Nunes minimizes “Cracolândia”: “Negocinho of this little size”

The mayor of São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes (MDB), minimized the crisis in Cracolândia, stating that the situation in the region is “much more controlled” and comparing the scenario of the state capital to other Brazilian cities.

“People talk about ‘cracolândia’, which is a little business of this little size, which goes out all over Brazil. There are other cities with these places with many more people than in São Paulo, ”he said, in an interview with the“ É Notícias ”program RedeTV!.

The statement occurs amid criticism of the management of Cracolândia and after the city install a concrete wall in the central region of the city, replacing former metal siding.

Nunes denies “confinement”

The installation of the wall has generated debate between experts, activists and civil society, which question whether the structure can contribute to the segregation of drug users and homeless people.

Nunes, however, countered the criticism and claimed that the exchange of the material aimed only to ensure security. “That wall has been there for many years. He was an iron siding. Iron is pointed and hurt people. In May 2024, that is, almost a year ago, he took the iron and put the block. There is nothing confinement, ”he said.

The city maintains that the measure is part of an effort to redeem the region and expand control over the flow of drug addicts, which has been traveling through different areas of the center for years.

Challenge

Despite the mayor’s statements, Cracolândia remains one of the biggest challenges of the municipal administration. Dispersion of users flow to other parts of the city has been pointed out as a side effect of security operations and repression policies adopted in recent years.

While the city argues that it has expanded reception and treatment actions for drug addicts, experts and social organizations argue that the current strategy does not solve the structural problem, only moves users from one point to another in the city.