A social pact of violence

Human Rights violations in “Assassin’s Republic”

Abstract

The discussion about the existence of paramilitary forces in Rio de Janeiro is essential for understanding the systematization of urban violence practices and Human Rights violations historically present in contemporary society. This article aims to address the topic through the film República dos Assassinos (directed by Miguel Faria Jr.), which, as early as 1979, narrated the formation of the Death Squad, consolidated in the late 1960s by agents of the Rio de Janeiro police—many of whom also collaborated with the repressive apparatus of the military regime. Through a film analysis within its historical context (Vanoye; Goliot-Lété, 1994; Aumont; Michel Marie, 2004), the article discusses how the film presents a scheme of alliances within civil society that enabled the consolidation of these extermination groups. The tolerance of summary executions and illegal acts committed by these characters is crucial to understanding the historical accumulation of violence not only in Rio de Janeiro over more than half a century, but also in 21^st century Brazil as a whole.