13 People Died As A Result Of Criminal Gang Clashes With Police At Porto Velho Brasil

JAKARTA - Thirteen people have died in gang violence in the past four days in Porto Velho, the capital of the state of Rondonia in Amazon, Brazil.

Eight people have been killed in criminal gang attacks and five have been killed in clashes with police since Tuesday morning, according to security department Rondonia.

The criminals burned 20 buses, most of which belonged to the school, allegedly to protest against police actions.

The attack prompted authorities to limit the opening hours of public transportation and assign police escorts to city buses.

The crisis caused the federal government to send national public security forces to Rondonia to help state police contain the wave of violence for at least 90 days.

Porto Velho police claim the attack was the retaliation of criminal faction Komando Vermelho for police operations in the gang-controlled housing complex in the city, according to the G1 news portal reported by Reuters, Saturday, January 18.

Although Comando Vermelho was formed in the state of Rio de Janeiro, thousands of miles away, they have been the most powerful gang in the Amazon region in recent years.

A recent report by Brazil's Public Security Forum, shows crime rates are rising rapidly in Amazon, home to the world's largest rainforest.

In 2023, the region recorded 34 murder cases for every 100,000 people, nearly double the national figure.

Recent violence is related to disputes between gangs to control the main path of drug trafficking that connects cocaine producers with consumers.

Rondonia borders Bolivia, the main producer of cocaine, and has recently become a major drug trafficking route, according to police investigations.

In the last decade, police seized 20 tonnes of cocaine in the state, one of the largest quantities in the country.