International Journal on Criminology Volume 6, Number 1, Spring 2018 | Page 23

International Journal on Criminology
These cases show how the Bicheiros were able to infiltrate the state and
demonstrate the close relationship between the mafiosi and public officials.
2 – THE JUDICIAL INQUIRIES THAT WERE INITIATED IN THE 1990S
Why did these only begin in the 1990s? The answer lies in both global and
Brazilian history. Until then, the Brazilian and carioca authorities had
more important issues on their minds. From 1930 to 1964, Brazilian
political life was bedeviled by conflicts between the government of Getúlio Vargas
(president between 1930 and 1945, and again between 1951 and 1954) and the
right. These conflicts ended with the suicide of the president, who decided to
“leave life to enter history.” 38
The period between 1930 and 1964 was marked by rapid industrial growth.
A salaried class became established and poor neighborhoods sprang up around
the big Brazilian cities. Samba and carnival flourished in these working-class quarters,
but so did the animal game, which was seen as a quick way out of poverty.
As a consequence, for politicians—especially the populist Gétulio Vargas—taking
action against the animal game would have meant lost votes in elections. That is
why, for more than thirty years, the first generation of Bicheiros was able to take
advantage of the state’s negligence.
It is well known that from 1964 onwards, the Cold War and the battle
against communism dominated the global political context. The fight against organized
crime would not really be addressed before the 1990s—one has only to
consider the growth at that time of other criminal groups, such as the Colombian
and Mexican cartels. In the early days of the animal game until the beginning of
the 1960s, the Bicheiros profited from the fragility of the young Republic. From
the 1960s onwards, and especially during the military regime (1964-1985), they
benefited first from the state’s indifference and then from its complicity.
It was not only the fault of the state: we should not underestimate how good
the Bicheiros were at self-protection, with their key strengths of adaptability and
resilience. The godfathers of the game used their mafia techniques to get what they
wanted by infiltrating the state, by bribing officials, and through intimidation and
violence.
After twenty years of military dictatorship, the 1990s saw the re-establishment
and strengthening of democracy, and brought in a period of political stability
in Brazil. With the 1988 Constitution, competitions for public service appointments
were enshrined in law and rigorous criteria were introduced for the
recruitment of officials. A new generation of police and magistrates set out to rein
in the Bicheiros—although it was still no easy task.
38 Extract from the suicide letter Gétulio Vargas left to the Brazilian people.
20