Effectiveness and efficiency of the Brazilian army's law and order assurance operations

Case study of Operação Arcanjo in 2010

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22456/1982-5269.151280

Abstract

The present article seeks to examine through a case study the effectiveness and efficiency of the Brazilian Army’s internal operations, taking as a reference the operations to enforce law and order (GLO). The study is based on the concepts of effectiveness and efficiency developed by Flora Cristina Matei, applying them to a specific GLO operation focused on public security: Operação Arcanjo, carried out in the Alemão and Penha Complexes in Rio de Janeiro (2010-2012). Based on that, the following research question is formulated: “How effective and efficient have the Brazilian Army’s internal GLO operations been?”. This is a qualitative, exploratory study using primary sources from public documents and secondary sources. The results indicate that GLO operations do not produce efficient or effective results, as they involve high budgetary costs and do not provide a lasting solution to the public security problem.

Keywords: Law and Order Enforcement Operations. Effectiveness. Efficiency. Brazilian Army. Operação Arcanjo.

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Author Biographies

Natália Machado Lopes Lopes, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Natália Machado Lopes Lopes is a master's student in the Political Science Graduate Program at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. She holds a bachelor's degree in International Relations from the Federal University of Santa Maria.

Eduardo Munhoz Svartman, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Eduardo Munhoz Svartman is a professor in the Department of Political Science and the Graduate Programs in Political Science and International Strategic Studies at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. His research focuses primarily on the following topics: armed forces, strategy, national defense policies, civil-military relations, and think tanks. He recently published Studies on Military Thought with Appris publishing house.

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Published

2026-02-11

How to Cite

Machado Lopes Lopes, N., & Munhoz Svartman, E. (2026). Effectiveness and efficiency of the Brazilian army’s law and order assurance operations: Case study of Operação Arcanjo in 2010. Revista Debates, 19(3), 34–51. https://doi.org/10.22456/1982-5269.151280

Issue

Vol. 19 No. 3 (2025): From the eyes of democracy: 40 years after the end of militar dictatorship

Section

Dossier

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