Journalist Júlio Ludemir spent every weekend in 2001 clocking in at a Rio de Janeiro prison. He had a good reason: to write the story of Valéria and Marquinho—the "Romeo and Juliet" of Rio de Janeiro prisons. She, the niece of a Third Command boss. He, a first-time member of the Red Command. This is the explosive and moving story of "IN THE HEART OF THE COMMAND," Júlio Ludemir's debut novel. Valéria and Marquinho first crossed paths in the Frei Caneca Penitentiary Complex, and rival factions soon banned their romance. Inmates in neighboring prisons—Nelson Hungria and Milton Dias Moreira—Valéria and Marquinho ignored the ban. And, deeply in love, they starred for three years in a love story never before experienced within a prison. A love that could only end in tragedy, as in Shakespeare's classic. For almost two years, the two performed stripteases for each other in their cells and exchanged vows of love in notes. Marquinho even learned the alphabet for the deaf-mute to say "I love you" to Valéria. The love story captivated the author, who discovered it while reporting on the penal system for the online magazine no. The journalist became deeply involved in the story and maintained numerous contacts with the couple, at different times. He admits: "I became very close to the couple, but I never stopped treating them like criminals." He witnessed up close all the violence and rivalry between the Comando Vermelho and the Terceiro Comando and the consequences of this conflict and hatred. Júlio wrote IN THE HEART OF THE COMANDO in one month, in one sitting, crying profusely, while thinking about the passion he himself had recently lost. In fact, the entire book revolves around love, from motivation to inspiration. During his research for the book, Júlio delved into the delicate wounds of the city that serves as the novel's backdrop and uncovered important facts that had been left out of the plot. According to the author, "violence in Tijuca has increased considerably due to unemployment in drug dens. There's a surplus of labor for drug trafficking in the favelas," he says. He also reveals that "a new drug distribution process is emerging in Rio. Small drug dens (points of sale) that would be the McDonald's of drugs." As unexpected as new Montagues and Capulets with grenades in hand, in an eternal dispute over the favelas of the Marvelous City, IN THE HEART OF COMMAND blends a great deal of reality with a small dose of fiction in a moving and revealing way. Julio Ludemir was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1960 but grew up in Olinda, Pernambuco. A journalist, publicist, and translator, he has written short stories, plays, and film scripts. He is a composer for a rock band in Rocinha called Gana, a goalkeeper for a team in the Acari favela, participates in social projects in São Carlos and has two children.
