Crime Increases, President Lula Deploys Military to Secure Airports and Harbors in Brazil

JAKARTA - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday deployed the military to support security at a number of vital airports and ports, in line with the increase in crime in the country, after a number of deadly incidents in the State of Rio de Janeiro.

President Lula explained that the army would work with the federal police to secure the largest port and airport in Latin America, namely the Port of Santos in Sao Paulo, as well as the main airport of Guarulhos.

In addition, troops will also be deployed to the port of Itaguai in Rio de Janeiro State and Galeao Airport in Rio.

These ports and airports are used as hubs for cocaine shipments to Europe, as well as receiving smuggled goods such as high-caliber weapons that contribute to street violence.

President Lula explained that in addition to airports and ports, the army and air force would strengthen borders with neighboring countries where cocaine and weapons flow into Brazil, with a special focus on the western states of Parana, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul.

This provision, which will apply until May 2024, was taken amidst a series of violence that occurred in the country.

The situation is especially bad in Rio de Janeiro, where powerful drug lords, violent mafias known as “militias” and a murderous police force have contributed to a highly complex security dynamic that gives President Lula the perception of being too soft on crime.

"The situation in Rio de Janeiro has reached a very serious point," said President Lula, as reported by Reuters, November 2.

"We took the decision that the federal government should actively participate in fighting organized crime. Hopefully this will be successful," hoped President Lula.

Last month, three doctors drinking beer late into the night in Rio's affluent beach area were brutally murdered, allegedly because they were mistaken for rival gangsters from the militia. Last week, militia burned dozens of buses in Rio, after police killed one of their leaders in an operation.

The government's focus on ports, airports and Brazil's western border underscores the magnitude of cocaine that continues to flow into Brazil after years of coca harvesting in the Andes.

Brazil has become a 'major platform' for moving cocaine to Europe, strengthening local criminal gangs and contributing to the worsening security situation felt across South America, such as in gang-ridden Ecuador.

President Lula's decision to deploy the military reflects a shift by the leftist, who in an interview on Friday said he would not sign the decree, saying he did not want soldiers "in the favelas, exchanging fire with gangsters."

Under the leadership of his right-wing predecessor, former President Jair Bolsonaro, the number of homicides in Brazil plummeted from record highs. However, polls show Brazilians are less concerned about President Lula's ability to limit violence.

A poll last month showed that 32 percent of Brazilians expect the security situation to worsen during President Lula's term, up six percentage points from the previous survey in May.