00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:59,160
Speaker 1: gangster charter. It includes rules on respecting allies, not stealing

286
00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:02,439
Speaker 1: within the network, and severe punishments for those who go

287
00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:07,879
Speaker 1: against this, either through betrayal or in subordination. The punishment,

288
00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:12,920
Speaker 1: more often than not, is death. CV regularly executes their

289
00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:16,680
Speaker 1: members who don't tow the line. The idea is that

290
00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:21,280
Speaker 1: the crime statue enforces CV rule within their network and

291
00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:25,160
Speaker 1: prevents fragmentation in what is a highly complicated cell structure

292
00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:31,080
Speaker 1: of gang members all across Brazil. Initiation into CV can

293
00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:35,240
Speaker 1: involve a baptism of violence. You can't be a member

294
00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:37,640
Speaker 1: of this gang if you're not ready to kill anyone

295
00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:42,760
Speaker 1: at any time anywhere. Loyalty is prized above all else.

296
00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:47,760
Speaker 1: Desertion is rare. Members are expected to obey orders without

297
00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:53,560
Speaker 1: question and contribute financially. CV also communicates their power across

298
00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:57,240
Speaker 1: all the areas they control. Whether you're a bossman of

299
00:19:57,280 --> 00:19:59,640
Speaker 1: a front or a young runner transport in drugs around

300
00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:04,040
Speaker 1: the favel, you'll always know exactly who's in control. CV

301
00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:08,080
Speaker 1: graffiti Marx their territory on every war. I don't think

302
00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,680
Speaker 1: I've turned a single corner here and pilot for Guetro

303
00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:13,760
Speaker 1: without seeing the red CV emblazoned.

304
00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:14,120
Speaker 2: On the wall somewhere.

305
00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:17,840
Speaker 1: What's more, here there are very few tags of other

306
00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:23,000
Speaker 1: gangs sprayed over. This indicates that CV's nearby rivals have

307
00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:27,200
Speaker 1: almost never invaded and captured this Favella, because when they do,

308
00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:31,480
Speaker 1: they spray up their own gang tags. CV has filoped

309
00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:36,080
Speaker 1: for Gato on lock inside and outside prison, CV moves

310
00:20:36,119 --> 00:20:39,680
Speaker 1: with the same strategy of communications. In the prison, they

311
00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:44,159
Speaker 1: have what's called disaplinas, inmate representatives who are responsible for

312
00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:49,639
Speaker 1: enforcing gang rules and handling internal disputes. These figures often

313
00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:53,639
Speaker 1: act as liaisons between operatives who are outside and free

314
00:20:54,080 --> 00:21:00,600
Speaker 1: and cvs jailed leadership. Overall, CV functions like a criminal operation,

315
00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:05,359
Speaker 1: with a strict hierarchy, defined roles, and military style discipline

316
00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:09,800
Speaker 1: Within their more active ranks. The gang has an ability

317
00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:14,080
Speaker 1: to adapt and maintain unity despite regular police crackdowns and

318
00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:15,719
Speaker 1: bloody internal disputes.

319
00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:18,160
Speaker 2: This has allowed CB.

320
00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:22,160
Speaker 1: To survive for over four decades, evolving into a dominant

321
00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:27,119
Speaker 1: force in Brazil's underworld. Naturally, I want to meet one

322
00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:29,719
Speaker 1: of the guys who's moving in the higher up echelons

323
00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:32,960
Speaker 1: of the gang. Turns out, after a few days in

324
00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:35,400
Speaker 1: the favela where we've been watched and susted out from

325
00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:38,679
Speaker 1: a distance, a CB sub boss has agreed to meet me.

326
00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:55,280
Speaker 1: We head down to an open intersection with an intense

327
00:21:55,359 --> 00:21:58,439
Speaker 1: cobweb of knotted up phone lines above our heads in

328
00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:02,040
Speaker 1: every direction. A health and safety officer would have an

329
00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:05,840
Speaker 1: absolute heart attack in this place. We don't have to

330
00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:09,520
Speaker 1: wait long when the CV higher up arrives. Apparently he

331
00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:12,240
Speaker 1: goes by the name Player, and he wears a balaclava

332
00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:16,240
Speaker 1: and a zip up coat. He's short, but noticeably stocky,

333
00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,720
Speaker 1: much like the other front sub boss we saw earlier.

