Brazil military ‘fulfils mission’ as operation to secure Rio state nears end with violence down, but police killings up
- Outgoing President Temer put Rio security in hands of the army, citing the police’s inability to control heavily-armed drug gangs
- New state governor indicated he intends to take a hard line against drug traffickers, including targeting them with snipers
The Brazilian military’s central role in Rio de Janeiro state security is near its end, with a drop in some indicators of violence but a significant increase in people killed during police operations.
“We have fulfilled our mission,” General Walter Souza Braga Netto, who led the Rio state security forces under a presidential decree since mid-February, said on Thursday.
Outgoing President Michel Temer took the drastic step of placing Rio security in the hands of the military, citing the police force’s inability to control heavily-armed drug gangs.
Army patrols had already been used in the impoverished favelas but the military intervention saw generals replace civilian authorities in top security jobs, as well as an increase in the use of soldiers to back up police.
The intervention was unheard of since the country’s return to democracy in 1985 after 21 years of military rule.