Violence Is on the Rise in Popular Tourist Area on the Coast of Rio de Janeiro

01/15/2018 - 10h34

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LUIZA FRANCO

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT REPORTING FROM ANGRA DOS REIS (RIO DE JANEIRO)

Tourist destinations on the coast of Rio de Janeiro, such as Angra dos Reis, Búzios and Cabo Frio, have registered an increase in cases of violence involving shootings and deaths.

The problem has mainly affected residents of the favelas, although tourists have also been targeted.

Angra, which is generally remembered for its beaches and mansions, has been recently drawing attention for producing scenes such as children lying on school floors to protect themselves from gunfire, exploding ATM machines and drug dealers armed with rifles monitoring everyone who enters or exits the favelas.

But the scenes from Angra can also be seen throughout the rest of the state: well-armed criminal organizations that either have internal disputes or are disputing with other organizations in an attempt to expand their turf, police say.

Up until November of 2017, 153 people had been violently killed in the city, practically the total number of violent deaths in all of 2016 (158). According to police chief Bruno Gilaberte, most of these victims had drug-trafficking ties. Twenty-six people were killed by the police - in 2010, the police were responsible for zero violent deaths.

According to Mr. Gilaberte, these cases do not reflect what the broader security situation looks like for tourists. He resorted to three factors in order to explain the increase in violence: an increase in the firepower of criminal organizations, the expansion and ramifications of organizations and the lack of job opportunities.

Thousands of tourists flock to the Região dos Lagos in the summer to see the sand dunes in Cabo Frio, go snorkeling or attend parties with entrance fees that can cost up to R$ 1,000 (US$ 310).

For the most part, tourists have not realized that the region has become one of the most violent in the state. Five of the seven cities that make up the Região dos Lagos are on the top ten list of cities with most gun deaths in the state.

Translated by THOMAS MATHEWSON

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