Gun Policy News
Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
29 September 2022
Instituto Sou da Paz
On Thursday (29/09), the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) decided to ban the transportation of weapons and ammunition throughout the country by CACs (hunters, sport shooters and collectors) during the election. The restriction will be in effect for 24 hours prior to and 24 hours after the vote.
The decision reinforces the Court's commitment to free and secure elections and comes in the wake of a series of recommendations made by civil society organisations and unions... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Armed by Bolsonaro and His Legacies
22 September 2022
Monde (Brazil)
Until 2019 the FAL rifle, produced by Imbel, was only used in the Brazilian Armed Forces, and in a few elite police units. In automatic mode, it is capable of firing bursts with up to 700 shots per minute. It also launches projectiles at 840 metres per second, and can hit a target with great effectiveness from up to 600 metres away. Because of its power to pierce armour, it has always been coveted by organised crime and bank robbery gangs. Before the Bolsonaro... (GunPolicy.org)
Bolsonaro's Gun Laws Arm Brazil's Brazen Bank Thieves
22 September 2022
Reuters
In August last year, Brazilian farmer Reinaldo Huijsmans reported a break-in at his house in the town of Maracaju, where thieves stole six legally registered weapons, including a T4 Taurus assault rifle.
Huijsmans, 39, is one of hundreds of thousands of Brazilians now registered to own guns, a group whose ranks have surged six-fold since far-right President Jair Bolsonaro was elected in 2018 and began loosening gun laws.
Two months later, Huijsmans' T4 turned up 1,300... (GunPolicy.org)
Booming Gun Ownership Triggers Fears for Brazil Vote
12 September 2022
France24
Clutching his bulky black rifle at a firing range in the Rio de Janeiro suburbs, a handgun strapped to his thigh, Freitas proudly repeats one of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's maxims: "An armed populace will never be enslaved."
Freitas is part of a demographic that has boomed in Bolsonaro's Brazil: since the former army captain became president in 2019, the number of registered gun owners has more than quintupled, from 117,000 to 673,000, as the administration... (GunPolicy.org)
Court Suspends Bolsonaro's Gun Law Over Risk of Political Violence
6 September 2022
Plataforma
"O início da campanha eleitoral exaspera o risco de violência política", o que "torna de extrema e excecional urgência a necessidade" de se restringir o acesso às armas e munições", escreveu Fachin.
O juiz disse ter tomado a decisão "à luz dos recentes e lamentáveis episódios de violência política", sem especificar se se referia a eventos nacionais como o assassinato a tiros de um tesoureiro do Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) por um agente bolsonarista ou... (GunPolicy.org)
Uruguay Becoming Arms Trafficking Hub Between Argentina and Brazil
12 August 2022
InSight Crime
Uruguay has been making regular seizures of weapons smuggled in from Argentina, indicating that the country is becoming a preferred transit hub for arms traffickers.
In the latest case, ten people were convicted of arms and ammunition trafficking in early August, according to Uruguay's Interior Ministry.
Beginning last November, Uruguayan authorities uncovered a network smuggling weapons into the country's Soriano and Río Negro departments.
In late July, security... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Ownership Has Risen Under Bolsonaro
28 June 2022
Buenos Aires Times
The number of registered gun owners in Brazil rose by almost six times since President Jair Bolsonaro came to power and eased restrictions, an NGO said on Tuesday.
In 2018, when Bolsonaro began his mandate, there were 117,467 gun owners registered as hunters, sport shooters and collectors, according to Army figures collected by the Brazilian Forum of Public Security (FBSP) NGO. In June 2022 that figure had jumped to 673,818.
"There was a very big increase in the... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,El Salvador,Venezuela,Guatemala,Colombia,Honduras,Brazil
On Gun Violence, the United States is an Outlier
31 May 2022
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
Among 64 high-income countries and territories, the United States stands out for its high levels of gun violence. The US ranks eighth out of 64 for homicides by firearm (age-adjusted). Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, two US territories, rank first and third on that list. Firearm injuries tend to be more frequent in places where people have easy access to firearms, according to findings from the 2018 Global Burden of Disease study published in the Journal of... (GunPolicy.org)
Jamaica,Venezuela,Honduras,Trinidad & Tobago,Colombia,Belize,Mexico,Brazil,El Salvador,Guatemala,Guyana,Ecuador,Haiti,Panama,Costa Rica,Dominican Republic,Uruguay,Paraguay,Nicaragua,Peru,Chile,Argentina,Bolivia
InSight Crime's 2021 Homicide Round-Up
1 February 2022
InSight Crime
In 2021, most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean experienced a marked increase in murders. Resurgent violence was to be expected after some of the world's longest COVID-19 lockdowns were lifted.
