Assault on power

A book to read with trepidation. This is the message journalist Carlos Amorim sends to readers of "ASSAULT ON POWER," the final installment of his trilogy on organized crime. After dissecting, in "Comando Vermelho" and "CV, PCC - The Brotherhood of Crime," the country's two largest criminal organizations, here he shows how these and other groups are managing to infiltrate democratic institutions. How they corrupt the executive and judicial systems by buying off police and governments. "We are the target of a national and international conspiracy to 'legalize' crime and money of unknown or improper origin," he reveals. Between the years between the publication of the first book in the trilogy and this third volume, organized crime grew dramatically. And this happened, according to Amorim, under the inattentive gaze of government officials and citizens. But when he speaks of "organized crime," the author isn't referring solely to groups formed by drug traffickers and criminals from the less privileged classes. He also addresses the "criminals in Armani suits" who, to get away with their illegal activities, use funds withheld from ordinary people. Written in a direct, simple, and fact-packed style, ASSAULT ON POWER marks the author's latest foray into a topic that has haunted him for nearly thirty years. That's why Carlos Amorim allows himself the privilege of including some personal testimonies, such as when his car was hit by a stray bullet, or when his daughter was kidnapped. "Because this is a conclusion, I express my own opinions on the matter and my feelings regarding the drama we're experiencing. I also make insistent correlations with the international scenario, to show that our problem is linked to the mega-business of crime on a global scale," he explains. With a foreword by fellow journalist Geneton Moraes Neto, ASSAULT ON POWER is not simply a report on organized crime, its causes, and consequences. In this great journalism lesson, Carlos Amorim offers an in-depth analysis of Brazilian society. Essential to understanding the country we live in.