Overview
- In July 2025 the district of Uiraponga emptied after threats and forced expulsions by criminal factions, prompting a mass, rapid departure of families.
- Police arrested 13 people in 2025 linked to the forced displacements, including a man alleged to be one of the masterminds who was captured in São Paulo.
- Security reinforcements have kept the district free of recorded homicides for one year, creating the conditions for some families to return.
- The municipal and state governments have committed more than R$20 million to paving, an 'areninha' and other works that prioritize hiring local residents.
- Daily life is returning slowly with two small markets, a bar reopening and the Festival Movimenta in July 2026, but many former residents split time between towns or refuse to return because of psychological trauma.