In the heart of São Paulo, an area the size of London’s Soho stands as a poignant symbol of Brazil’s more than 30-year war on drugs.
In Cracolândia, literally “Crackland” in Portuguese, hundreds of people gather to smoke crack cocaine in the streets.
It is one of the largest and most violent drug zones in the world – despite numerous attempts to dismantle it and rehabilitate the inhabitants.
During the day, the streets are lined with zombie-like figures wrapped in blankets.
Their faces bear traces of long-term addiction.
The streets are lined with zombie-like figures wrapped in blanketsCredit: AFP
Drug addict pictured in CracolândiaCredit: EPA
Many residents are scavenging for recyclable materials to raise enough money for their next hit Credit: Getty
Some of them are even 13 years old.
Without shelter, running water or sanitation, many search for recyclable materials, desperately hoping to collect enough for the next hit.
Garbage piles up and the heavy stench of sweat and garbage lingers in the air in what has become known as Brazil’s version of America’s Skid Row.
Garbage piles up in what has become known as Brazil’s version of America’s Skid RowCredit: AFP
Hundreds, sometimes thousands, gather in the streets to take drugs Credit: Reuters
Nearby, police patrol the streets or stand and watch – not to stop drug use, but to prevent robberies and violence.
Police searching for drug addicts in CracolandiaCredit: AFP
Surrounded by scenes of destitution, the area has survived several attempts by the government to dismantle it.
And according to a recent report, “mini Cracklands” have sprung up in other parts of the city.
The police have tried to expose the drug trade on several occasionsCredit: EPA
Every government has made it their mission to improve the area – but so far they have failedCredit: Getty
In Cracolândia, one hit can cost just a few cents.
This makes it dangerously accessible to people from all walks of life.
From gangsters to ex-lawyers or doctors, they become trapped by addiction in a drug hell – and turn into “walking corpses”, as the police like to describe them.
Drug addicts gather on the street in ‘Cracolandia’Credit: AFP
A man openly takes drugs in a notorious areaCredit: AFP
‘Crackland’ is located next to Luz, the city’s busiest train stationCredit: Getty
Office workers and students from nearby colleges hurry past, just meters from a drug-fueled parallel universe.
Transgender, homeless and addicted to crack, 26-year-old Felipa Drumont has been living on the streets of Cracolândija for years.
“It’s a terrible life,” she told The Guardian in 2017.
“You don’t eat. You don’t sleep. All the money you get goes on crack.”
Drug addicts photographed on the streets where they live and sleepCredit: AFP
Cracolândia is not hidden in a forgotten corner of São Paulo.
It is located next to Luz, the city’s busiest train station, and close to private colleges, recreation centers and concert halls.
Even the largest newspaper in South America, Folha de São Paulo, has offices just a few blocks away.
It’s a terrible life. You don’t eat. You don’t sleep. Any money you can get goes on crack
Felipa DrumontCracolândia resident
The strict contract makes Cracolândia unique – and a constant source of embarrassment for São Paulo’s mayors.
In 2014, Prince Harry visited Cracolândia to support the Opens Arms project – which aimed to reduce crime and drug abuse in the vulnerable area.
The picture below shows him talking to the residents.
Prince Harry visited Cracolândia in 2014. Credit: Getty
He supported the Opens Arms project
Every new administration in Sao Paulo promises to “fix” the area and help the residents.
João Doria, the city’s mayor between 2017 and 2018 and a former businessman, declared war on Cracolândia shortly after taking office.
That May, he sent 900 police and security agents to clear the streets, using rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse the crowd.
“The police showed up throwing bombs at everybody,” Drumont said.
Police officers attack drug users in Cracolandia in 2017. Credit: Getty
She and others scattered, seeking refuge at nearby gas stations or shelters, she recalled, as authorities arrested dozens of small-time dealers and confiscated guns and drugs.
Doria then triumphantly declared, “Crackland is done and he’s not coming back.”
But, like every mayor before him, Doria underestimated the “immortality” of Cracolândia.
Within a few months, “fluxo” – the local term for a group of users – had re-formed just a few meters away.
Francisco Inácio Bastos, who led Brazil’s last national crack investigation, told The Guardian: “What we see is a change in the project of each administration, without any continuation.
“It’s all politics. We need a minimum of consensus, at the level of the entire country – no [just from the] right or left [wing]but based on scientific arguments around the world.
“Without this, [Cracolândia] it will continue as it is.”
Fires burning in notorious ‘Crackland’ areaCredit: EPA
A drug addict sleeps on a sofa in a makeshift house on the streetCredit: AFP
A persistent problem
Cracolândia’s resilience is linked to Brazil’s broader struggles with drug addiction, poverty and inequality.
The country has the highest number of crack users in the world — an estimated 370,000 in major urban centers, according to a national survey.
São Paulo’s location at the heart of the Brazilian economy and its proximity to cocaine-producing countries such as Bolivia, Colombia and Peru make it a hub for drug trafficking, controlled by powerful gangs.
A homeless man sits on a railway line in CracolandiaCredit: AFP
Efforts to dismantle Cracolândia are stuck in a tragic circle.
Fierce police raids temporarily disperse the users, but the “fluxo” simply reassembles nearby.
Programs like 2014’s Open Arms — which provided shelter and money to addicts in exchange for small tasks — faced criticism and were eventually scrapped.
Meanwhile, new “mini-Cracolândias” have sprung up in the suburbs of São Paulo, further exacerbating the problem without ever solving it.
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education