caption death_date death_place birth_place nationality name birth_date known_for image article_title birth_name occupation
brazilian on street children in rio de janeiro -lrb- 1990s -rrb- investigative journalist tim lopes working undercover for story 2 june 2002 favela de janeiro , brazil da grota , complexo do alemão , rio pelotas , brazil brazilian tim lopes 18 november 1950 in-depth janeiro features about people and culture of rio de brazilian_investigative_journalist_tim_lopes_undercover_in_rio_de_janeiro . jpg tim lopes
 arcanjo antonino lopes do nascimento investigative journalist
tim lopes

tim lopes -lrb- born arcanjo antonino lopes do nascimento ; november 18 , 1950 -- june 2 , 2002 -rrb- was a brazilian investigative journalist and producer for the brazilian television network `` rede globo '' .
in 2002 , the media reported him missing while working undercover on a story in one of rio 's favelas .
it was later learned that lopes had been accosted by drug traffickers who controlled the area ; was kidnapped ; driven to the top of a neighboring favela in the trunk of a car ; tied to a tree and subjected to a mock trial ; tortured by having his hands , arms , and legs severed with a sword while still alive ; and then had his body placed within tires , covered in gasoline and set on fire -- a practice that traffickers have dubbed `` micro-ondas '' -lrb- allusion to the microwave oven -rrb- .
the details of lopes ' death received substantial attention in brazil 's media because of the barbarity of the crime and due to it highlighting the existence , particularly at that time , of `` poder paralelo '' -lrb- parallel power -rrb- within rio -- meaning criminals controlling certain areas of the city with impunity .
