THE GAP LEFT BY STATE NEGLIGENCE AND THE RISE OF ORGANIZED CRIME AS A SUBSTITUTE PARALLEL POWER

Abstract

This research examines the omission of the State of Amazonas in guaranteeing public security and realizing social rights, and how this failure fosters the expansion of organized crime as a parallel power. The study aims to investigate how criminal factions, such as Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), fill the gap left by public power, assuming roles of social assistance, dispute mediation, and territorial control. Adopting a qualitative approach of an applied nature, the work has a descriptive and explanatory character, based on bibliographic review and documentary analysis of the 1988 Federal Constitution and Law No. 12.850/2013. The theoretical framework is based on thinkers in the sociology of crime and constitutional law to conceptualize criminal governance, community insertion, and social legitimation. The results indicate that the absence of the state contributes to the vulnerable population perceiving criminal factions as more effective, undermining the legitimacy of democratic institutions, disrupting social order, and hindering the implementation of public policies. It is concluded that reversing this situation requires coordinated state action and effective public policies that guarantee fundamental rights and restore public trust in the state.