Three parishes have suspended their activities; two have already announced the return of their schedule
Three Catholic churches closed on Saturday (6.Jul.2024) after receiving orders from evangelical drug trafficker Álvaro Malaquias, known as Peixão, leader of drug trafficking in Complexo de Israel, in Rio de Janeiro (RS). Peixão is on the run and there are 9 arrest warrants against him, including for selling drugs in the Cidade Alta and Vigário Geral areas.
The affected churches were the Santa Edwiges Parish, in Parada de Lucas, the Our Lady of Conception and Saint Justin Parish, and the Santa Cecilia Parish, both in Brás de Pina, which announced the cancellation of their activities through social media. However, the Santa Edwiges Parish and the Our Lady of Conception and Saint Justin Parish have already announced the return of their schedules.
The faithful reported to the newspaper The day that armed individuals notified the decisions to the parishes, creating a climate of tension and fear in the community.
In addition to his intolerance towards Catholics, Álvaro Malaquias is also known for persecuting Umbanda temples and other religions of African origin in the Israel Complex.
The area began to form in 2016, when the drug trafficker expanded his territory beyond the Cidade Alta community. The region controlled by Malaquias also includes neighboring favelas such as Pica-Pau and, more recently, Cinco Bocas, along with Parada de Lucas and Vigário Geral.
To the G1the Rio de Janeiro State Security Secretariat denied allegations about the closure of churches and stated that policing in the region had been reinforced.
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