Rio de Janeiro - Crime & Safety

[Jny88]

A family member, who is really good with sewing machine, made me these small pockets in my trousers. They are somewhat larger than a credit card and secured with velcro. I can put two or three credit cards and 6-7 bills in it. Then I have my Bullhide money belts, which are not cheap, but the quality is excellent. https://www.bullhidebelts.com/collections/money-belts.

I always carry my passport with me.

Why so many hidden compartments? Is Brazil that dangerous? Not trying to be funny, I've never been there but highly interested because the women are beautiful.

[Xpartan]

What did you do when you lost your passport card? I lost mine in May. I know I left it with the lady when I applied for Precheck, but she said it was not there. The website is not clear. It seems like I may be canceling my passport and card when I am just trying to cancel the card and get a new one. I filled out everything online but short of pressing enter I did not want to take that risk and said fuck it.

I reported it like the State Dept suggests but never heard back. I know my reporting didn't cancel my passport (never even occurred to me to check) because I've used it several times for travel after that.

[TomJackin]

I do not enjoy too many aggressive vendors like I experienced in Cartagena Colombia so I would like to avoid that if possible.

I can only answer this part. The beaches have vendors, but not nearly as aggressive as the relentless ones in Cartagena! Thus, I did not have any issues with the Copa beach vendors.

[Mr Enternational]

You can order a passport card for like $30, and if you lose it you lose it, no biggie. My wallet with a passport card was stolen in Sosua once, but I still had my passport.

What did you do when you lost your passport card? I lost mine in May. I know I left it with the lady when I applied for Precheck, but she said it was not there. The website is not clear. It seems like I may be canceling my passport and card when I am just trying to cancel the card and get a new one. I filled out everything online but short of pressing enter I did not want to take that risk and said fuck it.

[Nordico]

Second, when you move around, how you protect your money? You carry a wallet? You put your money on your shoes? You carry a credit card as an emergency back up? Where do you put it?

What do you carry as an ID?

A family member, who is really good with sewing machine, made me these small pockets in my trousers. They are somewhat larger than a credit card and secured with velcro. I can put two or three credit cards and 6-7 bills in it. Then I have my Bullhide money belts, which are not cheap, but the quality is excellent. https://www.bullhidebelts.com/collections/money-belts.

I always carry my passport with me.

[Xpartan]

Good morning gentlemen. I want to raise a couple issues about safety and money matters while in Brasil.

You can order a passport card for like $30, and if you lose it you lose it, no biggie. My wallet with a passport card was stolen in Sosua once, but I still had my passport.

For safety purposes in Rio, I carried about $30-40 in reals and one credit card. When I'm on the hunt, I take more, but not more than I might actually need. Never had a problem but if I did, I'd just hand them to them. Get a cheap phone too and leave you iPhone in your hotel room.

Uber is fine, but are they more secure than official cabs? I doubt it.

On arrival, I wouldn't carry anything valuable in a suitcase that I put in the trunk. All my money and valuables are with me inside the cab. And I try to take as little cash with me as possible (Schwab for ATMs).

A hotel safe is not 100% safe. But a thief with a master key is unlikely to steal everything. They might steal one bill rather than the whole wad hoping you won't notice. Last thing they want is a pissed off gringo.

And you don't need a visa to Brazil anymore.

HIH.

[ManchesterLad1]

Best beach in Rio to swim and not get annoyed by too many vendors.

Clean water and beach obviously.

I do not enjoy too many aggressive vendors like I experienced in Cartagena Colombia so I would like to avoid that if possible.

Is all above possible in Rio?

[Yossarian]

As is written in s1 e1 of Generation Kill.

Look at this shit. How come.

We can't ever invade a cool country.

Like chicks in bikinis, you know?

How come countries like.

That don't ever need Marines?

I'll tell you why.

It's lack of pussy.

That fucks countries up.

Lack of pussy is the root fucking.

Cause of all global instability.

If more hajis were.

Getting quality pussy.

There'd be no reason for us to come.

Over here and fuck them up like this.

'cause a nut-busted.

Haji is a happy haji.

Yep. In the immortal words of CPL Ray Person USMC. A nut-busted haji is a happy haji.

[Papi Muy Rico]

Good morning gentlemen. I want to raise a couple issues about safety and money matters while in Brasil.

First, I haven't been in Brasil since before the Pandemics so How is the safety / security situation right now? Is there a lot of robberies, muggings, street scams going on? Has the economic crisis affected the security situation?

