Major favelas
Jacarezinho
A North Zone community in Rio de Janeiro that has become a recurring site of large-scale police operations and a reference case in Brazilian federal jurisprudence on the limits of lethal policing.
- Location:
- North Zone, Rio de Janeiro, bordered by the Linha Amarela and the SuperVia rail corridor.
- Approximate population:
- Around 37,000 (IBGE Census 2010); 2022 figures pending detailed release.
- First settled:
- Mid-twentieth century; substantial growth from the 1960s.
- Administrative status:
- Designated a bairro of Rio de Janeiro.
Geography and setting
Jacarezinho lies in Rio's North Zone between the Linha Amarela expressway and the SuperVia rail corridor. The terrain is relatively flat compared with Rio's hillside favelas; the built form is dense and predominantly low- to mid-rise.
History
Settlement consolidated through the mid-twentieth century. The community received a UPP in 2013, in a later phase of the program's expansion, but the unit was effectively defunct by 2018.
The community became a national reference case after a 6 May 2021 police operation in which 28 people died (one police officer and 27 residents or alleged suspects), making it among the deadliest police operations in Rio's history. The Federal Supreme Court (STF), in its judgment of ADPF 635 — the so-called ADPF das Favelas, originally filed by the political party PSB — had earlier restricted police operations in Rio favelas during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the May 2021 operation was widely understood to be in tension with the court's orders. The case became a focal point of federal-state disputes over policing.
Population and demographics
The IBGE Census 2010 recorded around 37,000 residents.
Economy and infrastructure
The community has developed local commerce and full or near-full water and electricity service. Sewerage is uneven.
Public security
Jacarezinho has been understood by federal authorities and Brazilian press as territorialized by the Comando Vermelho. The 2021 operation, subsequent federal court rulings, and subsequent reorganization of policing in the community are documented in the STF's record on ADPF 635 and in coverage by Folha de S.Paulo, O Globo, and Agência Pública. A state-led permanent occupation, the Cidade Integrada program, was announced in 2022 and has operated with disputed results.
Culture and notable residents
The community hosts samba and cultural traditions and several residents-led media and cultural projects.
Further reading
See Public security history and UPP.
Sources
- IBGE. Censo Demográfico 2010: Aglomerados Subnormais. Rio de Janeiro: IBGE, 2011.
- Supremo Tribunal Federal. ADPF 635, record and judgments, 2019 onward.
- Folha de S.Paulo, O Globo, and Agência Pública. Coverage of the May 2021 Jacarezinho operation.
- Defensoria Pública do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Reports on the May 2021 operation.