Death squads terrorize Rio de Janeiro as Brazil readies for World Cup. Brazil is a nation where police kill more suspects than in any other nation in the world. Police in Rio de Janeiro killed one suspect for every 229 they arrested last year. In the United States, police killed one suspect for every 31,575 they arrested. In 2008 police in Rio de Janeiro, alone, killed an astonishing 1,137 people, whereas in the entire United States police killed 371 people. These are just the official numbers. Fifteen people go missing every day in Rio de Janeiro. Last year nearly 5,000 people went missing. Many people blame the police.
Many have questioned the decision to the hold the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia this winter. Many felt that Russia was an inappropriate host for the Olympics, for its long history of human rights violations, intolerance of gay rights, and its proximity to the terror war in the Caucuses. In retrospect, these complaints are petty in comparison to the 2016 host city of the Summer Olympics, Rio de Janeiro. In fact, many people believe the huge spike in police terror in Rio de Janeiro, is directly attributable to being named host city for both the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics. A 2008 United Nations report found that Brazilian police were responsible for a significant portion of the country’s 48,000 slayings the year before.
Hosting the FIFA World Cup and Summer Olympics should be a proud accomplishments for most Brazilians. But, it has been a nightmare for the nearly 1.5 million impoverished residents of the favelas (shanty towns) that surround Rio de Janeiro. Many are terrorized daily by police death squads as Brazil readies for this summer’s World Cup. Brazil has been long in the process of clearing many of its poorest citizens from these neighborhoods, in preparation for the World Cup and Olympics. Human Rights Watch, who investigate human rights abuses around the world, reported that law enforcement is committing unlawful killings and using extensive use of force in clearing the favelas. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed and thousands have been forced to relocate to housing projects many miles away.
Death squads first appeared in Brazil in the 1960’s. They were called Esquadrao de Morte, which literally means death squad. Death squads are often associated with political repression against the opposition, usually by a military dictatorship. In Brazil, the modus operandi of the death squad appears to deviate from the norm. The police conduct extrajudicial killings as a form of crime control. In Rio de Janeiro, it would not be uncommon for a police officer to summarily execute a street kid for the simple crime of shoplifting. In fact, the murder rate in Rio de Janeiro has declined. But it appears to be offset by the dramatic increase in missing persons.
Death squads terrorize Rio de Janeiro as Brazil readies for World Cup. The association of the words death squad seem out place, when associated with great international sporting events, such as the World Cup or Olympics. But nonetheless, Brazil is the only five time World Cup champion, and is certainly entitled to host the FIFA World Cup. With that said, would we not have Major League Baseball’s All-Star game in Detroit because of Detroit’s high crime rate.? Absolutely not.
Opinion by John J. Poltonowicz
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13 thoughts on “Death Squads Terrorize Rio De Janeiro as Brazil Readies for World Cup”
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At least some thieves get what they deserve. I know Brazil quite well and they are quite patient people. The fact that their patience ran out is telling.
The only difference between the poor Thief and a rich vice president politician WHO gets big bonuses is that the Thief goes to Jail When caught.
Sad that the poor are always vilified….boycott World Cup and the Olympics
Yes kill those drug dealers running the favelas!!! Kill more and kill all the politians while your at it! And great article which compares a 1st world country (US) to a third world country. Good job Americans!
yep u need help
My prayers goes out to the Brazilian poor and homeless people who had to pay with their lifes forall of this entertainment. the simple fact that they were born at the wrong place at the wrong time,wrong world cup……
Sounds like whats happening in USA, military police its a problem.
Yet we must not follow the usual tendency to believe this story only because its on the Internet, or on TV that will be ignorant, we are lied to by all medias everyday.
I can’t believe after listing all the facts you ended the article with support of still hosting anything there. I am outraged by your lack of human connection to another human who never even asked to be born into a place like this, and now because of lack of support they are executed. You can’t oh well it is all in the best interest of the World Cup that is a disgrace to humanity! You should give your head a shake!
It both saddens and amazes me that out of the three comments posted above, only one of them is about the huge number of police murders, and the terrible police brutality that is a daily part of life for thousands of people living there. Brazil should not be hosting the World Cup, or the Olympics. people will suffer because of it, they already are, and the fat cats at the top of the tree will line their already stuffed pockets. Shameful and disgraceful. And they have the audacity to call these events ‘sport,’ and ‘the beautiful game’.
They shoulnt have the world cup or the dam olympics in BRAZIL!! Im sorry but its sick!
Detroits crime is not as a direct result of your all star game.. this clearly is dim wit.. Worst comparison I’ve ever read.. go look at the pics of dead kids in the street and re-write that.
“But nonetheless, Brazil is the only five time World Cup champion, and is certainly entitled to host the FIFA World Cup. With that said, would we not have Major League Baseball’s All-Star game in Detroit because of Detroit’s high crime rate.? Absolutely not.”
The worst analogy i´ve ever read.
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