Brazilians develop own crime solutions amid election focus
As candidates debate tough stances, Rio residents launch community-led initiatives to combat gang influence and violence.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Brazilians develop own crime solutions amid election focus
Photograph: Washington Top News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Crime is the leading concern for Brazilian voters in the upcoming presidential election, with candidates vying to present the most stringent anti-crime policies.
- In Rio de Janeiro, residents are implementing independent initiatives to address crime, such as former gang members creating podcasts and mothers working to deter youth from joining criminal groups.
- Many residents, community leaders, and experts view the current strategy of armed police confrontations with criminal factions as ineffective and leading to unnecessary deaths.
- Community-led projects offer alternatives like martial arts training, educational talks, psychological support, and vocational courses to steer young people away from crime.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 29 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 1 of the 30 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
61/100
Hype
20/100
30 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
Only 4 of the 29 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Crime has emerged as the primary concern for Brazilians as they approach the October presidential election. Candidates are actively promoting their strategies for tackling the pervasive issue, aiming to present the most effective and robust approaches. While political figures debate security policies, communities in Rio de Janeiro are independently developing their own methods to counter gang activity and violence. These grassroots efforts include former traffickers sharing their experiences through podcasts and mothers actively working to prevent the recruitment of young people into criminal organizations.
The prevailing strategy for combating crime in Brazil, which largely involves armed confrontations between police and criminal groups, is frequently criticised. Numerous residents, community leaders, and experts argue that this approach is inefficient and frequently results in the loss of innocent lives. In response, a variety of local initiatives have been established to offer alternatives and support. These projects aim to provide young people with pathways away from criminal involvement through education, skill development, and community engagement.
Community-led crime prevention initiatives
One initiative, '01 Sobreviventes' (01 Survivors), features former drug traffickers discussing their past criminal lives and the dangers associated with them in weekly podcast episodes. The project, launched in 2024, aims to discourage individuals from engaging in or continuing criminal activities by highlighting the negative consequences. Another program, Abraco Campeao (Embrace Champions), founded in 2014, provides free martial arts classes in boxing, jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, and capoeira, alongside educational discussions, to youth in Rio's favelas. The founder, Alan Duarte, stated that the academy offers a sense of identity, respect, and belonging similar to what gangs provide.
The organization R3, established by Vanderson Rocha Silva, offers psychological assistance and vocational training in areas such as electricity and English. Silva, a former drug trafficker, believes that providing employment opportunities is crucial for individuals seeking to leave a life of crime. Nadia dos Santos runs a project focused on helping youth under 26 find jobs and training, a continuation of her son's social work after he was killed by police in 2022. Grieving mothers, including Maria Rubia Brito da Silva, whose son and grandson were killed, have also voiced concerns about the state's approach to security and the lack of opportunities for young people.
Coverage comparison
What the coverage left out
None of the right-rated digests mention the specific community initiatives such as the '01 Sobreviventes' podcast, Abraco Campeao martial arts classes, or the R3 vocational training program that were detailed in the full report from Washington Top News and mentioned in some left and centre-rated digests.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 12 times, most recently on 27 Sept 2026, 18:15, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
16 rated outlets
- Fifteen left-rated reports led with the idea that crime is a key issue in Brazil's upcoming October election. Most of these reports, which were digests, stated that the country's current approach to fighting crime favours armed confrontations between police and criminal groups, and that many residents, community leaders, and experts consider this approach inefficient and often resulting in indiscriminate loss of life. The Associated Press News digest mentioned that Rio residents are finding their own ways to tackle gangs. The Durango Herald digest included a caption about youth attending martial arts classes at Abraco Campeao, an academy offering free classes and educational talks.
Centre
9 rated outlets
- Nine centre-rated reports stated that crime is the top concern for Brazilians ahead of the October presidential election, with candidates competing to offer the toughest approach. Washington Top News, which provided a full report, detailed several community-led initiatives. These included the podcast '01 Sobreviventes' by former traffickers, the martial arts academy Abraco Campeao, the vocational training organisation R3, and the efforts of grieving mothers to help youth. The other centre-rated reports, which were digests, focused on crime being a key issue and the criticism of the current approach to fighting it.
