Brazil general: mission accomplished by military in Rio
Posted Dec 27, 2018 8:06 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
RIO DE JANEIRO — The general in charge of Brazil’s military intervention into Rio de Janeiro’s public security is calling the operation an unmitigated success with all its objectives reached.
Gen. Walter Souza Braga Netto made the comments Thursday during a ceremony marking the completion of the operation, which officially ends Dec. 31.
President Michel Temer ordered the intervention, which put the military in charge of security forces in Rio, on Feb. 16 following months of increasing crime.
The measure put thousands of soldiers in the streets and increased operations against drug-trafficking gangs. But some Brazilians say it has not helped address underlying issues like unemployment and income inequality, and point out that the number of killings by security forces spiked.
Government statistics show an 18 per cent decrease in homicides compared with 2018.
The Associated Press
