SUMMARY

In connection to non-state conflicts against other gangs, Comando Vermelho also systematically targeted and killed civilians. As the group operated in many areas of Brazil, the drivers for these executions varied according to local dynamics, yet, they followed two general modi operandi: summary executions and assassinations of bystanders.

One of the most common pretexts for targeting civilians was the summary executions performed under the “criminal trials” held by Comando Vermelho, known in Portuguese as “tribunais do crime.” Those illegal ad-hoc “courts” were a mechanism that could be used to settle an array of disputes, though were commonly evoked to “investigate cases of treason,” collect debts, or punish violations of the codes of conduct imposed by the gang. It is worth noting the “sentences” varied according to the severity of the accusations, escalating from verbal warnings to executions.

Two of the most severe allegations a person could be accused of were ratting and treason. Once Comando Vermelho suspected an individual was collaborating with rival gangs or the police, the group summoned a court to “investigate and punish” the “defendant”. As per the severity of such accusations, the victims were commonly sentenced to death.

Comando Vermelho also extensively used those courts for other infractions, such as collecting debts from drug users and punishing violations of the gang’s codes of conduct. In their controlled territories, the group not only ran local drug-selling points but also dictated social norms which had to be followed by the population. In some localities, Comando Vermelho would hang banners and paint walls with messages that forbade minor crimes, such as stealing, in the area. The sentences for those infractions were less rigorous than ratting and could vary from verbal warnings to the chopping of hands or even death.

To impose fear on the civilian population, Comando Vermelho utilized social media, particularly messenger applications, where they shared pictures of victims sentenced to death with the label "decretado” (decreed). The group also spread videos of the trials and executions to further coerce the population who lived under its control.

The killing of bystanders was also a recurrent practice by Comando Vermelho. As the group constantly attacked rival gangs, many of the killings took place in public spaces, with hitmen subsequently assassinating nearby witnesses to hinder police investigations.

Yet, the gang also recurrently shot civilians that unawarely entered their territory. A typical example of this form of violence was the targeting of drivers who, misguided by GPS, entered Comando Vermelho’s held territory.

Comando Vermelho first became active as a one-sided actor in UCDP data in October 2021, when the one-sided violence surpassed 25 deaths.