334
00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:22,639
Speaker 1: He's clearly eating a lot better than your average foot

335
00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:26,560
Speaker 1: soldier or drug runner. What's interesting is that Player is

336
00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:30,600
Speaker 1: visibly unarmed. No one else in CV that we've met

337
00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:33,000
Speaker 1: so far has moved more than a few feet with

338
00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:37,040
Speaker 1: their gun either nearby or slung over their shoulder. If

339
00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:39,760
Speaker 1: I had to guess, this guy is so confident in

340
00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:42,080
Speaker 1: his role in the gang that he doesn't need to

341
00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:45,400
Speaker 1: carry his own side arm for such events as meeting

342
00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:46,800
Speaker 1: a reporter from the UK.

343
00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:48,040
Speaker 2: Why would he?

344
00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:53,240
Speaker 1: Everyone around him is basically his protector. Player waves us

345
00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:55,200
Speaker 1: over and we walk to the end of a long

346
00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:58,040
Speaker 1: ledge where you can see the whole built up valley

347
00:22:58,080 --> 00:22:59,919
Speaker 1: of the rival controlled for Vella nearby.

348
00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:00,199
Speaker 4: Right.

349
00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:04,880
Speaker 1: The player has a noticeable gravitas to him. You walk

350
00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:08,879
Speaker 1: slowly and purposely. He thinks before he speaks, and he

351
00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:12,879
Speaker 1: looks at me with complete uninterest. He points out to

352
00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:16,679
Speaker 1: the Rival for Vella. He looks intensely begins to explain

353
00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:19,440
Speaker 1: that never ending battle CV has with their enemies.

354
00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:25,000
Speaker 4: Every time we go over there, we kill. There are enemies.

355
00:23:25,359 --> 00:23:28,880
Speaker 4: There's no other way. It's an urban war. One side attacks,

356
00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:31,760
Speaker 4: one side kills. It's a war that's going to last

357
00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:33,119
Speaker 4: until the end of the world.

358
00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:35,840
Speaker 1: Do you guys feel like maybe like CV is like

359
00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:37,400
Speaker 1: the government of this for Vela.

360
00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:43,280
Speaker 4: Like no doubt, no doubt. CV law works in this

361
00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:46,399
Speaker 4: case to implement rules, not to take your rights away.

362
00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:50,240
Speaker 4: That's how it is. Each person in their own place.

363
00:23:50,359 --> 00:23:54,080
Speaker 1: The government say this place is like this because of you, guys,

364
00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:57,200
Speaker 1: because the CV here. That's why there's chaos, that's why

365
00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:00,000
Speaker 1: there's you know, drugs and shooting and stuff like that.

366
00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:03,000
Speaker 1: They say, it's your fault. What do you think about that?

367
00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:08,640
Speaker 4: They're totally wrong. Our criminal code keeps people in order.

368
00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:12,320
Speaker 4: We don't charge taxes or come to your doorstep for money.

369
00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:15,600
Speaker 4: Each person is where they belong. The cops are a

370
00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:18,719
Speaker 4: bunch of corrupt assholes. We have saying here in Brazil.

371
00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:21,679
Speaker 4: And it's a fact, a well known fact. Those in

372
00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:24,080
Speaker 4: power don't want the word to end because more war

373
00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:25,080
Speaker 4: means more profit.

374
00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:28,640
Speaker 1: So obviously you're at war with the police. You fight

375
00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:30,639
Speaker 1: with the police, we've already seen. But do you actually,

376
00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:32,120
Speaker 1: like you know, pay off the police. Do you ever

377
00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:33,600
Speaker 1: have any interactions with them like.

378
00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:40,679
Speaker 4: That in a way, yes, because what helps us helps everybody.

379
00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:44,920
Speaker 4: We've made deals with cops which reduces their mistreatment of

380
00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:48,800
Speaker 4: the residents here. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

381
00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:49,040
Speaker 4: You know.

382
00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:54,440
Speaker 1: Here is very different. So in the city, do you

383
00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:56,520
Speaker 1: feel part of Brazil here? Do you actually feel part

384
00:24:56,560 --> 00:24:58,320
Speaker 1: of this country or separate.

385
00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:04,880
Speaker 4: And Brazilian? We defend our homeland in a way. It's

386
00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:09,359
Speaker 4: the state that's genocidal. They want to exclude the poor

387
00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:13,640
Speaker 4: people in the black people. But with hustle and determination,

388
00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:18,560
Speaker 4: it's CV who helps these people. The government abandoned us,

389
00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:22,040
Speaker 4: They left it for God to decide. So CV to

390
00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:26,000
Speaker 4: control the difference between CV and other gangs is that

391
00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:27,639
Speaker 4: everybody is grounded and equal.

