O beloved,
idolized homeland,
Hail, hail!
– Brazilian National Anthem
“I have a great difficulty these days dealing with a son of mine, who’s dependente químico (chemically dependent, dependent on drugs). Today, he’s 19 years old, but already at thirteen he began to become involved with drugs. When I discovered this, he was already between 14 and 15 years old. So I guess, it’s drugs have been a great challenge for me. They give me reason to cry, every time I use the word, which pierces straight through my heart.
“I love my son and I know that there innumerable families across the world which have been destroyed on account of drugs; that people have not yet been able to defeat this scourge; that people have hope that it will be defeated, but that it is very difficult. The family that does not have anyone dependent drugs, should drop to its knees each day and thank God for not having to have been faced with this cross, because I have suffered much because of it with my son.
“I discovered it, when I noticed my son would go to the bathroom and I smelled a different kind of smell. My house is along the beira do rio (riverside). It’s half of alvenaria (brick) and the rest of madeira (wood). It has a puxadinho (an addition or extension to the house) with a bathroom and tank. The bathroom has a small window. He would smoke in the bathroom and take bala (candies) with him tossing the papelzinho (wrappers) out the window. When I went over to wash clothes, how many candy wrappers I found ... and I wondered why would he suck on candies only in the bathroom? Then I began to smell an odd smell. That’s when I began to ficar desconfiada (to be suspicious). I also began to add things up in the house. I talked with him about what I discovered. Then I noticed that whenever I would have to go to Rio Branco for an errand, he’d immediately take off for streets. I’d leave and then he’d always leave on his own as well.
“When I was a candidate, I once heard a person tell me: ‘Glorinha, I was going to vote for you and a person told me, ‘no, I won’t vote for her because she has a son que ele não vale nada (who’s good for nothing. He’s a marginal (loser), he steals, he uses drugs’ – and I said, ‘no, it’s not her fault because he’s that way.’‘
So people have to take this problem de cabeça erguida (by the head), because it’s a serious problem. But if one just lowers one’s head, one can’t resolve it, not with one’s cabeça baixa (head lowered), com vergonha (being ashamed), even if I am ashamed because my son uses drugs and he also steals ... because people treat me differently as a result.
“Once I took him for treatment. I stayed with him in Rio Branco for a week giving him money for expenses. Why did I do that? Because I was staying with him at a family’s home. I was going to go to a hotel, but they didn’t let us insisting that we stay with them because I was like a daughter to them, and they couldn’t let me stay in a hotel when we could stay with them. So I stayed there, but I could not sleep. I was afraid that while sleeping, he would mexer nas caisas (mess things up) with these people. So I closed the door that went to the main room, and he stayed in his room without stopping.
“Drug addicts stay in a state ... that’s convenient to them. They just stay there ... they don’t see us ... they stop relating to anybody. When they are find themselves in this state, when they want to use, they don’t know their pai (father), they don’t know their mai (mother), they don’t know them. All they want to do is to conseguir (get) the drugs that they need. Understand, that I lived in this situation. And there I was in that house and did not know it, but I was giving him the money (for drugs). I was giving him money, because if I did not, he’d take it, or he’d just steal. And he’d come saying ‘Mãe, rapidinho (Mom, quickly), I’m going over there and volto ja (I’ll be right back).’ I would give him the money but I não era concordando (was not in agreement) that he’d use it to buy drugs. He would say that he wanted to buy a lanche (snack), or that he wanted to buy some other thing ... because he lied a lot, you understand? He thought that I did not know. But for him, I gave him money to buy a lanche.
“Now he’s 19 years old and está preso (is incarcerated). When he reached maioridade legal age, his previous cases were closed, because he was a minor – but he continued to commit crimes – understand? – when he became an adult. And rapidinho (rapidly), he got himself into trouble, and not as before ...
“He says that me ama muito (he loves me a lot). Everytime that he calls me, he says only ‘mãe,’ (mom) but he says it meaning, ‘mãe, eu te amo, (mom, I love you).’ And I always answer, ‘I love you too,’ because everyone in the family has washed their hands of him, no one wants to visit him, except for me. On Sunday, I went, the first day. I came early. I finished with almoço (lunch), cleaned up, and went to visit him, spending the afternoon there, visiting the others as well.
“I like to go there to the presídio (jail house), when I won my election, my festa (celebration) was there. They prepare a beautiful festa there, all of them, they prepared cake, juice, and when I entered, it was a big surprise, I work work very well with them at the presídio.
(Glorinha’s true name is Maria da Glória Gonçalves Viana, 52, now Municipal Health Secretary in Sena Madureira in Acre. A clever cearense (north-easterner), talkative and full of compassion, she lives in Sena since 1971. Passionate about her work, she wishes that all members of her government office greet people with a smile and with a genuine interest of helping them – and she se queixa (gets upset) when its not always that way. She gets annoyed with the people who arrive without saying bom dia (hello/good day). What’s the cost your saying “hello”? She asks, “I’d like to pay!” She notes that the presídio holds 145 prisoners – the majority are there for drug possession or dealing and most are young, between the ages 19-25. And she knows that drugs circulate within then presídio.
“I feel that I have to talk and people can not hide, when one has a problem such as this, one can’t hide it, one has to confront and fight it. I always fica preguntavdo (find myself asking), “Lord, I need some light; what am I supposed to do?”
It’s all so very, very sad ...
É verde (it’s easy, lit. it’s all green) the path of drugs
When we talk of the queimadas in Acre, we talk of a problem affecting Amazonia. When we talk of mercury pollution in the Madeira River, we’re talking of a problem affecting Amazonia When we talk of predatory fishing in the Negro River, we’re talking of a problem affecting the Amazon region.
However, when we talk of drugs, we are talking of a problem that affects all of Brazil. With regards to this problem, Amazonia is both a victim and a conduit, because some 8,000 km of borders are effectively unguarded allowing traffic to pass from Peru, Colombia and Bolivia – which are the are main areas for illicit coca cultivation in the world.
The city of Tabatinga in the state of Amazonas is a noted center for trafficking and refining of coca paste, as is the town of Cruzeiro do Sul in Acre, which is located on the transport corridor for coca paste produced in Peru and destined for refining laboratories in Colombia. On the other hand, Amazonia serves as a large conduit for illicit drugs, ready for sale, and destined for use throughout Brazil, and indeed the world. The lure of this powerful, criminal and corrupting activity traps millions of amazonian youths in this vice.
Among those to blame for this, is our government. Across the world, governments face this extremely difficult struggle against narcotics and traffickers. In the end however, we ourselves are responsible for our government as we elect our representatives free and popular election. Instead of complaining, we need to act.
Various small institutions have arregaçaram as mangas (rolled up their sleaves) and plunged into the task of treating and rehabilitating young people addicted to drugs. These include the Centro Nova Vida in Para; the Associação Casa Família Rosetta and the Refugio Canaã in Rondônia; the Centro Terapêutico Vida Nova and the Centro de Recuperação São Tarcísio in Amazonas and the Comunidade Arco-Íris, the Comunidade Peniel, the Fazenda Esperança in Acre.
If we can, we’ll create more centros de esperança (centers of hope), we’ll increase the opportunities for rehabilitation. If we can not create new centers, we will at least do our part to help the existing centers.
For without our support, the chances of the addicted are very small. As one who’s recovering put it, “Here in this institution I found that I am capable of changing my future. I began to use drugs because I wanted to be part of a group of friends ... As I always had money in my pocket, I began to use and buy drugs for others. Only when one runs out of money, the friends se vão (disappear) ... and one is left sozinho (all alone).
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