TimLopes

Arcanjo Antonio Lopes do Nascimento, better known as Tim Lopes, was born on November 18, 1950, in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul. He was the fourth of twelve children in the family, and when he was eight years old his family decided to come live in Rio de Janeiro in the humble community of Mangueira, where it all began. He was an investigative reporter for Globo from 1966 until his death in 2002 in the community of Vila Cruzeiro. He was married to the designer Alessandra Wagner for about 10 years and had a son named Bruno Quintella. A journalism graduate of the Hélio Alonso college (FACHA), in Rio de Janeiro, his first job was at the magazine Domingo Ilustrada, run by the journalist Samuel Wainer. And his nickname Tim Lopes was given to him by the journalist Samuel Wainer because of his resemblance to the singer Tim Maia. And in 2001 Tim Lopes won the Esso Award, since he did reports involving victims' families and imprisoned murderers, and to do so he had to check himself into a drug rehabilitation clinic to carry out the work and see how the patients behaved. And with that award he became even more recognized than he already was among his fellow workers, as well as among the general public, being considered the most courageous reporter/journalist in the country at that time.

Eight years after his death, in 2010, during Eduardo Paes's administration, the Jornalista Tim Lopes State School was named in his honor. The school is located in Complexo do Alemão, on the outskirts (suburb) of Rio de Janeiro. It began operating in 2011. The school offers students all the structure necessary for their comfort and development in the field of education; in addition to classrooms, the school has: a swimming pool, a sports court, a games area, laboratories, an auditorium, and a library.

This was not the only tribute to the journalist after his death. In 2022, twenty years after his death, an installation with photos of him was set up in Cinelândia. At a time when journalists are being attacked in various ways, when we look back at his death and at what had happened to him, his death somehow represents journalists' freedom to publish their work without outside interference. It represents freedom of the press, without censorship.

On June 2, 2002, Tim Lopes left his apartment in a neighborhood of Copacabana to go to the favela of Vila Cruzeiro. He had heard that a gang of drug traffickers from Vila Cruzeiro was going to hold a funk party that night. He had been warned by some informants that the traffickers were holding these parties while promoting child prostitution and the abuse of minors. Determined to investigate the case, Tim left his wallet and other identification items at his office at Rede Globo (since he was recognized in the community for his stories involving drug trafficking). Tim, along with a Rede Globo driver, went to the location. Tim left the driver and went to film the party alone. Tim was carrying a micro-camera to film the location and also to try to get footage of drugs and weapons. After leaving a bar, Tim was spotted by a child who reported to the traffickers that they had seen a light coming from Tim's waist. Tim was then approached by two traffickers who were members of the criminal faction that controlled Vila Cruzeiro. When confronted, Tim told them he was a reporter for Globo. However, since he had left his things at his office, the traffickers doubted this and decided to take him to the faction's leader, the drug lord Elias Pereira da Silva, also known as Elias Maluco, who was known for being someone cruel. Elias ordered the traffickers to take Tim to the Favela da Grota. There he was taken to a trial by the traffickers, who would determine his fate. Some traffickers were against killing him, since they didn't want to kill a Globo employee, while others were in favor of the journalist's death. Tim's sentence was death. Tim was tortured by members of the faction and even by Elias himself, who used a sword to cut off his hands, arms, and legs. After that, they executed him in a "ritual" called the microwave (which consists of placing someone inside several tires and then setting them on fire). After these events, the driver (who had taken Tim to the hill) reported to Rede Globo that Tim had not returned. An investigation to discover Tim's whereabouts soon began. After two traffickers were arrested, they confessed to the journalist's fate, and, following an anonymous tip, on June 12, 2002, detectives discovered burned bones inside several tires. After several tests, it was determined that the bones belonged to Tim Lopes. Also found at the site were the belongings Tim had brought with him and the sword that had been broken.

Image description: The image is a photograph of a man standing in front of a bookshelf. He is wearing a pink button-up shirt and has a white beard. The bookshelf is full of hardcover and paperback books, varying in color.