At least six cities in northeastern Brazil reported a series of attacks early Wednesday morning that began the day before orchestrated by criminal gangs, with fires and shots against public offices, shops and vehicles, the authorities said.
The riots took place in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, where they spread to about 20 cities in the early hours of Tuesday.
Despite the tightening of security, The attacks were repeated on Wednesday in at least six citiesincluding Natal, the state capital.
The Minister of Public Security, Flavio Dino, specified on Twitter that “220 (federal) policemen have been sent to assist the forces of the state” and that this number could be increased. “up to the amount deemed necessary.”
The attacks
The images released by social networks and local media showed buses, trucks and other cars on fire, and police patrols with bullet holes.
Amid the attacks, two men allegedly connected to the attacks died in clashes with the police and two were injured, according to news site g1.
Until now, 30 people were arrestedaccording to a police report released by g1.
The Rio Grande do Norte authorities have indicated that they are working with the hypothesis that the attacks, planned from inside prisons, They are a response by criminal groups to a tightening of control measures in these state institutions.
The violence is “a reaction of so-called organized crime to the firm and assertive measures that the Rio Grande do Norte government has taken in controlling the prison system to address crime and violence,” Governor Fatima Bezerra said in an interview Tuesday on CNN.
Prisoners are demanding better prison conditionssuch as televisions and intimate visits, said Francisco Canindé de Araújo, in an interview with UOL.
Conditions
“There are a number of rights that are not respected”he indicated, highlighting the case of low-risk inmates who have not received intimate visits for five years.
According to the National Mechanism to Prevent and Combat Torture (MNPCT), a federal agency to prevent violence in prisons, he denounced “inhuman and degrading” conditions of detention in prisons in Rio Grande do Norte.
In particular, he noted cases of torture and spoiled foodaccording to g1.
In Brazil, some criminal groups operating in drug trafficking they are commanded by their leaders from prisons.
Riots and clashes between members of rival factions have already resulted in dozens of deaths in Brazilian prisons.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.