Brazil - November 2023

A significant increase in violence from organized crime, particularly that related to drug-trafficking and contraband, has led President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva to issue a decree through which thousands of military personnel will be deployed to ports and airports in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

Lula has stated these measures are temporary and will last through May; members of the military will coordinate with federal police.

In the past weeks, violence in Rio has reached extraordinary levels, including 35 buses being set on fire by criminal groups, in retaliation for the killing of a crime boss by police. Although the current measure does not foresee military deployment to favelas, as Lula has stated he does not want the armed forces to patrol there, analysts have stressed that violence is increasing, with reports of training of gang members and paramilitaries taking place within these enclaves.

Sources: Infobae, The Guardian, Reuters