RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced on Wednesday the deployment of the armed forces to increase security at key airports, ports, and international borders in an effort to combat organized crime in Brazil.
This decision follows a recent incident in Rio de Janeiro, where a criminal gang set fire to dozens of buses in retaliation for the killing of their leader’s nephew by the police.
President Lula stated, “We are facing a very serious situation. The federal government has made the decision to actively participate and utilize all its resources to assist state governments and rid Brazil of organized crime.”
To enhance security measures, Brazil will deploy 3,600 members of the army, navy, and air force to increase patrols and surveillance at airports in Rio and Sao Paulo, as well as two major maritime ports in Rio and Sao Paulo’s Santos port, known as a major hub for cocaine exports in Latin America.
This deployment is part of a broader plan that involves increasing the presence of federal police forces in Rio, improving cooperation among law enforcement agencies, and investing in advanced technology to gather intelligence.
Authorities at both state and federal levels have expressed the objective of cutting off financial resources to militias in order to weaken them.
Rio de Janeiro has been grappling with security issues for decades, and it is crucial to support any federal crackdown on organized crime with a comprehensive plan that may yield results in the long term, according to Rafael Alcadipani, a public security analyst and professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo.
Alcadipani said, “The federal government is rushing into this due to previous inaction. While they are making efforts, there is a high chance of failure… This is an emergency plan, treating the problem as if it just emerged, when, in fact, it has existed for a while.”
Flávio Dino, Brazil’s Justice Minister, emphasized that the announced measures are part of an ongoing plan developed since President Lula assumed office on January 1. The plan is the result of months of consultations with police forces, local officials, and security experts.
The recent wave of unrest in Rio began with the killing of three doctors in a beachside bar on October 5. Mistaking one of the doctors for a militia member, assassins targeted them. The powerful militias in Rio originally comprised of former police officers, firefighters, and military personnel who aimed to combat lawlessness in their communities. Over time, they started engaging in drug trafficking and extorting residents for protection.
The state and federal governments in Brazil have been under pressure to develop a plan and demonstrate their ability to address public security concerns in Rio de Janeiro.
In response, on October 9, the Rio state government deployed hundreds of police officers to three low-income neighborhoods in the city.
Furthermore, on October 23, after the police killed Matheus da Silva Rezende, also known as Faustão and the nephew of a militia leader, criminals responded by setting fire to at least 35 buses as an act of defiance.
On Wednesday, federal police in Rio announced the capture of another militia leader and several key members in Rio das Pedras and Barra da Tijuca, both located in Rio state. Additionally, they seized luxury bullet-resistant vehicles, property, and cash.
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