RIO DE JANEIRO: Members of Brazilian militia on Monday torched 35 buses in Rio de Janeiro after one of their leaders was killed in a police operation, Western media reported.
The incident which paralyzed parts of the city erupted after the nephew and right-hand-man of a militia boss known as Zinho was killed in an operation.
Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes in a post on X, formerly Twitter called the militia members as idiots and criminals.
Quando o sujeito além de bandido é burro. Milicianos na Zona Oeste queimam ônibus públicos pagos com dinheiro do povo para protestar contra operação policial. Quem paga é o povo trabalhador. E para piorar, tivemos que interromper serviços de transporte na Zona Oeste para que… pic.twitter.com/NLzj6K1dXF
— Eduardo Paes (@eduardopaes) October 23, 2023
He said militia members have burnt public buses to protest against a police operation.
Level-three alert declared
A level-three alert has been declared over the unrest in the popular tourist destination.
Public bus operators’ association Rio Onibus said 35 buses had been burnt including five used on the special rapid-transit lines started for the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Police operations in Rio are common against heavily armed criminal gangs where poor neighborhoods are often caught in the crossfire.
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It is pertinent to mention that paramilitary militia groups control more than half of the Rio de Janeiro’s territory. Militia members are normally former police officers.
The militias have now evolved into organized crime groups controlling internet service, cable TV, transportation and construction. They have been involved in turf wars with drug gangs.
The latest violence started after three doctors visiting Rio for a conference were shot dead at a beachside bar three weeks ago.