Right
4 rated outlets
- Two right-rated reports stated that crime is a key issue in Brazil's upcoming October election and that the country's current approach to fighting crime favours armed confrontations between police and criminal groups. These reports also noted that many residents, community leaders, and experts say this approach is inefficient and often results in indiscriminate loss of life. Neither of the right-rated digests mentioned specific community initiatives.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Brazilians develop own crime solutions amid election focus?
- Of the 29 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 55% are rated left, 31% are rated centre, 14% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 30. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Brazilians develop own crime solutions amid election focus left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 29 rated outlets on this story, 55% are rated left, 31% are rated centre, 14% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Brazilians develop own crime solutions amid election focus biased?
- Brazilians develop own crime solutions amid election focus is one event reported by 30 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Brazilians develop own crime solutions amid election focus?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Brazilians develop own crime solutions amid election focus?
- 30 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What is the main concern for Brazilians in the upcoming election?
- Crime is the top concern for Brazilians ahead of the October presidential election. Candidates are competing to present the most effective and toughest approaches to address this deep-seated problem.
- What are some of the community-led initiatives in Rio de Janeiro?
- Residents have launched initiatives such as '01 Sobreviventes,' a podcast by former traffickers; Abraco Campeao, offering free martial arts and educational talks to youth; and R3, providing psychological assistance and vocational courses. Mothers are also stepping up to prevent youth recruitment.
- What is the criticism of the current approach to fighting crime in Brazil?
- Many residents, community leaders, and experts argue that the current approach, which favours armed confrontations between police and criminal groups, is inefficient and often results in indiscriminate loss of life.
Read it at the source
30 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
16- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens thealbertan.com in a new tab)
thealbertan.com — is thealbertan.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens Bowen Island Undercurrent in a new tab)
Bowen Island Undercurrent — is Bowen Island Undercurrent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens Rocky Mountain Outlook in a new tab)
Rocky Mountain Outlook — is Rocky Mountain Outlook biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens The Toronto Star in a new tab)
The Toronto Star — is The Toronto Star biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens The Seattle Times in a new tab)
The Seattle Times — is The Seattle Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens Reflector in a new tab)
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens Durango Herald in a new tab)
Durango Herald — is Durango Herald biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens Daily Record in a new tab)
Daily Record — is Daily Record biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 8 more
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens Beckley Register-Herald in a new tab)
Beckley Register-Herald — is Beckley Register-Herald biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil's election (opens ABC News in a new tab)
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens Associated Press News in a new tab)
Associated Press News — is Associated Press News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens St Catharines Standard in a new tab)
St Catharines Standard — is St Catharines Standard biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens The Record in a new tab)
The Record — is The Record biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens The Hamilton Spectator in a new tab)
The Hamilton Spectator — is The Hamilton Spectator biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
9- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens My Mother Lode in a new tab)
My Mother Lode — is My Mother Lode biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election – WTOP News (opens Washington Top News in a new tab)
Washington Top News — is Washington Top News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens Idaho State Journal in a new tab)
Idaho State Journal — is Idaho State Journal biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens The Star Democrat in a new tab)
The Star Democrat — is The Star Democrat biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens Leader-Telegram in a new tab)
Leader-Telegram — is Leader-Telegram biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens GazetteXtra in a new tab)
GazetteXtra — is GazetteXtra biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens Herald Bulletin in a new tab)
Herald Bulletin — is Herald Bulletin biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens Hastings Tribune in a new tab)
Hastings Tribune — is Hastings Tribune biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
4- Rio Residents Find Ways to Face Gangs While Crime Marks Elections (opens El Vocero de Puerto Rico in a new tab)
El Vocero de Puerto Rico — is El Vocero de Puerto Rico biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil's election (opens Washington Times in a new tab)
Washington Times — is Washington Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens The Batesville Daily Guard in a new tab)
The Batesville Daily Guard — is The Batesville Daily Guard biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil’s election (opens The Daily Sentinel in a new tab)
The Daily Sentinel — is The Daily Sentinel biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
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