Tim Lopes
Encyclopedia
Arcanjo Antonino Lopes do Nascimento (Pelotas
, 18 November 1950 — Rio de Janeiro
, June 2, 2002) was a Brazilian investigative journalist and producer for Rede Globo
. Tim Lopes became
most well-known in Brazil, particularly in Rio, when the media reported him missing while on assignment and it was later learned that he had been kidnapped, tortured, and killed by drug traffickers while investigating a story in a hillside slum (favela
) in Rio de Janeiro
. His case also received substantial attention due to it highlighting the existence of what has been termed “parallel power” within Rio - meaning criminals controlling certain areas of the city with impunity.
, Brazil
. He grew up in the Mangueira favela
in Rio de Janeiro
. Mangueira is home to the samba school, GRES Estação Primeira de Mangueira
and is located on a hill near Maracana
soccer stadium. Before his death he was co-writing a book about Mangueira samba school
and his experience growing up there. A consistent theme of his reporting was to show how poor populations in certain areas of the city could be subjected to terror and powerlessness under the 'law of the traffickers.’ He attended journalism school at the Faculdade Hélio Alonso (FACHA), Rio de Janeiro. He lived with Alessandra Wagner and had a nineteen year-old son, Bruno, from a previous marriage.
In 2001, Lopes and his team at Globo Rede received the Prêmio Esso for an investigative series entitled, “Feira das Drogas,” (Drug Fair) in which they used hidden cameras to document traffickers openly hawking drugs on the street in the slum, Favela da Grota, which is located within an area of slums known as the German Complex (Complexo do Alemão
) in the north zone of Rio. Their footage also captured traffickers openly carrying automatic weapons in the neighborhood. "Drug Fair" was televised in Brazil on the program Jornal Nacional. The award they received was the first Prêmio Esso given for broadcast investigative journalism in Brazil.
Earlier that evening, Lopes had been attending a type of dance party in the favela of Vila Cruzeiro. These events in Rio feature live performers singing a style of rap called Rio Funk and are known as baile funk. Using a small hidden camera to film, Lopes was investigating complaints from locals that the sexual exploitation of minors was occurring at events in Vila Cruzeiro. Lopes also wanted to capture footage similar to his report from the previous year which showed armed traffickers and drugs being sold openly. A typical dance show of this type also draws crowds from other neighborhoods so Lopes' presence there would not have made him a target in of itself since his identity as the journalist who did the reporting the year before was still apparently unknown.
While attempting to obtain footage, Lopes was accosted by members of the criminal faction controlling the area. According to police they became suspicious when they noticed a small light coming from the pack at Lopes' waist where the camera was concealed. Upon being confronted, Lopes stated that he was a journalist from O Globo; however it's unclear if they ever understood his specific identity. They phoned the head trafficker of the Complexo do Alemão, Elias Pereira da Silva, known as Elias "Maluco," and were told to bring Lopes by car to the top of the hill in the favela da Grota. They shot Lopes in either the foot or leg and tied his hands behind his back.
According to testimony the subsequent torture and killing of Tim Lopes was conducted and carried out by Elias Maluco. The investigation also determined that another eight traffickers from his group participated in the crime. (One of the convicted traffickers who was in the car that transported Lopes claimed that there were more than twenty people present at the scene). The traffickers tied Lopes to a tree and conducted a mock trial in which they pronounced a death sentence. They then proceeded to burn Lopes' eyes with a cigarette. Elias Maluco used a samurai type sword to cut off Lopes' hands, arms, and legs while Lopes was still alive. Police were told that there was blood on several of the traffickers that were gathered around. The body of Tim Lopes was then placed within tires, doused with gasoline, and set on fire. A practice referred to as a "microonda" (microwave) by traffickers.
A twelve year-old boy named Josias was told to buy diesel gasoline and bring it to the top of the hill in order to set fire to Lopes. Five years after Lopes' death this same youth, now 17 and going by the nickname "Fifty," was arrested in southern Brazil and transferred to Rio. He gave a detailed account to police about that night and spoke to a group of journalists, adding what had been said in confessions by others previously.
On July 7, Lopes’ remains were buried at the Jardim da Saudade cemetery in the Rio suburb of Sulacap. The funeral was attended by Rio’s then Governor Benedita da Silva.
Elias Maluco was captured by police in the favela da Grota on September 19, 2002. On May 25, 2005 he was given a prison sentence of 28½ years.
Of the group of traffickers involved who were subsequently pursued, two were killed by police, and others were sentenced to prison. Since their incarceration, anger was expressed through Rio’s media when two of the traffickers were paroled on work release at which point they fled. One of them has since been recaptured.
