Review: Paes Manso, Bruno (2020). A República das Milícias. Dos Esquadrões da Morte à era Bolsonaro. São Paulo: Todavia

Abstract

A República das Milícias. Dos Esquadrões da Morte à era Bolsonaro is a timely book, given the political relevance of the Brazilian scenario and the global emergence of armed civilian organizations that perform security and governing functions. Based on in-depth fieldwork, Bruno Paes Manso has written an indispensable book for understanding the complexity of the production of contemporary criminal governance in formal democracies, and in particular the hybridization of forms of government through their links with criminal groups in Brazil.