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Brazil: in Rio, violence on Copacabana beach increases
In Brazil, Rio de Janeiro is the city of carnivals and parties. But she is not spared from the extreme violence up to the famous Copacabana beach.
(France 2)
In Brazil, Rio de Janeiro is the city of carnivals and parties. But she is not spared from the extreme violence up to the famous Copacabana beach.
Copacabana (Brazil) and its 4 km of crowded beach every sunny weekend are victims of an increasingly widespread phenomenon. Groups of young people run on the beaches or in the streets, stealing everything in their path. While violence declined in Rio state last year, its most touristy beaches saw a more than 56% increase in snatching and armed robberies. To improve the image of the district, a “Seaside” operation was launched at the start of the southern summer, with more than 1,000 police officers along the beaches and on the sand.
Cameras on the beach
But the merchants and residents of the neighborhood also end up taking justice into their own hands, forming a sort of militia with very violent methods. To better track criminals, cameras have been scattered along the beaches with facial recognition. A system accused of racial profiling by many human rights associations. “While Rio is hosting the G20 for the first time, the security of this tourist district where the main heads of state will stay has become the priority of the authorities who are ensuring that they are reinforcing the police force until the summit takes place next November. “concludes journalist Fanny Lothaire.