392
00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:31,919
Speaker 1: After this is translated to me, I can't help but

393
00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:35,600
Speaker 1: show my skepticism. Problem with me my whole life is

394
00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:39,520
Speaker 1: that I'm somehow incapable of hiding my emotions in my face.

395
00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:42,840
Speaker 1: It just covers my whole face like a mask instantly,

396
00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:46,800
Speaker 1: as you can imagine. I've done my research, and I

397
00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:50,159
Speaker 1: don't believe that CV is quite as fair as Player

398
00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:53,199
Speaker 1: is saying they are. He clocks my face and just

399
00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:56,440
Speaker 1: looks me dead in the eye. He holds the gaze

400
00:25:56,440 --> 00:26:01,119
Speaker 1: for about thirty seconds without blinking. His eyes are completely black,

401
00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:05,639
Speaker 1: just no color, two huge pupils. I get the feeling

402
00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:08,760
Speaker 1: I best lose the skepticism from my face as soon

403
00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:12,560
Speaker 1: as possible. I look away off into the distance, and

404
00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:15,280
Speaker 1: I think about what Player was saying. Whilst he's of

405
00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:18,160
Speaker 1: course doing up pr for his own gang, something he's

406
00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:21,120
Speaker 1: been around since he was a child, He's actually got

407
00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:25,040
Speaker 1: some very good points. The government has totally abandoned them

408
00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:27,560
Speaker 1: here in the favela. This has been going on for

409
00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:31,200
Speaker 1: a very long time, and not one single government entity

410
00:26:31,280 --> 00:26:34,399
Speaker 1: here has made a considerable difference to the lives of

411
00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:38,199
Speaker 1: the people in the communities of the favelas. The government

412
00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:41,760
Speaker 1: blames it all entirely on the gangs, but the gang

413
00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:45,080
Speaker 1: didn't evolve into what they are today for no reason.

414
00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:48,879
Speaker 1: I look around and I see the foot soldiers up

415
00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:52,720
Speaker 1: the roads, all of them with semi automatic rifles dangling

416
00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:56,640
Speaker 1: from their skinny bodies. Then Player reaches his hand out

417
00:26:56,720 --> 00:27:00,640
Speaker 1: to me. I look up and he nots shake. We embrace.

418
00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:03,920
Speaker 1: It's all good. He knows his role, iron O mine.

419
00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:07,960
Speaker 1: In this day in the Favela, we met two different

420
00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:11,440
Speaker 1: kinds of leaders, Player being the head of a considerable

421
00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:15,359
Speaker 1: higher up position in the CV criminal hierarchy here in

422
00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:21,080
Speaker 1: Philip Fogeterro and also Diogo at the gym. Diogo is

423
00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:24,359
Speaker 1: a saving grace in a place like this. God knows

424
00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:27,080
Speaker 1: how many children he's saved from the gang life by

425
00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:30,320
Speaker 1: simply being a positive role model and a tough leader

426
00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:34,960
Speaker 1: in their equal and fair Lute Levy community. There are

427
00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:37,760
Speaker 1: many diamonds in the dirt in a place like this.

428
00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:42,000
Speaker 1: The Favela is simply not black and white in any way,

429
00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:54,320
Speaker 1: shape or form. Next episode will be meeting an aspiring

430
00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:57,520
Speaker 1: musician that's managed to keep himself out of harm's way

431
00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:01,240
Speaker 1: in the Favella, despite living amongst the gang and even

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Speaker 1: having friends that were executed by the police, he himself, though,

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Speaker 1: is completely unaffiliated. It is possible you've been listening to

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Speaker 1: the Away Days podcast. Next Week par two, Episode two.

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Speaker 1: To watch independent Away Days documentaries, subscribe to our channel

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Speaker 1: at YouTube dot com slash at away Days TV. The

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Speaker 1: Awaitdays Podcast is a production of H eleven Studio for

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Speaker 1: Cool Zone Media. Reporting, producing, writing, editing and research by

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Speaker 1: me Jake Hanrahan, co producing by Sophy Lichtman, Music by

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Speaker 1: Sam Black and in this episode, Diamondstein sound mixed by

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Speaker 1: Splicing Block. Photography by Johnny Pickop and Louis Hollis. Graphic

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Speaker 1: design by Laura Adamson k C. Highfields as