Much of the population found themselves sinking deeper into poverty. With schools late to reopen, teenagers returned to the streets with little to do, making them prime targets for recruitment.
The pandemic also made law enforcement more difficult. Police were... (GunPolicy.org)
Argentina,Brazil,Chile,Colombia,Mexico
Gun Laws in Latin America's Largest Economies
26 August 2021
Council of the Americas (COA)
Countries may adopt stringent gun control laws, but their efforts are complicated by international arms smuggling. We explore policies in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico.
For government across Latin America, reducing violence and providing security are top agenda items. AS/COA Online looks at gun-related legislation in Latin America's largest economies, identifying regulations for arms licensing. In Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico, gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Documents Surge In Registered Firearms
7 April 2021
Economist
"I always had the American dream," says Bernardo Mattos, sitting outside his shooting club in Rio de Janeiro. "Thank God, I fulfilled that dream." Since he launched his club in 2018 membership has risen steadily—particularly so during the past year of pandemic. Now around 350 people come through his doors to rattle off rounds. Mr Mattos, who says he was trained by the United States armed forces, broadcasts his views to even more. He has nearly 90,000 followers on... (GunPolicy.org)
Changes in Gun Policy Boost Number of Guns Owners in Brazil
12 February 2021
VICE
President Bolsonaro is encouraging weapons imports and shooting clubs, but discouraging the tracking of firearms in what observers say could be stoking violent crime.
Gun purchases in Brazil nearly doubled last year, yet controls on the purchase and use of weapons is weak and violent homicides are rising.
In 2020, nearly 180,000 new guns were registered in Brazil, the highest number on record and a 91% increase on the previous year.
In the first two years of his... (GunPolicy.org)
Jamaica,Venezuela,Haiti,Honduras,Trinidad & Tobago,Mexico,Belize,Colombia,El Salvador,Brazil,Puerto Rico,Guatemala,Pakistan,Panama,Costa Rica,Nicaragua,Uruguay,Dominican Republic,Peru,Ecuador,Paraguay,Argentina,Chile,Bolivia
InSight Crime's 2020 Homicide Round-Up
29 January 2021
InSight Crime
While unrest gripped much of Latin America in 2019, it was the coronavirus that took center stage and ripped through the region in 2020, upending everything from commercial trade to the operations of local gangs and transnational criminal organizations.
It's too early to tell with any degree of certainty how exactly the pandemic may have impacted levels of violence, but there were notable developments, including significant reductions in El Salvador, Guatemala,... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Ownership Soars In Brazil Under Bolsonaro
31 March 2020
New York Times
A year into his presidency, Jair Bolsonaro and his sons have helped fuel a gun rights movement that had little popular support, or political clout, in the country before he took office.
President Jair Bolsonaro has galvanized gun culture in Brazil.
His trademark campaign sign was a hand folded into the shape of a gun. One of his first moves in office was to ease gun ownership rules. His three oldest sons, politicians themselves, have been fierce proponents of... (GunPolicy.org)
Jamaica,Honduras,Trinidad & Tobago,El Salvador,Belize,Mexico,Colombia,Guatemala,Puerto Rico,Brazil,Panama,Costa Rica,Uruguay,Dominican Republic,Peru,Nicaragua,Ecuador,Argentina,Chile,Bolivia,Paraguay
InSight Crime's 2019 Homicide Round-Up
28 January 2020
InSight Crime
Unrest gripped much of Latin America and the Caribbean throughout 2019. From record violence in Mexico that recalled the darkest days of the drug war, to increased fighting among armed groups in Colombia vying for control in the absence of the FARC and a rise in massacres in Honduras, the region was again one of the world's most homicidal last year.
In its annual Homicide Round-Up, InSight Crime looks into the country-by-country murder rates and the factors... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Yemen,China,Israel,Russia,Brazil,United Kingdom,Germany,India,Canada,Austria,Australia,Mexico,United States,Japan,South Africa
How to Buy a Gun in 15 Countries
2 March 2018
New York Times
Many Americans can buy a gun in less than an hour. The process takes months in some countries. Here are the basic steps for how most people buy a gun in 15 of them. Many countries have exceptions for specialized professions, and local laws vary.
