The Militarization of Police in Favelas: Effects of an Underlying Authoritarian Regime on the Brazilian Political System

In Brazil, the political system has had a major influence on Brazilian culture and social norms. In order to address Brazilian racism, it is necessary to analyze the institutions in which racism is allowed to prevail, including political systems/state apparatus. While the official military regime is said to be over, it should be noted that the military regime never completely disappeared; rather it became “invisible” due to Brazil’s government perpetuating the belief the country is a “racial paradise.” Despite this, the prevalence of the military regime is still recognized in Afro- Brazilian communities through the physical presence of the military police. The residue of the official military regime in Brazil’s history has trickled down to affect Afro-Brazilian citizens today at the local level with the militarization of policing practices in favelas, predominantly Afro-Brazilian urban communities. This article will examine the aftermath of Brazil’s authoritarian regime from the 1960s to 1980s, and its effects in creating racialized practices of “protecting the state” via the militarization of police in Afro-Brazilian favelas