RJ concentrates 43% of cases and leads the ranking in the States, says association; data consider urban public transport
With 105 incidents in 2023, the number of public urban transport buses burned in Brazil increased by 67% compared to the previous year. The data are from a survey of the NTU (National Association of Urban Transport Companies). Here's the complete (PDF – 142 kB).
Records of burned-out collectives had been falling since 2018. The 2023 result interrupted the cycle and represented the highest statistics since 2019.
There have already been 9 buses burned in 2024. Read the case history below:
The peak of burned buses occurred in 2014, when protesters vandalized public transport in protests against the government of Dilma Rousseff (PT). There were a total of 657 cases.
The occurrences in 2020 and 2021 are naturally lower. The circulation of vehicles was limited due to the social isolation caused by the pandemic.
NTU considered municipal and metropolitan public transport buses for the survey – those used on a daily basis by the population. Despite the name, andThese vehicles are usually operated by private companies that have a concession for the service. Vehicles used for tourism and interstate travel do not count.
IN THE STATES
Rio de Janeiro concentrates 43% of collective fires in 2023. There were 45 in the State throughout the year. The majority (25) were destroyed during retaliations of organized crime in October for the death of a militia member. At the time, another 10 tourist vehicles were also set on fire – these are not included in the survey.
2nd place in the ranking of Federation units goes to São Paulo, with 15 cases. The value is 3 times lower than 1st place.
The Northeast also stands out on the list. Rio Grande do Norte and Bahia had 10 records each. There was an increase in violence in both units of the Federation throughout 2023 due to organized crime.
Minas Gerais (10) and Espírito Santo (6) are also in the count of Brazilian states with burned buses in 2023. The Southeast is the only region with cases in its entirety.
Of all UFs, 16 did not record fire attacks on public transport in 2023.
When considering the accumulated historical series, which started in 2004, the Southeast concentrates most of the occurrences. São Paulo leads (785), followed by Rio (665) and Minas Gerais (450).
CRIME, SECURITY AND ELECTIONS
How the Power360 showed in this report, the destruction of buses by fire is an issue related to public safety in the country. Many of the cases are linked to acts of organized crime.
States that are among the most affected on the list experienced moments of violence in 2023:
- large northern river – criminal factions promoted attacks in the State in March. It lasted for days in several cities;
- Bahia – was the target of several police operations in peripheral regions In August. The police talk about combating organized crime;
- Rio de Janeiro – criminals burned 35 buses (25 public buses and 10 tourist buses) after the arrest of a militia member in October.
There are still the political impacts of the decision. The government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) needs to gain the population's trust in relation to its security policies, seen as soft and conniving by the opposition. An increase in the number of burned buses could have a negative impact on the PT administration.
Candidates in municipal elections – especially those seeking re-election – will have to pay increasing attention to public security issues involving their cities. Left-wing parties, which tend to have more strength in the Northeast, could lose city halls depending on the situation in the region's municipalities.
Information in this report was previously published by Drive, with exclusivity. The newsletter is produced for subscribers by the team of journalists at Power360. Find out more about Drive here and learn how to receive all the main information about power and politics in advance.
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