Rio: Army Occupies Favela

Rio: Constitutional or not, you got the Army on the streets?

Operação do Exército ocupa ruas da Favela do Muquiço (G1/Globo): As the federal justice and defense ministries continue to insist that military personnel cannot engage in civilian police operations — “The Armed Forces Will Occupy Rio de Janeiro” — Not! — a military court issues a warrant that authorizes a military operation in a Rio shantytown.

This is not the first instance of what to an outsider looks an awful lot like military insubordination to civilian authority. See, for example, Militias, Marines and the Traffic Thumb Noses at Rei Momo.

O Exército faz uma operação na Favela do Muquiço, em Guadalupe, no subúrbio do Rio, para cumprir mandados expedidos pela Justiça Militar, na manhã desta quarta-feira (2). Cerca de 350 militares participam, apoiados por 25 carros e por um helicóptero.

The Amry is conducting an operation in the Muquiço shantytown in the Rio de Janeiro suburbs this Wednesday morning to serve warrants issued by a military court.  Some 350 soldiers are participating, supported by 25 vehicles and a helicopter.

O objetivo é prender os responsáveis pela tentativa de invasão do conjunto habitacional de Guadalupe, próximo à favela, no início de abril, em que foram feitos disparos contra a residência do sargento do Exército Derquis Martins de Aguiar.

The objective is to arrest persons responsible for an attempted invasion of the Guadalupe housing complex,next to the shantytown, in early April, during which shots were fired at the home of Army Sgt. Derquis Martins de Aguiar.

In a follow-up story from G1, we read that the operation ended without arrests being made.

Segundo testemunhas, os tiros atingiram a parede, a janela e um carro estacionado em frente ao prédio, mas não houve feridos.

According to witnesses, the shots hit the wall, the window and a car parked in front of the building, but no one was wounded.

A Polícia Militar considerou o ataque uma tentativa de homicídio contra o militar.

The military police considered the attack an attempted homicide against the sergeant.

Cerca de 30 soldados do exército ocuparam pontos estratégicos, durante o trabalho dos peritos. Várias cápsulas foram recolhidas no local.

Some 30 army troops occupied strategic points during the forensic examination of the crime scene. A number of spent shells were recovered at the location.

Was that a military housing complex, part of the Vila Militar? Is it the sergeant’s assigned billet? What’s the legal theory of jurisdiction here?