Governança criminal no Polígono da Maconha: uma análise de Belém do São Francisco

Abstract

This study proposes an analysis of criminal governance within the Polígono da Maconha (Marijuana Polygon), with a specific focus on Belém do São Francisco, Pernambuco. The research examines the operations of groups led by figures such as Jucicleiton Nascimento dos Santos, Cleiton Araquan, and José Francisco da Cruz (known as Chico Benvindo), as well as the interventions of state power. The objective is to explore how criminal governance—broadly understood as the control and imposition of social norms that challenge the state and coerce society within a specific social context—takes shape. This qualitative research seeks to understand how criminal governance became established in the city by investigating the context that gave rise to this phenomenon and the effects of the actions taken by armed groups and the state. The study aims to analyze both the circumstances that preceded criminal activities, including state intervention, as well as the dynamics of conflicts between the clans and the subsequent state responses, with an emphasis on the social implications for the region of Pernambuco. By employing the triangulation of qualitative data, the study combines a literature review, interviews with authorities, and the analysis of official documentation obtained from federal agencies. The work contributes to a better understanding of criminal governance in the 20th century, situated in a context that straddles rural and urban settings and is particularly connected with an illicit product widely consumed both nationally and internationally. The research findings indicate that criminal governance emerged in response to the significant increase in the cultivation of illicit substances and the intensification of disputes between the clans, who saw an opportunity to dominate the city. The state’s attempts to curb this governance proved ineffective until the deaths of the involved parties partially dissolved the conflict and led to a reconfiguration of local control.