11/01/2023 10:44 pm (Act. 11/01/2023 10:44 pm)
Soldiers protect ports and airports ©APA/AFP
In Brazil, important ports and airports are being protected by the military in view of the increase in crime. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced Wednesday that soldiers will work with federal police at the port of Santos, in São Paulo, and at the main airport in Guarulho. The military must also provide security at the port of Itaguaí, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, and at Rio Galeão airport.
These ports and airports are important transshipment points for the growing cocaine exports to Europe. Additionally, large-caliber weapons are smuggled through these logistics centers, which contributes to street violence. Lula said the army and air force would also be mobilized to protect the border and prevent the smuggling of cocaine and weapons. The western states of Paraná, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, which border Bolivia and Paraguay, are particularly affected.
The measure is expected to be in force until May 2024. Lula is reacting to a series of outbreaks of violence across Brazil. The situation is particularly tense in Rio de Janeiro, where drug cartels, criminal groups and police are fighting each other. Last month, three doctors were murdered while having a beer after work on the beach, after they were allegedly mistaken for rival gangsters. Last week, criminal groups set fire to dozens of buses in Rio after police killed one of their leaders.
A large part of the population has the impression that Lula is not doing enough to combat crime. “The situation in Rio de Janeiro has reached a very serious point,” said Lula when signing the military deployment decree. “We decided that the federal government will actively participate in the fight against organized crime. We hope it works.”