Comando Vermelho (CV) is a Brazilian criminal organization engaged primarily in drug and arms trafficking. It was formed in 1979 as the Falange Vermelha, an alliance between ordinary convicts and political prisoners, mainly members of left-wing urban guerrillas, who were held together during the 1964 to 1985 military dictatorship. The group later renamed itself Comando Vermelho and shifted its focus toward drug trafficking and territorial control. It controls parts of Rio de Janeiro and has expanded to other states and neighbouring countries, and it is widely regarded as one of the largest criminal groups in Brazil.
Origins in prison
The group grew out of a prison alliance at the Cândido Mendes Penal Institute on the island of Ilha Grande, a maximum-security prison. Prisoners joined together to protect themselves from violence and abuse by guards. Guerrilla prisoners introduced leftist ideas of social justice to the common criminals, and the group adopted codes of conduct and a structured hierarchy. Its leaders continued to direct the organization from inside prison walls, and its early revenue came from bank robberies, truck hijackings and kidnappings.
Shift to drug trafficking
After Brazil moved toward democracy in the 1980s, many politically aligned members left prison and returned to civilian life. The organization gradually took on the character of a mafia-style cartel, with its early political ideals fading in favour of territorial and economic control. Cocaine brought large profits, and by 1986 the group reportedly controlled about 70 percent of the cocaine trade in Rio's favelas. Disputes over profits led to splinter groups such as the Terceiro Comando and Amigos dos Amigos.
Recent conflicts
Violence peaked until 2008, when the state introduced a policy of pacification using police units in the favelas, which sharply reduced clashes. The policy weakened after 2013, and conflict returned. In 2016 a long truce with the rival Primeiro Comando da Capital collapsed, sparking violent clashes. The group is estimated to be the second-largest criminal organization in Brazil, and it continues to contest trade routes and territory, including in the Amazon region.