The continuing escalation of violence in the West Zone, which is experiencing a war between militiamen and drug dealers, can be seen in numbers disclosed recently. A survey by the Fogo Cruzado Institute shows that 433 shootings took place in the region in the first five months of the year, which represents a 99% increase compared to the same period in 2022, when there were 218 shootings.
The West Zone, which concentrates 41 neighborhoods, accumulated 29% of the shootings mapped across the entire Metropolitan Region. It also had 14 times more shootings than the South Zone. Still according to the Fogo Cruzado Institute, of the 433 shootings, 141 were registered in police actions or operations. A 206% increase. In those shootings, 242 people were shot in the West Zone. Most lost their lives: 149 were killed, a number 166% higher than in the same period of 2022.
The war also increased the number of victims of stray bullets: four dead and 19 wounded. The most affected neighborhood was Praça Seca, which registered 20% of the shootings in the West Zone.
Our Analysis:
Since mid-January, different criminal groups operating in Rio’s Metropolitan Region have intensified an already violent dispute over territories. The war for territorial control of communities between different drug trafficking gangs and militiamen has always existed, but there has been an increase in confrontations. The current main driver of this war is an expansion campaign promoted by the Red Command (CV), which is mainly attacking militiamen, to expand its domains. For this, many men and powerful firearms are used.
Source: Fogo Cruzado, G1