Though a prominent journalist, Tim Lopes only became nationally known after his death, a crime that shocked the country, having increased its impact largely through the influence of Globo TV as an opinion maker. The television program National Journal pursued the story, which increased the pressure on the authorities to capture the criminals involved; and the Globo newspaper also began using the term "parallel power" to define the existing criminal gangs controlling certain favelas within Rio.
Tim Lopes was honored in Rio’s Carnaval procession in 2003 by the samba school, Acadêmicos do Tucuruvi with the theme "Do not shut my voice," a tribute to a free press, with lyrics such as, "the truth Tim-Tim by Tim-Tim," in reference to his nickname.
A street has since been named after Tim Lopes in Rio’s west suburb of Barra da Tijuca.
On November 25, 2010, Rio's special forces battalion (BOPE
) supported by other police, entered Vila Cruzeiro via transport within Brazilian Marine armored tanks to various points within the slum, and ultimately took control of the hill, and the surrounding area of Penha. This action was in response to attacks throughout Rio by the criminal faction headquartered there.
Pelotas
Pelotas is a Brazilian city and municipality , the third most populous in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Pelotas is located 270 km from Porto Alegre, the capital city of the state, and 130 km from the Uruguayan border...
, 18 November 1950 — Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, June 2, 2002) was a Brazilian investigative journalist and producer for Rede Globo
Rede Globo
Rede Globo , or simply Globo, is a Brazilian television network, launched by media mogul Roberto Marinho on April 26, 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Organizações Globo, being by far the largest of its holdings...
. Tim Lopes became
most well-known in Brazil, particularly in Rio, when the media reported him missing while on assignment and it was later learned that he had been kidnapped, tortured, and killed by drug traffickers while investigating a story in a hillside slum (favela
Favela
A favela is the generally used term for a shanty town in Brazil. In the late 18th century, the first settlements were called bairros africanos . This was the place where former slaves with no land ownership and no options for work lived. Over the years, many freed black slaves moved in...
) in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. His case also received substantial attention due to it highlighting the existence of what has been termed “parallel power” within Rio - meaning criminals controlling certain areas of the city with impunity.
Biography
Tim Lopes was born in PelotasPelotas
Pelotas is a Brazilian city and municipality , the third most populous in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Pelotas is located 270 km from Porto Alegre, the capital city of the state, and 130 km from the Uruguayan border...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. He grew up in the Mangueira favela
Favela
A favela is the generally used term for a shanty town in Brazil. In the late 18th century, the first settlements were called bairros africanos . This was the place where former slaves with no land ownership and no options for work lived. Over the years, many freed black slaves moved in...
in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. Mangueira is home to the samba school, GRES Estação Primeira de Mangueira
GRES Estação Primeira de Mangueira
The Grêmio Recreativo Escola de Samba Mangueira is one of the most traditional and best supported Samba schools in Rio de Janeiro. It was founded on April 28th, 1928 in Morro da Mangueira, near the region of Maracanã by Carlos Cachaça, Cartola, Zé Espinguela, Nelson Cavaquinho, among others...
and is located on a hill near Maracana
Maracanã
Maracanã may refer to:* The Red-shouldered Macaw, a bird known in Brazil as Maracanã* Maracanã , a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil* Maracanã , a stadium located in Maracanã neighborhood...
soccer stadium. Before his death he was co-writing a book about Mangueira samba school
Samba school
A samba school is a club or dancing school. They practice and often perform in huge square-compounds devoted to practicing and exhibiting samba, an African-Brazilian dance. The schools are traditionally associated with a particular neighborhood, often shanty towns...
and his experience growing up there. A consistent theme of his reporting was to show how poor populations in certain areas of the city could be subjected to terror and powerlessness under the 'law of the traffickers.’ He attended journalism school at the Faculdade Hélio Alonso (FACHA), Rio de Janeiro. He lived with Alessandra Wagner and had a nineteen year-old son, Bruno, from a previous marriage.
Awards
Lopes won an award in 1994 for best report of the year for a series published in the newspaper, "O Dia," entitled, "Funk: Sound, Joy and Terror" (Funk: Som, Alegria e Terror); which was the same theme he was investigating in 2002 when he was killed.In 2001, Lopes and his team at Globo Rede received the Prêmio Esso for an investigative series entitled, “Feira das Drogas,” (Drug Fair) in which they used hidden cameras to document traffickers openly hawking drugs on the street in the slum, Favela da Grota, which is located within an area of slums known as the German Complex (Complexo do Alemão
Complexo do Alemão
Complexo do Alemão is a group of favelas in northern Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.-History:An article published by O Globo in 2007 revealed the origin of Complexo do Alemão. After World War I, a Pole named Leonard Kaczmarkiewicz bought the land...