United States
1) Pass an instant background check that considers criminal convictions, domestic violence and immigration status.
2) Buy a gun. Many states have additional buying restrictions, including waiting periods and... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil's Merchants of Death: Unchecked Gun Exports Kill - NYT
23 October 2016
New York Times, Opinion
RIO DE JANEIRO — As Brazil weathers the worst political and economic crises in living memory, Brazilians can hardly be blamed for being distracted. But there is a subject that the country's politicians — and citizens — are not discussing, even though it risks tarnishing Brazil's international reputation as an advocate of peacebuilding and diplomacy: an unchecked arms industry and its involvement in foreign conflicts around the globe.
The fingerprints of Brazil's... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia,Afghanistan,Russia,Central Asia,Pakistan,China,Turkey,Brazil
UN Rule of Thumb Suggests 600,000 Illegal Guns in Australia
21 October 2016
Age (Melbourne)
As many as 600,000 illegal guns could be circulating in the Australian underworld, but national efforts to control the spread is being hampered by inconsistencies between states, a firearms intelligence report has found.
The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission report on guns - to be released on Friday, the same day as state and federal government representatives meet to thrash out a way to combat illegal firearms - also backs a national amnesty.
Chris Dawson,... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Reviews Exports After Gun Maker Skirts Arms Embargo
29 September 2016
New York Times, Reuters
Brazil is reviewing its procedures for controlling arms exports, Defense Minister Raul Jungmann said on Thursday, when asked about an investigation into a sale of guns by Forjas Taurus SA that allegedly violated U.N. sanctions.
"We are updating the regulations in this area, seeking objectivity and transparency. They need updating," the minister said. Jungmann said the review was part of a "periodic" update of arms export regulations.
Taurus, the largest weapons... (GunPolicy.org)
Manifesto in Support of the Disarmament Statute of Brazil
21 September 2016
Igarapé Insitute (Brazil), Communique
Brazilian society:
We are researchers from public and private universities and research institutions across Brazil and around the world. Our goal is to highlight the scientific evidence associated with the Disarmament Statute. Studies on the relationships between the Statute and lethal violence are available in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, and doctoral theses, a sample of which is listed in the Annex. Among other things, these studies refute the hypothesis... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil 57 Experts Oppose Bill to Weaken Gun Law [PT]
21 September 2016
Sul 21 (Brazil)
[Translated summary: A group of 57 researchers from Brazil and abroad have published a manifesto against the revocation of the Disarmament Statute. The document aims to inform society of the available scientific evidence confirming the effectiveness of the Statute as a tool to save lives. The evidence refutes the idea that more guns mean less violence.]
Um grupo de 57 pesquisadores de instituições públicas e privadas de ensino e pesquisa no Brasil e no exterior... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil 57 Experts Warn Against Bill to Weaken Gun Law [PT]
21 September 2016
O Globo (Brazil), Editorial
[Translated summary: A manifesto against the revocation of the Disarmament Statute was signed by 50 experts with the support of 13 organisations linked to issues associated with the reduction and prevention of violence in Brazil. The bill to repeal the statute would reduce the minimum age for gun purchases from 25 to 21 and relax the eligibility criteria for a gun licence, among others.]
Manifesto contra a revogação da lei, a ser lançado hoje em Brasília, alerta... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil,Colombia,Mexico,Venezuela,United States,India,Nigeria,South Africa,El Salvador
World is Far Less Violent: Global Murders Halving in a Decade
7 September 2016
Foreign Affairs (USA)
The world has never been safer than it is right now. Most forms of violence have dropped precipitously over the past few centuries. Although conflict deaths recently spiked (the war in Syria accounts for one third of all war-related killings today), fewer people are dying from warfare than at virtually any time in human history. Terrorist violence also increased over the past two years—especially in six countries the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia—but it still... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil's Big Gun Maker Charged with Sales to Yemeni Trafficker
6 September 2016
Reuters
Brazilian prosecutors said on Tuesday they had charged Forjas Taurus SA, Latin America's largest gun maker, in May for dealing with a known Yemeni arms trafficker in violation of international sanctions, prompting the company's shares to plunge.
