Escalation of violence in northeastern Brazil: government sends in national guard A slow poison for Putin

Despite a wave of armed attacks, the Brazilian government has sent the national guard to the northeast of the South American country.

“The first part is already in Natal. Another part will arrive this morning,” Justice Minister Flávio Dino wrote on Twitter on Wednesday evening (local time). 220 members of the National Guard should therefore support the security forces of the state of Rio Grande do Norte.

Rio Grande do Norte, in the northeastern tip of Brazil, experienced its second “night of violence” on Tuesday with attacks in the capital Natal and at least five other cities, as Brazil’s news portal “G1” reported on Wednesday. According to “G1”, the targets of the armed attacks, citing the police, were public buildings and shops, and cars and buses were also set on fire. Public transport was therefore limited.

Clashes with police killed one person and arrested at least 25 people. It was initially unclear who was behind the attacks. The newspaper Folha de S. Paulo wrote that it was suspected that organized crime was taking revenge on recent police actions. These actions have resulted in the arrests and deaths of criminals and the seizure of weapons and drugs. (aeg/sda/dpa)