Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 1 March 2018
Military takeover in Rio sparks fears of police brutality

By PETER PRENGAMAN Rio and is one of the video’s is expected to sharply in- military intervention, sent nounced Feb. 16, there
SARAH DiLORENZO creators. “It will increase crease operations against mixed signals when, upon have been several opera-
Associated Press the fear of people who live drug-trafficking gangs that being named, he down- tions involving the military.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — in these communities, inno- largely operate in favelas, played the violence in Rio As with previous troop
One by one, three black deployments in Rio, how-
Brazilian men matter-of- ever, soldiers have had a
factly give tips for interact- secondary role, setting up
ing with police that sound checkpoints and perim-
very much like “the talk” eters but not leading at-
that many black Ameri- tempts to arrest armed traf-
cans have with their sons. fickers.
Don’t carry a long umbrel- Fears of police excesses
la. Don’t make any sudden were heightened when sol-
movements. Don’t leave diers were seen searching
home without receipts for the backpacks of young
anything valuable you’re school children and taking
carrying. Those are three photos and gathering infor-
of the many suggestions of- mation of residents of some
fered in the popular video favelas. Raul Jungmann —
that was posted online in who at the time was the
mid-February amid a mili- defense minister but has
tary takeover of Rio de Ja- since been named to lead
neiro’s security forces. the new public security
It underscores fears that minister — shocked some
the intervention will tram- when he said the govern-
ple the civil rights of poor ment was analyzing the
people, particularly blacks, use of “collective” search
and lead to more police warrants that would allow
brutality. It also exposes a In this Friday, Feb. 23, 2018 photo, a soldier pats down a resident during a surprise operation at the searches of whole streets or
deep divide between Rio Vila Kennedy slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The military intervention of Rio’s police force, slated to even neighborhoods, rath-
residents in affluent parts of last all year, is heavy on promises to crack down on criminals but light on details. er than a single address.
the city and those who live (AP Photo/Leo Correa) Jovacy Peter Filho, a crimi-
in marginalized neighbor- nal defense attorney, said
hoods — who are both the cent people who are not or poor areas. by saying there were “a lot broad warrants have oc-
primary victims of criminal involved with crime.” Whether such a measure is of media” covering each casionally been used in
violence and the attempts On the rise for at least two necessary is the focus of a development. the past, and can easily be
to crack down on it. years, violence in Rio ap- heated debate. Congress “Rio is facing a grave state abused.
Rio’s police force is already peared to reach a tipping overwhelmingly approved of violence, but we are not “If there is no suspicion that
one of the most deadly in point during Carnival cel- Temer’s decree, though op- in a war,” said Renata Ned- someone is committing a
the world: 925 people were ebrations this month, when position leaders accused er from Amnesty Interna- crime, any violation of his
killed during police opera- thieves were caught on film him of using the measure to tional Brazil. She said char- residence, of his privacy,
tions in 2016, according chasing and beating vic- improve his popularity — he acterizing the situation as are violations of a citizen’s
to the think tank Brazilian tims along the city’s pictur- currently has a 9 percent a war, as many politicians fundamental right,” said
Public Security Forum, and esque beachfront. approval rating — ahead have in recent months, Peter Filho.
initial tallies by human rights The governor pleaded for of elections later this year. adds to the idea that more There are also fears that the
groups put the 2017 num- federal help, and President Temer denies that. police-related deaths will intervention will have pro-
ber over 1,000. Michel Temer issued a de- Security experts point out be justified. found secondary effects,
The intervention “will not cree that put a military that many cities and states So far, the intervention, such as sharply increasing
solve criminality or drug commander in charge of in Brazil have even higher slated to last all year, is the number of prisoners
trafficking,” said Spartakus Rio’s police. The measure levels of violence than Rio. heavy on promises to crack in already overpopulated
Santiago, a 23-year-old has already put thousands Gen. Walter Braga Netto, down on criminals but light prisons and exacerbating
who works in advertising in of soldiers in the streets and the man overseeing the on details. Since it was an- gang wars.q

Honduras’ former first lady arrested in graft case

By FREDDY CUEVAS Rosa Elena Bonilla and her cil have told prosecutors nos said on her Twitter ac- itself. In December, the
Associated Press brother-in-law Mauricio that Bonilla, 48, deposited count. mission announced cor-
TEGUCIGALPA, Hondu- Mora. $600,000 in government Bonilla’s attorney Julio ruption complaints against
ras (AP) — Military police Authorities did not say if funds into her personal Ramirez told journalists that five Honduran legislators
searched the home of for- Lobo himself was present. bank account five days ‘My client is innocent and I who were accused of shift-
mer Honduran President The arrest was announced before Lobo ended his will prove it in the courts.” ing public money through
Porfirio Lobo on Wednes- by an anti-corruption mis- four-year term in January Past corruption cases in- a charity and into their
day and arrested his wife sion of the Organization of 2014. volving public figures have own accounts.
as part of a corruption American States, a team They also say she hasn’t generally ended without A month later, Congress
probe by an international the government agreed accounted for at least convictions, and the chief passed a measure protect-
team of investigators. to accept following large $6 million in government of the OAS mission, Juan ing them from prosecution
Police arrived at the Lobo street protests against graft funds for her office during Jimenez Mayor, resigned by freezing any civil or
home outside the capital in in 2016. Lobo’s administration. in mid-February, com- criminal action over pub-
six vehicles and searched Investigators for the non- “Today is a great step plaining of a lack of sup- lic spending until auditors
the residence before leav- governmental National against impunity,” council port from the Honduran have studied such cases
ing with former first lady Anti-corruption Coun- director Gabriela Castella- government and the OAS for three years. q