Taurus confirmed on Monday a Reuters report that two former executives had been charged over a deal in 2013 that allegedly sent arms to Yemen's civil war, but the company said it was only a concerned party in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazilian Company Taurus Sold Guns to Yemeni Trafficker [ES]
5 September 2016
Radio Formula (Mexico), Reuters
[Translated summary: Federal prosecutors in Brazil accused two former Forja Taurus executives of sending 8,000 handguns to an active Yemeni arms trafficker in 2013. Forja Taurus is a major gun manufacturer which supplies the Brazilian police and the Army, and is one of the five main gun suppliers to the American market, where it sells three-quarters of its production.]
Fiscales federales en el sur de Brasil acusaron en mayo a dos ex ejecutivos de Forjas Taurus de... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Gun Manufacturer Sold Guns to Trafficker from Yemen
5 September 2016
Reuters
Brazil's Forjas Taurus SA, the largest weapons manufacturer in Latin America, sold guns to a known Yemeni arms trafficker who funneled them into his nation's civil war in violation of international sanctions, according to charges in court documents reviewed by Reuters.
Federal prosecutors in southern Brazil charged two former executives of Forjas Taurus (FJTA4.SA) in May with shipping 8,000 handguns in 2013 to Fares Mohammed Hassan Mana'a, an arms smuggler active... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Brazil,Ecuador,Russia,Chile
Brazil, Chile, Ecuador Largest LatAmerican Gun Exporters [ES]
6 August 2016
Sputnik News
[Translated summary: Brazil is the main firearms exporter in Latin America, with over 4 million guns sold between 2005 and 2010 and 85 million USD earned in the 2014-2015 period. 54% of these guns were purchased by the US. Chile is the second largest exporter, followed by Ecuador.]
El comercio de armamento a nivel internacional es un negocio multimillonario. Mueve unos 76.000 millones de dólares al año. El continente latinoamericano no es ajeno a este negocio.
"En... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil,South America,Argentina,Central America,Mexico
Handgun Trade Worth US$699 Million in Latin America [ES]
30 June 2016
Gestion (Peru)
[Translated Summary: According to a survey by a research team in Geneva, in the past year the three Latin American countries that exported most handguns were Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. The countries that imported most handguns were Mexico, Chile and Colombia. The US was the main buyer.]
La encuesta de armas pequeñas del 2015 reveló cifras de los principales países latinoamericanos exportadores e importadores de armas de fuego autorizadas. La encuesta fue... (GunPolicy.org)
Security Firms a Big Source of Guns for Criminals in Brazil
23 May 2016
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Over 30 percent of all weapons belonging to private security firms in Rio de Janeiro end up in the hands of criminals, authorities say, highlighting an important yet often overlooked source of firearms for criminal groups throughout Latin America.
A Federal Police report accessed by Globo states that at least 17,662 firearms were diverted or stolen from the stockpiles of private security companies in Rio de Janeiro state over the last 10 years. This figure represents... (GunPolicy.org)
Lawyers Push to Carry Hidden Handguns in Brazil [PT]
18 May 2016
Metrópoles (Brazil)
[Translated summary: Hidden handguns could become an option for lawyers, who by the risks of the profession may be entitled to be armed. A bill approved by the Public Safety Commission and Combating Organized Crime of the House of Representatives promises to heat up the debate.]
O Projeto de Lei nº 704/15, do deputado Ronaldo Benedet (PMDB-SC), ressalta que o porte de armas é para defesa pessoal, condicionado a requisitos do Estatuto do Desarmamento.
No cenário... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Records Not Issued in Brazil for Lack of Paper [PT]
17 May 2016
Pravda (Brazil)
[Translated summary: The death of a Military Officer in Rio de Janeiro drew attention to a serious situation: the lack of paper for the issue of Gun Registration Certificates. The difficulty to obtain firearms records in Brazil is not new. After the Disarmament Statute implementation in 2003, restrictive laws sought to make the process bureaucratic and expensive.]
A morte de um Policial Militar no inicio deste mês no Morro do Alemão, no Rio de Janeiro, chamou... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil: Firearm Use to Aggravate Penalty in Violent Crime [PT]
16 May 2016
Agência Senado (Brazil)
[Translated summary: The use of firearms in crimes committed with violence or serious threat to the person may soon attract stiffer penalties. The harmful potential of the firearm will be considered in two ways: if the weapon is of permitted use, the penalty shall be increased in half and it will be doubled if the device used in the crime is of limited use.]
