A level-three alert was declared over the unrest in the popular tourist destination.
RIO DE JANEIRO: Suspected militia members torched 35 buses on Monday in Rio de Janeiro after one of their leaders was killed in a police operation, paralysing parts of the scenic Brazilian city, officials said.
Rio’s mayor Eduardo Paes called the militia members “idiots as well as criminals,” in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. City hall declared a level-three alert on its five-level scale over the unrest in the popular tourist destination, warning residents of “high-impact incidents.” Militia groups control more than half the city’s territory, installing a reign of terror in poor neighbourhoods that are home to more than two million people, according to a 2020 study by a consortium of universities, online watchdog platforms, and a government anti-crime hotline.They initially formed as neighbourhood watch groups to protect residents from drug gangs in the city, which is known for its picturesque beaches but also its violent crime.