Development: From 3-4 June, 25 buses were burnt in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.
Significance: Besides setting the buses alight, criminals also set fire to banks and then fired shots at the local police station. Authorities are still investigating what provoked the attacks, but they are thought to be linked to drug trafficking organisations (DTOs), such as the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), which uses arson as an intimidation techniques. So far, 30 people have been detained in connection with the attacks.
- The violence spread to 17 cities in Minas Gerais including the state capital, Belo Horizonte. This follows a wave of similar attacks in the states of Rio Grande do Norte and São Paulo, suggesting they could all be linked. Violence is unusual in Minas Gerais, which has a reputation for being one of Brazil’s most peaceful states with comparatively low crime rates, but it could be attracting crime from elsewhere.
- “We think that there was involvement from organised crime groups but it’s too early to say until the investigation is concluded”, said Flávio Santiago, a representative for the military police force, in an interview with Folha de São Paulo. Members of the PCC have already claimed they are behind the attacks based on WhatsApp audios and a note left at the scene of the crime in Minas Gerais.
- Although Minas Gerais does not have its own DTOs, its prisons house criminals from neighbouring states such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. For this reason, others suggested the attacks could be a form of retaliation against abysmal conditions for prisoners living in overcrowded enclosures. In Minas Gerais, there are 71,433 prisoners in a space built for 35,886 according to the state secretariat for prisons (Seap).
Looking Ahead: Civil and military police, firefighters, security representatives from different states, and the prison authorities have agreed to join forces to clarify the motives behind the attacks and punish those responsible. Meanwhile, guards have been stationed on local buses to reinforce security.