Second, when you move around, how you protect your money? You carry a wallet? You put your money on your shoes? You carry a credit card as an emergency back up? Where do you put it?

What do you carry as an ID? Carrying your passport around is pretty silly. If you get robbed (like I was in 2000) you will face a nightmare trying to get a new or temporary passport from your consulate: You'll have to travel to wherever is located during business hours (imagine if you get robbed or loose it during weekend or extended holidays), produce copies of your passport, get photos, pay fees (if the criminals left you with any money) and hope that you get a simpathetic consulate employee who may give you a harder time than necessary. I wouldn't want to experience that again.

What I do is take a photocopy of your passport front page, Brazilian visa and entrance stamp to a cartorio (legal offices the Brazilian bureaucracy uses for everything legal) to get them notarized. With that notarization you can leave your passport in your hotel safe.

It is important to emphasize that you are most vulnerable when you arrive at the airport and go into the city: you have all your money and belongings with you and there is no way around that. I carry a money belt under my pants where I put my passport, credit cards and money. I leave some money and 1 credit card in my wallet in case the worst happens, the bandidos will have some couple hundred, a credit card and leave me alone happily without any harm.

That's a reason why is important to choose a safe, well know taxi company. I prefer Uber since the drivers are investigated and you can see their feedback.

Third, I always use the hotel safe. However, do you think is really safe? Do we have another options?

I'd appreciate somebody in Rio can give an assessment of the safety / security on the ground. And the state of the favela-police wars.

[Vagabundo1]

Bombeiro militar.

To contrast with the general butt nekid look carrying the AR from another Brazil thread, see the policia civil probably with a AR and a automatic pistol chatting with the bombeiro militar (khaki, to distinguish with the grey of the bombeiro civil. Which is why the grey cargo pant, the uniform of the bombeiro civil, is a neutral, recommended form of dress.).

[Sperto]

They just want to "tira onda com as novinhas"... I did time in Rio and cops / milicianos had their own gallery.

True, the young bandits usually get popular among the local novinhas.

I stayed in one of the Zona Sul comunidades during several years. In the beginning when there were peace there only used to be some old bandits with antique weapons. When CV took over and TCP entered the neighbouring comunidade it became very tense. Much more armed bandits. Later when UPP settled in the middle it got even worse. Usually the bandits are quite calm and polite when they know that you're living there. The problem are the new young guys who want to show off. Young guys, often high on dope, armed with big guns which they don't know how to use and very nervous.

The bandits had a deal with the UPP police. The police didn't enter some areas without telling the bandits before. Strange seeing armed bandits in one corner and 150 metres away some PMs eating icecream or acai. Very unpleasant waking up at night with machinegun fire outside in the alley, knowing that the brick walls are no life insurance. Just grab my GF and roll down on the floor.

Isn't that a bit rare that they let you spend time together with locals? I spoke with a fellow countryman who spent time in Bangú, drug trafficking. He told me the gringos had their own "wing" and that it was quite decent. São Paulo even has a prison just for gringos, Penitenciária de Itaí. Interesting that 70% of the 1165 prisoners are Nigerians.

[Spidy]

Sperto is pretty much spot on about the militias. I'm not incorrect about the guns though.

There are still favelas in Rio that only have pistols and shotguns and that's Rio so there's no question smaller cities are like that. They might have one fully auto for the whole favela. It comes down to money, allocation of resources, and threat assessment. I know a boss who had about 8 favelas. He used to have a piece of Complexo do Lins which was armed to the teeth. Most of his favelas were Baixada (Caxias) and it was exactly like I stated. Pistols, shotguns, maybe a couple WWII relics and one AR-15. But that's a lot to somebody with just a. 22. Or a knife LOL. A Fal or HK G3 is going for $60 - $80 k and they aren't going in the hands of just anybody

I've seen cops enter favelas Baixada in just a blazer. Nowhere in ZN is that happening, only Caveiraos. And I'm not sure who said what but 90% of bandidos in favelas don't have a pot to piss in. Everything gets kicked up to the top. Most guys are getting $300-$400 a week and the perk of parading around with a gun during the weekly baile. That's literally what they're risking their lives for. They just want to "tira onda com as novinhas".

Once again, thank you for your knowledgeable and illuminating explanations. Your Rio experiences and knowledge continue to serve old and new ISG BMs well.

