Illicit Order: Violence and Fragmentation of Urban Spaces in Rio

Organised crime has exploited specific urban areas, particularly slums and marginalised peripheries, for territorial presence, shelter and illicit economies. Latin American cities are consistently ranked among the most violent in the world. However, not all urban violence is the same. Organised crime has exploited specific urban areas, particularly slums and marginalised peripheries, for territorial presence, shelter and illicit economies. Criminal structures and economies have tended to cluster in specific areas, resulting in the replacement of state governance by non-state sources of authority – often violent and abusive. This lecture will focus on the case of Rio de Janeiro, where heavily-armed criminal groups, vigilante militias and government forces regularly clash over territorial control amid Brazil’s second-largest city. It will also explore the case of Medellín and its urban stabilisation policies – which inspired Rio’s own ‘pacification’ strategy. The aim will be to examine how spatial marginalisation and governance gaps in cities are exploited by non-state armed groups.

SPEAKER: Antônio Sampaio is the Research Associate for Conflict, Security and Development at the IISS, in London. He examines the role of cities in armed conflicts and the politics of urban territorial control by armed groups or gangs. Antônio has authored journal articles and book chapters. His analyses have been featured in Foreign Policy, The Washington Post, The International Review of the Red Cross, Jane’s Intelligence Review, O Globo, among other outlets. He has advised NATO on the development of a capstone doctrine on urban warfare. Antônio is currently leading a research project on sources of conflict and fragility in urban areas of East Africa and South Asia. He is also a member of the expert network of the Global Initiative on Transnational Organised Crime.