Brazil: 'From burning buses to caveirões': the search for human security

Index Number: AMR 19/010/2007
Date Published: 2 May 2007
Categories: Americas, Brazil

In May 2006 São Paulo suffered a wave of criminal violence which brought the city to a standstill. More recently, in Rio de Janeiro, a night of gang violence left 19 people dead. As the new administrations take office, this short report updates Amnesty International's public security campaign. It summaries the recent shocking events and assesses the state and federal governments' responses to them. It also looks at failures across the criminal justice system, including widespread corruption that has allowed organised crime to set down roots.