Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 13 June 2018

US extradites Panama ex-President Martinelli Report: rising homicide rates

in Brazil hurting economy
United States.
The Foreign Ministry said
U.S. officials turned Marti-
nelli over at Panama City's
international airport after a
plane carrying him from Mi-
ami landed.
U.S. State Department
spokeswoman Heather
Nauert said in a statement
that it is up to Panamanian
courts to determine Mar-
tinelli's guilt. He had been
jailed in Miami since his
Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli gestures the
victory sign to the press as he is escorted in handcuffs after his arrest at his home in June
hearing in Panama City, Monday, June 11, 2018. 2017. The 66-year-old Mar-
Associated Press tinelli, who was Panama's
president from 2009 to
Associated Press home Monday to face po- 2014, is accused of em-
PANAMA CITY (AP) — For- litical espionage and em- bezzlement and illegally In this March 31, 2017 file photo, the body of a teenage boy lies
mer Panamanian President bezzlement charges after monitoring phone calls and on the sidewalk, only a few kilometers from the school where a
Ricardo Martinelli returned being extradited from the other communications. q 13-year-old girl was killed by a stray bullet, in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil.
Associated Press
Associated Press er.
SAO PAULO (AP) — Rising Brazil is preparing for presi-
homicide rates are dam- dential elections in Octo-
aging Brazil's economy and ber and public security is a
leading to skyrocketing top issue for voters. A mili-
public security costs, ac- tary intervention in Rio has
cording to a study released sparked debate on how
Monday. best to confront increasing
Beyond the emotional toll violence.
on families and communi- The report reviewed gov-
ties, homicides between ernment data on local,
1996 and 2015 robbed state and federal security
the country of more than expenditures, along with
US$119 billion in potential figures on workers in pri-
productive capacity, ac- vate security, incarceration
cording to a study pre- costs and average produc-
pared by the Brazilian gov- tivity of workers of all ages.
ernment with contributions In brute numbers, Brazil has
from Rio de Janeiro-based long had more homicides
think tank Igarape. each year than any other
Over that period, both nation. The country's mur-
public and private security der rate puts it on a par
costs tripled. with countries like the Do-
The overall costs of crimi- minican Republic, Rwan-
nality in Brazil, Latin Ameri- da, South Africa and the
ca's most populous nation, Democratic Republic of
are equivalent to about 4 the Congo, according to
percent of gross domestic Igarape.
product, according to the Between 1996 and 2015,
study. the average number of
"It paints a very disturbing homicides jumped from
picture," said Robert Mug- 35,000 to more than 54,000
gah, Igarape's research each year. That represents
director, adding that the a 54 percent increase in
report used conservative murders while the popu-
baselines and thus the ac- lation was growing by 40
tual toll may be much high- percent.q