BRAZILIAN MILITARY POLICE: A CULTURE OF BRUTALITY

Abstract

The Brazilian Military Police kills an average of 6 civilians each day according to the Brazilian Public Security of 2013. Though being among the most influential and important democratic countries, with a lot of regional and global influences, Brazil is still a reference point for police abuse, torture and copious cases of unlawful practices committed by public agents whose main task is to protect and serve. The actions taken by the Military Police jeopardize the state’s legitimacy, which is the nature of its own existence in a democratic rule of law. The organisational shape of an institution is invariably associated with its objectives. To what extent, then, a military police brings to its duty and performance a warfare mentality? Will a military police force see a civilian as an enemy? Thus, bearing in mind the lethality of the Brazilian police, this study sought to identify whether the military nature of the police is conducive for the brutality and violence. The study of a specific institutional violence must not ignore the origins and the social dynamics with which this violence reproduces itself, echoing from the political discourse, the social beliefs and informative media fabricated by the mass communication corporations. Therefore, a brief debate and reflections on Brazil’s recent history, as well as psycho-social characteristics were brought to light in order to contextualise and stir up the debate.