What impressed me the most in the photo in which Pelado —one of the alleged assassins of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips— was led by federal police, was the image of the young people who, huddled together in a ravine, watched the scene: basic clothes, barefoot, eyes fixed on the alleged assassin who had his face covered by a hood. What were they thinking at that moment? What prospects do you have for the future? Where they live?
With just over 15,000 inhabitants, Atalaia do Norte has the third worst HDI (Human Development Index) in Brazil, an index that shows its vulnerability in terms of education, health and income, among others. It is governed by Denis de Paiva, from the PSC (Christian Social Party), and an ally of the federal government.
The crime that the Amazonian city watched with dread is the result of a sequence of criminal advances on the native population and the forest. The promiscuous relationship between business and politics is the mark of a primary country that has not yet learned to defend itself against private groups that only think about their own interests. This necessary transition is what will mark the late maturation of a country rich in culture and in natural resources, but hijacked by the interests of a few.
The murder that shocked Brazil and the world has as a backdrop the federal government’s stimulus to the creation of a violent environment, which disrespects indigenous and riverine peoples and favors policies of depredation of the Amazon. The actions involve impunity, the dismantling of inspection bodies, encouragement of illegal businesses and freedom from organized crime. These cases, which take us back centuries, need to be faced with the urgency that their indignation provokes.
What is the role of the city in building a favorable environment that generates perspective and opportunities for its youth? What quality of life does it offer to its population? It can become fairer, reducing the feeling of no man’s land, through the implementation of public policies that reduce the space for this type of predatory action.
So many Atalaias do Norte in Brazil need a different look, aimed at reducing the glaring inequalities that plague us. More investments should be directed to the most vulnerable cities, seeking to reduce differences and provide a decent life perspective for the population.
To this end, public policies are needed that direct more resources from the federal and state governments to these vulnerable cities, as well as support for them to be able to face their problems in an integrated manner. In this context, the federal government’s proposal to reduce the ICMS of the states is insane, which will lead to cuts in education and health, increasing poverty even more. The idea will only deepen the crisis of states and municipalities, leaving them even more vulnerable to face current challenges and create future perspectives.
Only with policies aimed at inclusion, in what is the most unequal of developing countries, will the young people who watched the scene have new opportunities and be able to get rid of the illegal groups that attract them. This is one of the ways for cities to be spaces of citizen insertion that will lead the country towards providing a dignified life for its population.
