Diario Extra – At least 13 dead in a shooting in a favela in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro (EFE) – At least 13 people have died this Friday during a shootout in several favelas of downtown Rio de Janeiro, the most emblematic city of Brazil and that he has been experiencing a wave of violence since mid-2016, official sources confirmed.

The event took place in three poor neighborhoods of the bohemian and tourist district of Santa Teresa, in downtown Rio de Janeiro.

The victims died during a confrontation with officers of the Police Operations Command as part of an operation to combat drug trafficking in the region, during which various criminal organizations took control of their conflict.

The Public Security Secretariat in Rio de Janeiro has confirmed that, in addition to 13 deaths, a person is admitted, without however specify his state of health.

In social media, the Rio Military Police also reported that three rifles, six grenades and twelve pistols had been seized.

After the 2016 Olympic Games, the state of Rio de Janeiro, one of the most violent in the world Brazil, lives continual clashes between rival gangs, militias and police.

The government of former President Michel Temer last year decreed the intervention of the army in the security zone of the State of Rio de Janeiro, but the presence of the army has not solved the structural problems of violence in the region, as reported various organizations. defense of human rights.

According to data laboratory "Fogo Cruzado", a platform offering a map of clashes in the city, in 2015, 9,651 people were shot dead in Rio de Janeiro and its metropolitan area, 61% more than the year before. previous

In addition to the increase in the number of shots, the NGO noted that between February and December 2018, the number of civilians killed in police actions had also increased by 40%, while homicides had "barely" decreased by 5.5%.