Now to me, milicianos are the scum of the earth. Sperto is right, they're the spawn of their death squad fathers and uncles who were apart of the dictatorship regime. Brasil became a democracy but those guys still had political ties which protected them and allowed them to flourish. Their main game is extortion in one form or another but they'll happily do murder for hire as well. I did time in Rio and cops / milicianos had their own gallery. I couldn't even tell you how many were over there but it was a lot. I was talking to a bicheiro (jogo de bicho boss) who slept in the bunk in front of me and remember him telling me there were cops there that he knew for a fact had committed over 100 murders. And this was from a guy who dealt with dirty cops on a daily basis. They were basically his enforcers / security. Rio is a trip when it comes to crime. It's like an onion, every time you peel back a layer there's more, more, more. .

Couldn't agree more. Brazil Nut, that is most definitely quite the experience and history you bring to the table. .

As I've said before things aren't as black and white as some would like to think.

Foot soldiers and "alleged / suspected" criminals in the favelas, most often don't get arrested and the benefit of the doubt. Just a bullet to the head and dirty police acting as judge, jury and executioner. Basically political fodder and low-hanging fruit.

Now will the real "thugs", "criminals" and "gangsters", please stand up...please stand up...please stand up?

[Spidy]

...I took a cheap vacation to Foz do Iquacu from BS As, only $250 for airfare, 3 nights hotel near down town including buffet lunch. Iquacu is a nice, clean small jungle town nestled between Brazil. Argentina and Paraguay, a beautiful, green, pristine tropical vacation spot with the largest water falls in the world with tens thousands tourists everyday. The pace was slow and relaxing; people were nice, warm fun, happy, engaging and there were lots of very beautiful girls working local casas. Had a very good and sexy time in Iquacu. ...

I would come back to Iquacu and other small towns when I am in South America, but never Rio or Sao Paolo again.

Cap Solo, with all the hullabaloo (albeit more crime related info on cities), I forgot to say thank you earlier, for a terrific post on your non-pro / semi-pro experiences and action, that can be found in the smaller cities like Foz do Iquacu.

Very informative. Thank you and thanks for sharing your hot pics.

BTW, was this a recent trip? Or over a number of years?

[Spidy]

Made my remember a funk music made by MC Levin, "Buceta Criminosa"
It goes like:

"Cad aquela mina da buceta criminosa
De tanto sentar assassinou a minha piroca
Assassinou, assassinou, assassinou minha piroca
Que buceta criminosa que prendeu o meu piru"

Now that's funny!!!...and entirely and very apropos!

Weird... I can't recall I wrote that I wanted to talk about pussy in this thread.

Nothing weird about it. If you read my post I said,"... if that's where the conversation takes you. Carry on...Enjoy!" / And apparently it did.

[Brasil Nut]

"Regarding the gangs in northeast and north are only armed with 38's and shotguns, that's incorrect. ".

Sperto is pretty much spot on about the militias. I'm not incorrect about the guns though. There are still favelas in Rio that only have pistols and shotguns and that's Rio so there's no question smaller cities are like that. They might have one fully auto for the whole favela. It comes down to money, allocation of resources, and threat assessment. I know a boss who had about 8 favelas. He used to have a piece of Complexo do Lins which was armed to the teeth. Most of his favelas were Baixada (Caxias) and it was exactly like I stated. Pistols, shotguns, maybe a couple WWII relics and one AR-15. But that's a lot to somebody with just a. 22. Or a knife LOL. A Fal or HK G3 is going for $60 - $80 k and they aren't going in the hands of just anybody. I've seen cops enter favelas Baixada in just a blazer. Nowhere in ZN is that happening, only Caveiraos. And I'm not sure who said what but 90% of bandidos in favelas don't have a pot to piss in. Everything gets kicked up to the top. Most guys are getting $300-$400 a week and the perk of parading around with a gun during the weekly baile. That's literally what they're risking their lives for. They just want to "tira onda com as novinhas".

Now to me, milicianos are the scum of the earth. Sperto is right, they're the spawn of their death squad fathers and uncles who were apart of the dictatorship regime. Brasil became a democracy but those guys still had political ties which protected them and allowed them to flourish. Their main game is extortion in one form or another but they'll happily do murder for hire as well. I did time in Rio and cops / milicianos had their own gallery. I couldn't even tell you how many were over there but it was a lot. I was talking to a bicheiro (jogo de bicho boss) who slept in the bunk in front of me and remember him telling me there were cops there that he knew for a fact had committed over 100 murders. And this was from a guy who dealt with dirty cops on a daily basis. They were basically his enforcers / security. Rio is a trip when it comes to crime. It's like an onion, every time you peel back a layer there's more, more, more.