Lula calls on Armed Forces to fight organized crime
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has signed a decree calling in the Armed Forces for operations to guarantee law and order—GLOs in the original—at the airports of Guarulhos, in São Paulo; and Galeão, in Rio; as well as the ports of Santos, in São Paulo; Itaguaí, in Rio de Janeiro; and Rio City.
The move establishes the creation of an integrated operation to combat organized crime. Speaking at the Planalto presidential palace, the president said the crackdown would be in force until May next year in these places. “If we need to reinforce it in more ports and airports, we will,” he went on to say.
The president acknowledged that violence is worsening every day, adding that the federal government will play an active role and help state governments in tackling organized crime as well as drug and arms trafficking.
Rio de Janeiro
In the case of Rio de Janeiro, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, together with the state government, will set up the Integrated Financial Investigation and Asset Recovery Committee (Cifra), “with the aim of weakening the financial power of gangs.” The Federal Police and the National Public Security Force will maintain extra personnel who are active in Rio and on the state’s federal highways.
In addition to Rio de Janeiro, a port and an airport in the state of São Paulo, the government also plans to take action in the border areas of the states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Paraná. “In this case, there is no need for a GLO. On the border, the Army and Air Force will work alongside the Federal Police and the Federal Highway Police,” President Lula declared.
