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Reminds me of City of God, except that City of God was set in Rio rather than Sao Paulo.
A real urban war. Gangs using machine guns and grenades against the police. I'm very surprised that the governor of the state hasn't accepted federal troops.
A real urban war. Gangs using machine guns and grenades against the police. I'm very surprised that the governor of the state hasn't accepted federal troops.
Brazil Companies Send Staff Home Early Amid Attacks (Update9)
May 15 (Bloomberg) -- Banks, schools and shopping centers shut early in Sao Paulo, buses curtailed service and callers overwhelmed the mobile phone network as a third day of gang violence spread in Latin America's biggest city.
At least 81 people have died since the attacks on police headquarters and cars began over the weekend in Brazil's financial center, according to Sao Paulo state. Rush-hour traffic clogged main thoroughfares as commuters grew afraid of a new wave of shootings. The federal government offered to send in troops to help restore order.
``I have never seen violence of this intensity in Sao Paulo before,'' said Claudio Vaz, president of Sao Paulo state's Council of Industries. Metropolitan Sao Paulo has almost 20 million residents and the surrounding state has a population of 40 million, according to census data.
The 180 attacks were reprisals for the transfer of more than 700 inmates to other prisons in a bid to break up gangs inside the jails, and marked the worst violence in the city's history. State authorities are also dealing with ongoing uprisings at 45 prisons, in which 180 hostages were being held, after quelling riots at 25 facilities, the state's Web site said.
Commerce Shuts
Seven bus companies, accounting for a third of the city's fleet, halted service in the area after attacks destroyed 43 of their combined 4,800 buses. At least 13 banks also were targeted, some shot at and some burned, Folha de Sao Paulo reported on its online edition.
Most commerce shut down in the southern part of the city on security concerns, according to the city's press office.
Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Brazil's state-controlled oil company, canceled a meeting with investors to discuss first-quarter earnings scheduled for tomorrow in Sao Paulo.
Eletropaulo Metropolitana SA sent headquarters staff home at 4 p.m. (3 p.m. New York time) and ordered repair crews to avoid high-crime areas tonight and not provide service if threatened.
Pontificia Universidade Catolica, a Catholic university in Sao Paulo, canceled its classes today. Sao Paulo's association of shopping centers said 10 of the city's biggest shopping centers closed early. Helicopters spotted large groups of workers walking home because of a lack of transport, Globo News reported.
Mobile Phones
Mobile phone service in Sao Paulo, from companies such as America Movil SA and Tim Participacoes SA, was patchy as systems were overloaded by calls.
Brazil's stock index dropped 2.3 percent and bonds and the currency tumbled.
``It's a very delicate and worrying situation, but it's still early to imagine a state of general calamity that affects the country's financial system,'' Rossano Maranhao, chief executive officer of Brasilia-based Banco do Brasil SA, Latin America's largest bank, told reporters at the company's Sao Paulo headquarters.
Maranhao said police foiled attempts to attack some of the bank's branches in the east and south parts of town.
``The situation we're living in is widespread and not limited to banks, and we're taking measures to increase security,'' Maranhao said.
On Sao Paulo's Paulista Avenue, one of the city's busiest streets, sections in front of police buildings were closed to traffic, in a bid to prevent more attacks.
`Too Scared'
``My daughter isn't going to go to school tonight because she's too scared,'' said Mara Lucia de Carvalho, 34, in interview on Paulista Avenue.
Mobile telephone providers in Sao Paulo met with state authorities to consider ways to stop communications in the state's penitentiaries that is enabling prisoners to coordinate attacks across the city.
``We understand the gravity of the situation,'' said Tim Participacoes SA, a unit of Telecom Italia Mobile SpA, in an e-mailed statetement to the press. ``We are in contact with other mobile-phone operators and with the Brazilian authorities to take the appropriate measures.''
Smuggled cellular phones have increased organized crime leaders' ability to plan attacks and criminal actions from prisons, Colonel Luiz Carlos dos Santos, head of the Military Police Officers Association, said in a telephone interview from Sao Paulo.
Troops
The federal government is prepared to deploy 4,000 national guardsmen to Sao Paulo, as well as army troops, Justice Minister Marcio Thomaz Bastos told reporters in Brasilia after an emergency meeting with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The state government refused the offer from Lula, according to Globo News.
``We trust the forces of Sao Paulo are capable of controlling the situation, Bastos said. ``The federal government wants to help and is going to help.''
The death toll at 3:47 p.m. New York time stood at 81, the state said. The dead include 43 police officers and four civilians along with 38 people identified gang members.
Two of the 21 police officers killed May 12 were buried in the Agua Rasa cemetery in the east part of Sao Paulo, where about 200 people marched silently through the cemetery on May 13. Ten fire trucks and police forces guarded the cemetery, to prevent gang members from targeting family members.
`Trapped'
``The concern is that the bandits attack the cemetery and we get trapped here, with our families and the dead,'' said Sylvia, 46, who attended the service for one of the fallen police officers and declined to give her surname. ``We all feel defenseless.''
Sao Paulo Mayor Gilberto Kassab disbursed 7 million reais ($3.2 million) on May 12 for metropolitan police supplies, including new telecommunications equipment. Kassab hired another 120 officers this month and another 500 will be hired by year-end, boosting the payroll to 6,500.
Gangs have attacked police buildings since May 12 with machine guns and grenades, according Folha de S. Paulo, which for two days has published a supplement called ``Urban War.''
At the same time, riots broke out in 70 prisons in the country, most in Sao Paulo state and continue at 45 facilities, the state said.
The association of Sao Paulo city bus companies demanded the government send police officers to companies to protect property and escort buses.
