The Candelária Massacre : how Wagner dos Santos survived the street children's killing that shook Brazil

Just after midnight, in the early morning of July 23, 1993, a group of men later identified as off-duty policemen opened fire on a group of street children sleeping rough outside one of Rio de Janeiro’s most prominent landmarks—the Church of Our Lady of the Candel?ria. The incident became known as the Candel?ria Massacre and it roused the people of Rio—the Cariocas—and took them to the streets in protest. Shortly before the shootings at the church the policemen picked up three boys returning to Candel?ria from the beach and took them off in their car to be shot elsewhere. Shot and left for dead, one of them survived. His survival altered the political landscape. His name is Wagner dos Santos. This is his story. Wagner Santos’s intensely tragic, involving, and fascinating personal history is also a glimpse into the dark complexities and cultural landscape of Rio de Janeiro, one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities in the world. CONTENTS......Page 6 Author’s Note......Page 8 23 July 1993......Page 9 PART I - It Happened......Page 12 1 - The New Democracy......Page 14 2 - Wagner dos Santos......Page 18 3 - Real Life......Page 27 4 - Come-Gato/Ruço......Page 37 5 - Taking Over Candelária......Page 49 6 - Birthday Party......Page 59 PART II - Investigations......Page 74 7 - Identification Parades......Page 76 8 - Hospitals and Funerals......Page 87 9 - Whispers and Rumours......Page 98 10 - Vigário Geral......Page 104 11 - Refuge in Bahia......Page 109 12 - The Rio Comprido Link......Page 115 13 - ‘O Corpo Fechado’ – ‘A Closed Body’......Page 119 PART III - Testimony......Page 126 14 - Secret Investigations......Page 128 15 - Second Time Around......Page 132 16 - Running and Hiding......Page 142 17 - Back on the Case......Page 146 18 - The Move to Geneva......Page 151 19 - Nelson Cunha......Page 165 20 - New Suspects......Page 173 21 - Sonia......Page 176 22 - The Trial......Page 179 PART IV - Exile......Page 192 23 - Understanding the Past......Page 194 24 - No Return......Page 208 25 - Doubts and Certainties......Page 222 26 - March 2007......Page 230 27 - 22 July 1993......Page 241 28 - This Rio de Janeiro......Page 247 Appendix......Page 250 Bibliography......Page 251 Endnotes......Page 253 Acknowledgements......Page 255 Just after midnight, in the early morning of 23 July 1993, a group of men, later identified as off-duty policemen, opened fire on a group of street children sleeping rough outside one of Rio de Janeiro's most prominent landmarks - the Church of Our Lady of the Candelaria. The incident became known as the Candelaria Massacre and it roused the people of Rio - the Cariocas - from their normal accommodation with violence and took them to the streets in protest.Shortly before the shootings at the church the policemen picked up three boys returning to Candelaria from the beach and took them off in their car to be shot elsewhere. Shot and left for dead, one of them survived. His survival altered the political landscape. His name is Wagner dos Santos. This is his story.'Surviving Candelaria'is not only Wagner Santos'intensely tragic, involving and fascinating personal history, but also a glimpse into the dark complexities and cultural landscape of Rio de Janeiro, one of the most beautiful cities in the world in one of the most vibrant countries in the world. On 23 July 1993, off-duty policemen opened fire on a group of street children who were sleeping outside one of Rio de Janeiro's most prominent landmarks--the Church of Our Lady of the Candelária. The incident became known as the Candelária Massacre and it roused the people of Rio to the streets in protest. Shortly before the shootings, the policemen picked up three boys and took them off in their car to be shot elsewhere. One of them, Wagner dos Santos, survived and his survival altered the political landscape of Brazil. This book tells his story--growing up in Rio's orphanages and gangland favelas; being shot during the massacre then being shot again a year later in attempt to silence his testimony; and being forced into exile for his own safety Just after midnight, in the early morning of 23 July 1993, a group of men, later identified as off-duty policemen, opened fire on a group of street children sleeping rough outside one of Rio de Janeiro's most prominent landmarks - the Church of Our Lady of the Candelaria. The incident became known as the Candelaria Massacre and it roused the people of Rio - the Cariocas - from their normal accommodation with violence and took them to the streets in protest. Shortly before the shootings at the church the policemen picked up three boys returning to Candelaria from the beach and took them off in t 23 July 1993 Part I : it happened The new democracy Wagner dos Santos Real life Come-gato/ruço Taking over Candeĺaria Birthday party Part II : investigations Identification parades Hospitals and funerals Whispers and rumours Vigário geral Refuge in Bahia The rio comprido link 'O corpo fechado' - 'A closed body' Part II : testimony Secret investigations Second time around Running and hiding Back on the case The move to Geneva Nelson Cunha New suspects Sonia The trial Part IV : exile Understanding the past No return Doubts and certainties March 2007 22 July 1993 This Rio de Janeiro. In the early morning of 23 July 1993, a group of men, later identified as off-duty policemen, opened fire on a group of street children sleeping rough outside the Church of Our Lady of the Candelaria. This book contains the story from a survivor, offering a glimpse into the dark complexities and cultural landscape of Rio de Janeiro.