Police violence rises in Brazil
Police violence and killings by the Military Police (MP) continue to increase in Brazil. Over the last few years, thousands of people have been killed by the country’s military police with impunity of the institutions, especially young, black and poor people, as is denounced by human rights organizations.
From the newspaper A Nova Democracia (The New Democracy – AND) of Brazil, new cases of murders have occurred in the last month by the MP in the service of Tarcísio de Freitas, who have been accused of killing two motorcyclists and, in general, of an increase in the violence experienced by the workers in the area. During the month of April different images and videos have been published of aggressions by the police, who beat with truncheons and shot at workers and motorcyclists.
AND reports: “The images have been made public at a time when killings committed by civilian and military police in the state are on the rise. In the months of January and February, there has been a 19% and 27% increase, respectively, in crimes carried out by police officers, compared to what happened in 2022. Overall, there has been a 25% increase in the first two months of 2023.”
Brazil’s police have a long history of killings behind them. Official data reflect that in 2021 they reached more than 6,000 murders, some 17 killings at the hands of security forces every day. It is worth noting that the same year, 2021, had seen a 4.5% reduction in murders occurring at the hands of the police compared to 2020.
Repression in São Paulo is closely linked to the rise in the cost of living, increasing the number of murders as the number of poor families in the capital also rises, 30% more compared to 2021, and of the rise in prices, which in February 2023 had increased the shopping basket by 8.91% compared to last year. “Faced with the increasing levels of impoverishment of the masses in Brazil, the old State continues to harden repression, siege and social control against the people. The MP of each state participates in the reactionary civil war against the masses to prevent rebellion against the exploitation and oppression to which they are subjected,” adds AND.
But these assassinations and aggressions do not only occur in the cities. In the countryside, the large landowners create private militias in order to defend their territories from the poor peasants and indigenous people who occupy the land in order to live. We have published several news about some assassination from the State and also private militias.
A week ago, on April 9th, it is commemorated in the country the Brazilian Heroes Day, to remember all the victims and killed in the struggle against exploitation and oppression. It was marked that day because in 2012, Renato Nathan, was tortured and murdered by state police forces and gunmen in the service of the large landowners.
Revolutionary Front for the Defense of People’s Rights (FRDDP) wrote a statement in 2016, that the MFP published, explaining why we should commemorate this day:
“Four years have passed since the infamous ambush, torture and murder of Renato Nathan, committed by the combined action of police forces from the old genocidal State and gunmen from the landowners. His death, in addition to the emptiness of his absence as a companion, is a hard loss for the resistance struggle of the people and for the revolution. Our hearts are forever wounded and our minds throb with uncontainable hatred for revenge . But fellow Renato is immortal, as are all the heroes and heroines of the people. His presence will continue to be embodied in our red flags, calling us to persist and fight without rest in resistance struggles and for the cause of the proletarian revolution. His example of a selfless fighter and committed servant of the people is like a luminous
flame that stirs up our courage and determination to meet our goals and serve the masses wholeheartedly .
For this very reason, that justly and deservedly and in the unjustifiable absence of the definition of the day of the Brazilian People’s Heroes, the Revolutionary Front for the Defense of People ‘s Rights proposed to the classist and revolutionary organizations of our country and with their unanimous approval, instituted the 9th of April as the Day of the Brazilian People’s Heroes.”
