Miriam Wells – InSightCrime, 08/12/2013
A new study into violence in Brazil over the last 30 years suggests an array of social and economic factors have fueled rising murder rates, with the growth of organized crime and the drug trade playing a peripheral role.
The Latin American Studies Center’s (Cebela) Map of Violence 2013 analyzed government figures on violent deaths over 30 years to look at where and why Brazilians kill each other, as well as how often. It found while the murder rate overall has changed little during the last ten years, within different states it has changed dramatically.
Contrary to popular belief, growth in organized crime and drug trafficking has not driven murder rates, according to the report. Instead, impunity and other institutional deficiencies have allowed a culture of violence to thrive, in which people murder each other for trivial reasons and go unpunished.
Brazil Portal 