Lula sends troops to fight crime in Rio de Janeiro
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ordered the armed forces into Rio de Janeiro state to back local forces' struggle against a bloody surge in crime that has killed 24 people, his office said.
Lula's announcement came in response to a request for assistance from new Rio de Janeiro Governor Sergio Cabral, who before being sworn in on Monday had already indicated he would seek federal support in fighting crime.
The statement by Lula's office, however, did not specify how many troops would be sent to the troubled southeastern state.
Besides preventing drug and arms smuggling across state lines, the armed forces will also beef up security in the state capital of Rio de Janeiro, where heavily armed gangs have attacked police stations, hospitals and public transportation, leaving 24 civilians, police and gang members killed in the last week.
Cabral on Wednesday announced that, in addition to the armed forces, a special police unit would also deploy gradually in his state to assist in the crackdown on crime.
Made up of 7,700 elite police officers from some of Brazil's 26 states, the National Security Force (FSN) was formed in 2004 by Lula to deal with emergency situations and has since been deployed three times in the states of Espirito Santo and Mato Grosso do Sul.
In its latest statement, Lula's office said the procedure to dispatch the FSN force was under way.
(Published by Channel NewAsia, January 5, 2007)