Rio Grande do Norte has 3rd night of attacks; public transport is suspended in Natal

O large northern river continues to experience days of chaos and terror, with organized attacks by bandits in at least 14 cities in the state, including the capital Natal, since last Monday night, the 13th. fire on cars and buses parked in the streets. The situation remains far from normal, even with public transport suspended in the Potiguar capital, even with the presence of more than 200 men of the National Force and another 30 federal penitentiary agents, who were sent to the State on Tuesday, 14. So far, 57 suspects have been arrested., one of whom was a teenager, eight fugitives from justice were recaptured, two had ankle injuries and one was injured, who was taken to a health unit. In addition to the arrests, 15 firearms and four firearms, 46 explosive devices, ten gallons of gasoline, five motorcycles, two cars, as well as money, drugs and ammunition were seized. Police actions left two dead, one suspected of carrying out acts of vandalism and the other a leader of a state faction. A third victim, an innocent trader, is still not directly related to the wave of violence, according to the police, who are investigating the death.

According to the Secretary of Public Security and Social Defense of the RN, Colonel Francisco Canindé, the wave of violence was motivated by inmates’ dissatisfaction with the prison system, having been commanded from inside the prisons. “Some leaders of criminal organizations are complaining about the treatment given within the prison system. The prison system in Rio Grande do Norte is a system controlled within prisons, and many of these people want benefits. The Penal Execution Law is being enforced in the RN, so anything else is not within the legal system”, he said. In addition, he said he still believes that criminal actions were also carried out in response to a police operation carried out 15 days ago, with large seizures of drugs and arrests of faction leaders.

The Minister of Justice and Public Security, Flavio Dinoresponded to a request from Gov. Fatima Bezerra (PT) and authorized, on the night of this Wednesday, 15, that the employment of the Penitentiary Intervention Task Force in RN, according to him, it is not a matter of federal intervention in the state, but of unlimited support to the state government. “This support is limitless. We are arriving with other contingents, we are going to reach 220 members. Even the commander of the National Force is there in the RN. The national secretary of Public Security is also going there this week. I’ve been talking to the governor two, three times a day. If it is necessary to put 400, 500, 600, 800 police, we will put them, to support the RN, because we are not going to allow territories to be given over to criminal practices”said the minister in an interview with CNN Brasil on Wednesday night.