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LatinNews Regional Monitor: Brazil & Southern Cone - 15 August 2018

Spike in number of killings by police in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro

Development: On 14 August data released by the Rio de Janeiro state’s public security institute (ISP) show that the number of deaths resulting from police interventions in the Brazilian state has increased by 105% in July, compared with the same period last year.

Significance: The ISP data reveals that 129 people were killed by police officers on duty in July in Rio de Janeiro state this year, compared to 63 such deaths in the same month in 2017. On average, four people were killed daily during police interventions in Rio de Janeiro last month. These figures come to light as the federal security intervention in Rio de Janeiro, which put the military in charge of security in the state, enters its sixth month, with no visible improvement to public security.

  • Shootouts between the military police and criminal gangs are a frequent source of lethal violence in the state’s eponymous capital. Yesterday a 54-year old grandmother died after being hit by a stray bullet in the city centre. National media outlet G1 reported that 27 shootouts had already been registered across the state this week.
  • Further data from the ISP shows that the number of homicides increased by 9% last month, from 374 deaths in July 2017 to 408 in July 2018. Crimes against property, such as theft, have however decreased in the same period.
  • In February this year, President Michel Temer authorised the military to take control of public security in the state of Rio de Janeiro in response to the high levels of crime related violence observed in the state. This unprecedented move put the Rio de Janeiro state police, firefighters, and the penitentiary system under federal command until 31 December. The army has, however, been unable to curb the surge in lethal violence.
  • In the 7 October general election, voters in Rio de Janeiro will elect not only a new president but also a new state governor, who will be responsible for fighting crime and tackling police violence. Rio de Janeiro state is suffering a severe financial crisis, and former governor Sérgio Cabral (2007-2014) is serving a prison sentence since November 2016 after being convicted as part of the ‘Operation Car Wash’ corruption investigation.

Looking Ahead: The recent figures on violence in Rio de Janeiro further question the effectiveness of the armed forces’ deployment to the state. Violence and public security are bound to be key issues in the October election, and failure to address the electorate’s concerns could influence voter intentions in favour of a candidate such as the right-wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, who has vowed to tackle violence through loosening gun controls.

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