Rio Gangsters Combine Crime and Evangelical Christianity in ‘Israel Complex’
In Rio de Janeiro, the Pure Third Command gang has merged elements of Pentecostal Christianity with drug trafficking, believing they are ‘soldiers of crime’ serving a divine mission. This gang, notorious for violence and control over the Israel Complex favelas, utilizes religious symbols in their operations, overshadowing other faiths, particularly Afro-Brazilian traditions. Pastor Diego Nascimento, a former gang member turned minister, critiques the contradictions of criminality and faith, emphasizing the rising evangelical movement in Brazil that may soon surpass Catholicism.