Study gauges impact of shootings on health of favela residents in Rio
Routine armed confrontations in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro cause hundreds of violent deaths each year. Having to live under gunfire can also have an impact on the mental and physical health of residents of these areas, contributing to the development of hypertension, anxiety, insomnia, shortness of breath, and depression.
The data can be found in a study released this week by the Center for Security and Citizenship Studies (Cesec). It compares the health situation of favela residents exposed to a higher number of shootings involving state agents with that of people in slums with fewer armed conflicts.
The study shows, for example, that the risks of people in the favelas most exposed to shootings developing depression and anxiety are more than twice as high as in other communities. Prevalence is also higher for insomnia (73%) and high blood pressure (42%).
A third of residents also reported sweating, lack of sleep, shaking, and shortness of breath during shootings.
“The security policy provides no real security; rather, it brings fear, sickness—often death,” said sociologist Rachel Machado, research coordinator.
Health care
The study also lists the effects of shootings on health care facilities. In favelas with the highest amount of armed confrontations, 59.5 percent of residents said the care stations had at some point been closed due to violence. In other communities, this rate stands at 12.9 percent.
In the slums most exposed to violence, 26.5 percent of residents have postponed seeking medical attention due to clashes, compared to 5.9 percent in quieter areas.
“There is a political choice [made by the government] to systematically carry out violent operations, which cause this impact on the health of residents and transform their routine, depriving them of their peace even inside their homes. These crackdowns also prevent people from enjoying the fundamental right of health care, enshrined though it is in the Constitution. There may be a health care center near you, but you can’t,” Machado noted.
The survey heard 1,500 residents across six favelas in the city. Three of them had the highest amount of shootings in 2019—Nova Holanda, in the district of Maré; CHP-2, in Manguinhos; and Vidigal, in the south—and three where no armed clashes were reported that year—Parque Proletário dos Bancários, on Ilha do Governador; Parque Conquista, in Caju; and Jardim Moricaba, in the west.
Law enforcement
In a statement, the Military Police said that the “inconsequential option for armed confrontation is always opted for by criminals,” adding that their actions “are guided by intelligence information and prior planning, and have as their central concern the preservation of lives and the unrestricted compliance with the legislation in force.”
The Military Police further pointed out they invest in equipment so their operations are “increasingly technical and safe.” In the first half of this year, a 12.3-percent drop was observed in the number of deaths from state intervention year on year, the police body remarked.
Also in a statement, the Civil Police said they use intelligence information and make detailed plans for all its operations. In addition, they argued, actions prioritize the preservation of the lives of both agents and citizens.
“The Civil Police also report that their work in the communities comes as part of the efforts to fight crime—a fundamental activity, as criminal organizations make use of resources from criminal practices to finance their territorial control, restricting the freedom of residents.”