) in the north zone of Rio. Their footage also captured traffickers openly carrying automatic weapons in the neighborhood. "Drug Fair" was televised in Brazil on the program Jornal Nacional. The award they received was the first Prêmio Esso given for broadcast investigative journalism in Brazil.
Death
On June 2, 2002, in an incident which shocked the Brazilian public, Tim Lopes was tortured and murdered by drug traffickers in the slum, Favela da Grota.Earlier that evening, Lopes had been attending a type of dance party in the favela of Vila Cruzeiro. These events in Rio feature live performers singing a style of rap called Rio Funk and are known as baile funk. Using a small hidden camera to film, Lopes was investigating complaints from locals that the sexual exploitation of minors was occurring at events in Vila Cruzeiro. Lopes also wanted to capture footage similar to his report from the previous year which showed armed traffickers and drugs being sold openly. A typical dance show of this type also draws crowds from other neighborhoods so Lopes' presence there would not have made him a target in of itself since his identity as the journalist who did the reporting the year before was still apparently unknown.
While attempting to obtain footage, Lopes was accosted by members of the criminal faction controlling the area. According to police they became suspicious when they noticed a small light coming from the pack at Lopes' waist where the camera was concealed. Upon being confronted, Lopes stated that he was a journalist from O Globo; however it's unclear if they ever understood his specific identity. They phoned the head trafficker of the Complexo do Alemão, Elias Pereira da Silva, known as Elias "Maluco," and were told to bring Lopes by car to the top of the hill in the favela da Grota. They shot Lopes in either the foot or leg and tied his hands behind his back.
According to testimony the subsequent torture and killing of Tim Lopes was conducted and carried out by Elias Maluco. The investigation also determined that another eight traffickers from his group participated in the crime. (One of the convicted traffickers who was in the car that transported Lopes claimed that there were more than twenty people present at the scene). The traffickers tied Lopes to a tree and conducted a mock trial in which they pronounced a death sentence. They then proceeded to burn Lopes' eyes with a cigarette. Elias Maluco used a samurai type sword to cut off Lopes' hands, arms, and legs while Lopes was still alive. Police were told that there was blood on several of the traffickers that were gathered around. The body of Tim Lopes was then placed within tires, doused with gasoline, and set on fire. A practice referred to as a "microonda" (microwave) by traffickers.
A twelve year-old boy named Josias was told to buy diesel gasoline and bring it to the top of the hill in order to set fire to Lopes. Five years after Lopes' death this same youth, now 17 and going by the nickname "Fifty," was arrested in southern Brazil and transferred to Rio. He gave a detailed account to police about that night and spoke to a group of journalists, adding what had been said in confessions by others previously.
Aftermath
Following an anonymous tip, on June 11, 2002, detectives discovered a secret grave site in the favela da Grota in which they uncovered the burned remains of several individuals. Through DNA testing they were able to positively identify bone fragments belonging to Lopes.On July 7, Lopes’ remains were buried at the Jardim da Saudade cemetery in the Rio suburb of Sulacap. The funeral was attended by Rio’s then Governor Benedita da Silva.
Elias Maluco was captured by police in the favela da Grota on September 19, 2002. On May 25, 2005 he was given a prison sentence of 28½ years.
Of the group of traffickers involved who were subsequently pursued, two were killed by police, and others were sentenced to prison. Since their incarceration, anger was expressed through Rio’s media when two of the traffickers were paroled on work release at which point they fled. One of them has since been recaptured.
Though a prominent journalist, Tim Lopes only became nationally known after his death, a crime that shocked the country, having increased its impact largely through the influence of Globo TV as an opinion maker. The television program National Journal pursued the story, which increased the pressure on the authorities to capture the criminals involved; and the Globo newspaper also began using the term "parallel power" to define the existing criminal gangs controlling certain favelas within Rio.
Tim Lopes was honored in Rio’s Carnaval procession in 2003 by the samba school, Acadêmicos do Tucuruvi with the theme "Do not shut my voice," a tribute to a free press, with lyrics such as, "the truth Tim-Tim by Tim-Tim," in reference to his nickname.
A street has since been named after Tim Lopes in Rio’s west suburb of Barra da Tijuca.
On November 25, 2010, Rio's special forces battalion (BOPE
BOPE
Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais , mostly known by its acronym BOPE, is a special forces unit of the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil....
) supported by other police, entered Vila Cruzeiro via transport within Brazilian Marine armored tanks to various points within the slum, and ultimately took control of the hill, and the surrounding area of Penha. This action was in response to attacks throughout Rio by the criminal faction headquartered there.