``The authorities need to ensure minimal conditions to protect users and providers of public transport, who are now in state of panic,'' the association said in a statement.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Andrew J. Barden in Sao Paulo at barden@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: May 15, 2006 17:01 EDT
May 15 (Bloomberg) -- Banks, schools and shopping centers shut early in Sao Paulo, buses curtailed service and callers overwhelmed the mobile phone network as a third day of gang violence spread in Latin America's biggest city.
At least 81 people have died since the attacks on police headquarters and cars began over the weekend in Brazil's financial center, according to Sao Paulo state. Rush-hour traffic clogged main thoroughfares as commuters grew afraid of a new wave of shootings. The federal government offered to send in troops to help restore order.
``I have never seen violence of this intensity in Sao Paulo before,'' said Claudio Vaz, president of Sao Paulo state's Council of Industries. Metropolitan Sao Paulo has almost 20 million residents and the surrounding state has a population of 40 million, according to census data.
The 180 attacks were reprisals for the transfer of more than 700 inmates to other prisons in a bid to break up gangs inside the jails, and marked the worst violence in the city's history. State authorities are also dealing with ongoing uprisings at 45 prisons, in which 180 hostages were being held, after quelling riots at 25 facilities, the state's Web site said.
Commerce Shuts
Seven bus companies, accounting for a third of the city's fleet, halted service in the area after attacks destroyed 43 of their combined 4,800 buses. At least 13 banks also were targeted, some shot at and some burned, Folha de Sao Paulo reported on its online edition.
Most commerce shut down in the southern part of the city on security concerns, according to the city's press office.
Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Brazil's state-controlled oil company, canceled a meeting with investors to discuss first-quarter earnings scheduled for tomorrow in Sao Paulo.
Eletropaulo Metropolitana SA sent headquarters staff home at 4 p.m. (3 p.m. New York time) and ordered repair crews to avoid high-crime areas tonight and not provide service if threatened.
Pontificia Universidade Catolica, a Catholic university in Sao Paulo, canceled its classes today. Sao Paulo's association of shopping centers said 10 of the city's biggest shopping centers closed early. Helicopters spotted large groups of workers walking home because of a lack of transport, Globo News reported.
Mobile Phones
Mobile phone service in Sao Paulo, from companies such as America Movil SA and Tim Participacoes SA, was patchy as systems were overloaded by calls.
Brazil's stock index dropped 2.3 percent and bonds and the currency tumbled.
``It's a very delicate and worrying situation, but it's still early to imagine a state of general calamity that affects the country's financial system,'' Rossano Maranhao, chief executive officer of Brasilia-based Banco do Brasil SA, Latin America's largest bank, told reporters at the company's Sao Paulo headquarters.
Maranhao said police foiled attempts to attack some of the bank's branches in the east and south parts of town.
``The situation we're living in is widespread and not limited to banks, and we're taking measures to increase security,'' Maranhao said.
On Sao Paulo's Paulista Avenue, one of the city's busiest streets, sections in front of police buildings were closed to traffic, in a bid to prevent more attacks.
`Too Scared'
``My daughter isn't going to go to school tonight because she's too scared,'' said Mara Lucia de Carvalho, 34, in interview on Paulista Avenue.
Mobile telephone providers in Sao Paulo met with state authorities to consider ways to stop communications in the state's penitentiaries that is enabling prisoners to coordinate attacks across the city.
``We understand the gravity of the situation,'' said Tim Participacoes SA, a unit of Telecom Italia Mobile SpA, in an e-mailed statetement to the press. ``We are in contact with other mobile-phone operators and with the Brazilian authorities to take the appropriate measures.''
Smuggled cellular phones have increased organized crime leaders' ability to plan attacks and criminal actions from prisons, Colonel Luiz Carlos dos Santos, head of the Military Police Officers Association, said in a telephone interview from Sao Paulo.
Troops
The federal government is prepared to deploy 4,000 national guardsmen to Sao Paulo, as well as army troops, Justice Minister Marcio Thomaz Bastos told reporters in Brasilia after an emergency meeting with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The state government refused the offer from Lula, according to Globo News.
``We trust the forces of Sao Paulo are capable of controlling the situation, Bastos said. ``The federal government wants to help and is going to help.''
The death toll at 3:47 p.m. New York time stood at 81, the state said. The dead include 43 police officers and four civilians along with 38 people identified gang members.
Two of the 21 police officers killed May 12 were buried in the Agua Rasa cemetery in the east part of Sao Paulo, where about 200 people marched silently through the cemetery on May 13. Ten fire trucks and police forces guarded the cemetery, to prevent gang members from targeting family members.
`Trapped'
``The concern is that the bandits attack the cemetery and we get trapped here, with our families and the dead,'' said Sylvia, 46, who attended the service for one of the fallen police officers and declined to give her surname. ``We all feel defenseless.''
Sao Paulo Mayor Gilberto Kassab disbursed 7 million reais ($3.2 million) on May 12 for metropolitan police supplies, including new telecommunications equipment. Kassab hired another 120 officers this month and another 500 will be hired by year-end, boosting the payroll to 6,500.
Gangs have attacked police buildings since May 12 with machine guns and grenades, according Folha de S. Paulo, which for two days has published a supplement called ``Urban War.''
At the same time, riots broke out in 70 prisons in the country, most in Sao Paulo state and continue at 45 facilities, the state said.
The association of Sao Paulo city bus companies demanded the government send police officers to companies to protect property and escort buses.
``The authorities need to ensure minimal conditions to protect users and providers of public transport, who are now in state of panic,'' the association said in a statement.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Andrew J. Barden in Sao Paulo at barden@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: May 15, 2006 17:01 EDT
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