[Excerpt: Human rights groups have accused the police of execution-style killings. Two of the vigilante groups are being investigated by military police for theft, protection rackets and links to death squads, the daily O'Globo said in a cover story.]
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5615965 Monday 21.03.2005, CET 03:45 March 20, 2005 11:45 PM Police militias control Rio slums BRASILIA, Brazil (Reuters) - Armed vigilantes led by Brazilian military police have taken control of many Rio de Janeiro slums to drive out drug gangs and provide security in the absence of state authorities, a newspaper report says. Around 11 vigilante groups control 42 slums, or "favelas," in the south of the city. Rio police have long been known to act clandestinely against crime in districts where they live, the report published on Sunday said. Human rights groups have accused the police of execution-style killings. Two of the vigilante groups are being investigated by military police for theft, protection rackets and links to death squads, the daily O'Globo said in a cover story. A military police spokeswoman declined to comment on the report and said authorities were studying the allegations. Crime has dropped sharply in areas controlled by the vigilantes, which are receiving financial support from local businesses and citizens, Fernando Modolo, vice mayor of the Jacarepagua section of Rio, told O'Globo. He feared that organized vigilantes could create the same kind of protection rackets, intimidation and violence as drugs gangs and called on city authorities to police the area. Crime experts say around 600 shanty towns in Rio lack regular policing, allowing criminal gangs to control them and maintain support with services the city fails to provide. O'Globo interviewed an unnamed man who said he was a military police officer who was forced out of his community by drugs gangs. He said he formed a vigilante group to retake control of the area in a para-military style operation. Reuters enditem ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Give underprivileged students the materials they need to learn. Bring education to life by funding a specific classroom project. http://us.click.yahoo.com/FHLuJD/_WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
