In the north of Rio de Janeiro, a drug lord and evangelical pastor has dominion over a series of favelas known as the ‘Israel Complex’. The streets are clean and building walls are painted with verses from Psalms… while religious minorities are persecuted and rival gang members are sent back to their homes in gift wrapped boxes.

From Brazil to Texas to Romania and South Africa, the phenomenon of religiously-inspired gang leaders is becoming more and more common — and we explain why.

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Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies