2021 Rio De Janeiro Shootout
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On 6 May 2021, at least 28 people were killed in a shootout between police and drug traffickers in
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
,
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. The raid occurred in
Jacarezinho, Rio de Janeiro Jacarezinho is a Brazilian neighborhood and also a favela with more than 60,300 residents living in an area of 40 ha. The place is located in the Rio de Janeiro#North Zone, North Zone of Rio de Janeiro city, and it borders the neighborhoods of Ja ...
, a
favela Favela () is an umbrella name for several types of working-class neighborhoods in Brazil. The term was first used in the Providência neighborhood in the center of Rio de Janeiro in the late 19th century, which was built by soldiers who had ...
notable for its high crime rate. The raid occurred at approximately 11 a.m. local time, following reports that a local drug gang was recruiting children.


Background

Drug trafficking makes up for an increasingly large portion of crime in Brazil. In 2005, military police killed 29 civilians in Baixada Fluminense, Rio. In 2006, an officer was convicted in relation to it. A
crisis A crisis ( : crises; : critical) is either any event or period that will (or might) lead to an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, or all of society. Crises are negative changes in the human or environmental affair ...
occurred in Rio in 2010. A total of 27% of all incarcerations in Brazil are the result of drug trafficking charges. Between 2007 and 2012 the number of drug related incarcerations has increased from 60.000 to 134.000; a 123 percent increase. Gang violence in Brazil has become an important issue affecting the youth. Brazilian gang members have used children to commit crimes because their prison sentences are shorter. As of 2007, murder was the most common cause of death among youth in Brazil, with 40% of all murder victims aged between 15 and 25 years old.


Raid

The raid began on 6 May 2021 at approximately 11:00am local time. Police entered the Jacarezinho neighbourhood in
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
in armoured vehicles following reports that a local drug gang was recruiting children.Brazil: At least 25 killed, including an officer, in Rio de Janeiro police shootout with drug traffickers
/ref> The police faced concrete barriers placed by criminals to impede entry to the favela. A shootout began between police and drug traffickers, in which at least 28 people were killed. One police officer was killed and two wounded. Two passengers on a nearby metro train were hit by bullets fired during the shootout. The shootout resulted in the highest-ever death toll from a police raid in
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
. Rio police detective Felipe Curi told reporters that several criminals attempted to hide in neighbouring residences. The police seized a shotgun, a sub machine gun, six rifles, 16 pistols, and 12 grenades. At least six suspects were arrested. On 7 May the police announced a death toll of 27 among suspects, 3 more than previously reported.


Reactions

Following the raid, approximately 50 Jacarezinho residents marched in the streets shouting "justice" behind a group from the state legislatures human rights commission. In a statement,
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
called upon the public prosecutor to immediately investigate possible police abuses.


See also

* 2010 Rio de Janeiro security crisis * 2022 Rio de Janeiro shootout * Mexican drug war


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rio de Janeiro shootout 2021 murders in Brazil 2021 mass shootings in South America 2020s in Rio de Janeiro Conflicts in 2021 Law enforcement in Brazil Mass shootings in Brazil May 2021 crimes in South America Organized crime conflicts in Brazil Operations against organized crime Violent non-state actor incidents in South America May 2021 events in Brazil Attacks in South America in 2021