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A12 WORLD NEWS
Monday 17 February 2020
Angry protests in Mexico after woman's gruesome killing

MEXICO CITY (AP) — An- a boyfriend, has horrified
gry demonstrations broke Mexicans for its brutality.
out in Mexico City on Fri- The man, who has been
day as hundreds of women arrested and purportedly
protested the gruesome confessed to killing Esca-
slaying and mutilation of milla with a knife, mutilated
a young woman, a case her body and flushed part
that has come to personify of her corpse into the sew-
outrage over the rising in- er.
cidence of gender-related Indignation grew after
killings, or femicides. some local media pub-
In the morning, dozens of lished horrific photos of the
protesters spray-painted skinned corpse, apparently
slogans such as "We won't leaked by city police offi-
be silenced" on the facade cers.
and doorway of the capi- The protesters read a state-
tal's National Palace as ment Friday saying "it en-
President Andrés Manuel rages us how Ingrid was
López Obrador was hold- killed, and how the media
ing his daily news confer- put her body on display."
ence inside. "It enrages us that the pub-
Hours later hundreds Members of the Marabunta Brigade try to stop police from attacking demonstrators during a pro- lic judges us, saying 'this isn't
marched to the offices of test against gender violence in Mexico City, Friday, Feb. 14, 2020. the right way to express
a media outlet that pub- Associated Press your rage,'" the statement
lished grisly images of the continued. "We are not
crime scene, and a news- evening, those remaining activists say. Last year there Oaxaca was burned with mad, we are furious."
paper truck outside was left and walked down the were 3,825 in all, which was acid by two men who tes- In the past, women's pro-
partially set ablaze. Some central Reforma boule- up 7% from 2018, accord- tified they had been hired tests in Mexico City had
spray-painted the plastic vard, where some bus stop ing to federal figures. by a former politician and been criticized for spray-
shields of riot officers as windows were shattered Not only have attacks on businessman who allegedly painting historical monu-
the crowd chanted "Not and signs vandalized. women become more fre- had an affair with her. ments and trashing city
one more murdered!" and About 10 women are slain quent, they have become But the killing last weekend infrastructure, but the dam-
"Justice!" Police unleashed each day across Mexico more grisly. In September, of Ingrid Escamilla, a young age Friday was minor, and
pepper spray. just because they are wom- a young female musician Mexico City resident who criticism almost non-exis-
As a cool rain fell in the en, the government and in the southern state of was allegedly murdered by tent. q

Brazil homicides fall to lowest level in at least 12 years

MICIDES, VIOLENCE AND in homicides was indeed fer of gang members to
FALLACIES FALL!" an exul- "stunning," but questioned federal prisons, stronger
tant Bolsonaro wrote on the government's claim economic activity, and
his Twitter account, shar- about its cause. even proliferation of smart
ing the G1 news report. He said crimes began to phones keeping young
"Our government extends fall early in 2018, before people off the streets.
a strong embrace to all Bolsonaro won the presi- Muggah said the various
the security agents of the dential election, and not- factors have influenced
country. Brazil continues ed that the leader signed events in different degrees,
on the right path." an anti-crime bill to tackle but the impact of each is
Bolsonaro, a far-right politi- violence just at the end of not clear.
cian, made fighting crime 2019. Tough talk against crime
and violence one of his "Although Bolsonaro and has gained strength in Bra-
signature campaign is- his supporters have sought zilian politics. Former po-
sues that ultimately swept to own recent improve- lice and military officers
In this July 31, 2019 file photo, a police officer aims his weapon
during an operation in the Mare complex slum of Rio de Ja- him to the presidency in ments in public security, who mimicked Bolsonaro's
neiro, Brazil. a country where people there are other factors at rhetoric also rode his coat-
Associated Press had grown weary of grow- play that have little to do tails to office in the nation's
ing insecurity. He has de- with their efforts," Muggah Congress and state assem-
By MARCELO DE SOUSA number of homicides since ployed rhetoric that en- said. blies. Residents of Brazil's
Associated Press 2007, when the so-called courages violence against He and other security ex- two biggest cities, Rio de
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Violence Monitor index crime, including saying po- perts don't agree that Janeiro and Sao Paulo,
Brazilian President Jair was launched. It is a part- lice officers who kill should more aggressive policing is elected governors in 2018
Bolsonaro celebrated Fri- nership between the non- be awarded medals rather responsible for better secu- who promised zero toler-
day after a crime index profit Brazilian Forum of than slapped with lawsuits. rity indicators. They have ance for crime.
showed homicides fell to Public Security, the Univer- In 2016, the most deadly offered other theories for In Rio and some other
their lowest level in more sity of Sao Paulo's Center year in the Violence Moni- the national improvement: states, the decrease inf ho-
than a decade during the for the Study of Violence, tor's records, Brazil had individual states adopt- micides has been accom-
first year of his term. and news website G1, nearly 60,000 homicides. ing new security policies, panied by a jump in killings
Brazil had 41,635 killings in which published the data Robert Muggah, co-found- easing conflict between by police. Those aren't
2019, down 19% from the Friday. er of security think tank Ig- rival drug factions, demo- classified as homicides and
prior year and the least "IN OUR GOVERNMENT HO- arapé Institute, said the fall graphic shifts, the trans- are rarely investigated.q