O uso de arma de fogo em crimes praticados com violência ou grave ameaça à pessoa poderá ter pena mais... (GunPolicy.org)
With Nearly 60,000 Deaths, Brazil Wants Easier Gun Access
28 March 2016
National Public Radio (USA)
At the dilapidated morgue in the northern Brazilian city of Natal, Director Marcos Brandao walks over the blood-smeared floor to where the corpses are kept.
He points out the labels attached to the bright metal doors, counting out loud. It has not been a particularly bad night, yet there are nine shooting victims in cold storage.
Most were shot with guns that were not legally owned, he says.
Almost 60,000 people were murdered in Brazil in 2014, most with guns. While... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearms Trafficking from Uruguay to Brazil [ES]
21 March 2016
El Pais (Uruguay)
[Translated summary: Four people were arrested by the Special Brigade for International Crimes, for trafficking firearms from Uruguay to Brazil. The traffickers paid 'mules' to lawfully buy firearms in Uruguay 'since the sale of firearms in the country is free', a police source said.]
La Brigada Especial en Delitos Internacionales detuvo a cuatro personas que traficaban armas desde Río Branco (Cerro Largo) hacia Brasil. El modo de operar de los traficantes era... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Australia,Brazil,South Africa
Gun Control: What Works and What Doesn't
7 March 2016
Washington Post, Blog
Gun control works, but you have to be smart about it.
That's the takeaway from a major new analysis out this month in the journal Epidemiologic Reviews. Columbia University's Julian Santaella-Tenorio and a team of researchers pored over the results of 130 studies on gun control legislation passed in 10 different countries to find out which policy interventions worked, which ones didn't and on what issues the jury was still out.
Big caveat up front: Sussing out cause... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Venezuela,Brazil,United States,Spain,France
Mexico Weapons Imports Increased 331% since 2011
23 February 2016
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Mexico's arms imports grew by 331 percent over the last five years, compared to 2006-2010, raising more concerns over the government's reluctance to scale back the militarization of the drug war.
The report (pdf), compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), notes that arms imports to the Americas decreased by 6 percent from 2011-2015 versus 2006-2010. Despite this, Mexico, Venezuela, and Brazil all saw a rise in imports.
According to... (GunPolicy.org)
After 12 Years in Force, Gun Law Faces Repeal in Brazil
12 December 2015
Agência Brasil
After twelve years of its introduction, the Brazilian law that tightened the restrictions for owning and carrying firearms in the country is about to be changed by Congress. Since 2003, the Disarmament Statute (Law No. 10,826) has faced repeal threats that may now be carried out with the passing of an amendment bill proposed in 2012 that is ready to be brought to a floor vote at the Chamber of Deputies.
Amid controversy and public quarrels in Congress, the changes to... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Australia,Brazil,Argentina,United Kingdom
Australian Gun Expert Critiques America: You've Lost Control
10 December 2015
Washington Post, Opinion
Although we foreigners can offer no immediate solution to America's gun infestation, we can see how you lost control of the plague of armed violence. Outsiders are also perplexed to see that you've done so little to grant your citizens a basic human right — the freedom to live without fear of death by gunshot.
Historically, there's little mystery as to how it began. The early laws of each European empire relied on two pillars of gun safety: Firearm owners were... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Congress to Consider Bill Loosening Gun Control
24 November 2015
Americas Society / Council of the Americas (AS/COA)
A measure that would loosen gun control in Brazil—home to one of the largest absolute number of homicides globally—is wending its way through Congress. Supported by the so-called "bullets, beef, and bible" caucus, the legislation could dismantle the country's landmark 2003 disarmament legislation.
Where does the bill stand?
On November 3, a congressional committee approved the bill, which now heads to the Chamber of Deputies floor. Called the Gun Control Statute,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Americas Society / Council of the Americas (AS/COA)
Brazil Seeks to Copy US Gun Culture
12 November 2015
Time (USA)
Rio de Janeiro - Congressmen in Brazil, one of the most violent countries in the world, are proposing to dramatically loosen restrictions on personal gun ownership, bringing the country much closer to the American right to bear arms.
The politicians say the measures are necessary to allow embattled citizens the right to defend themselves from criminals armed with illegal weapons. But opponents say the move will only increase the country's toll of nearly 60,000 murders... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia,Brazil,Honduras,El Salvador,Venezuela,United States,Belize
Latin America Leads World on Murder Map
6 May 2015
Guardian (Latin America)
Latin America may be the most murderous continent on Earth, but huge improvements in public safety have been achieved in several major cities, according to a new homicide map of the world that is being launched this week.
Several metropolises that were once bywords for violent death – such as Medellín, Bogotá, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro - have seen murder rate declines of more than 60% over the past two decades thanks to improved living standards, better... (GunPolicy.org)
Nicaragua,Peru,Haiti,Dominican Republic,Cuba,Mexico,Honduras,Guatemala,Turkey,El Salvador,United States,Russia,Austria,Belgium,Colombia,Brazil,Czech Republic,Germany,Israel,Venezuela,Italy,Spain
16 January 2015
Los Angeles Times, Opinion
During the 1980s, El Salvador was the single largest recipient of U.S. military hardware and weaponry in the Western Hemisphere. Although the Central American country's civil war ended in 1992, the guns, grenades and bullets linger, as do their murderous effects. In September, a U.S. official from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives estimated that half the weapons available on El Salvador's vibrant black market were made in the United... (GunPolicy.org)
High Murder Rates in Brazil and South Africa Put Firearms Back in Spotlight
24 November 2014
Huffington Post (USA), Blog
Brazil and South Africa have dramatically expanded their geopolitical influence over the past two decades. But after years of democratic and economic gains, the two countries now find themselves in the doldrums. One of the reasons for this is that they are addicted to violence. Brazil and South Africa lead their respective continents in murder. This is no easy feat: last year the United Nations reported that 8 of the top 10 most violent countries in the world were... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,Central America,Caribbean,Cuba,United States,Russia,Nicaragua,Israel,El Salvador,Honduras,Europe,Belgium,Czech Republic,Germany,Italy,South Africa,Spain,Colombia,Mexico,Venezuela,Brazil,Argentina,Chile,Paraguay,Panama,Ecuador
Small Arms Trade a 'Dramatic Threat' to Latin America
13 October 2014
NACLA
Small arms and gun violence present the most dramatic threat to public safety in Latin America and the Caribbean. After decades of uncontrolled proliferation, at least 45 million to 80 million small arms and light weapons—that is, weapons operated by an individual or small group, including handguns, assault rifles, grenades, grenade launchers, and even man portable surface to air missiles—are circulating throughout the region.(1) Gunshots kill between 73,000 and... (GunPolicy.org)
No Silver Bullet… But Focus on Guns to Reduce Global Violence
16 May 2014
Huffington Post (USA), Blog
There is no "silver bullet" to reduce armed violence, a multi-faceted, complex phenomenon with a long list of drivers, risk factors and causal connections. Moreover, the local manifestation of armed violence often reflects unique factors and peculiarities found in a given community, country or culture, but not elsewhere.
As once noted about politics, all violence is also local; as such, there are many different interpretations of the best ways to confront this global... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil,United States,United Kingdom,Australia
Lessons in Gun Control from Australia and Brazil
6 May 2014
Emergency Management
In the year and a half since 20 children were killed by a gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., a handful of states have passed laws requiring universal background checks, bans on semi-automatic weapons and limits on high-capacity magazines. But the U.S. remains a patchwork of uneven regulations on firearms, ammunition and gun owners. Meanwhile, at least 44 school shootings have occurred since the Newtown tragedy.
If state leaders want to curb... (GunPolicy.org)
Ecuador Captures Crime Suspects, Seizes Assault Weapons, Handguns
2 May 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Authorities in Ecuador have captured members of what they call the "most dangerous" group dedicated to bank robbery at a national level, in an example of an apparently well-organized and sophisticated homegrown criminal operation.
In an operation labeled "Quimera," Ecuadorean police carried out 24 raids in three western cities in which they arrested 10 men and seized weaponry including assault rifles, shotguns, pistols, revolvers, bulletproof vests and an explosive... (GunPolicy.org)
Italian Man Fatally Shoots Wife and Daughter, Attempts Suicide in Brazil [PT]
22 April 2014
Globo (Rio de Janeiro)
[Translated summary: Italian national Enrico Telese was hospitalised after he attempted suicide following the fatal shooting of his wife and daughter in Brazil. Telese had 71 guns registered to his name although only the one involved in the crime was found at their home. Officials are searching for the remaining weapons.]
RIO - O italiano Enrico Telese, de 58 anos, que tentou suicídio após matar a tiros a mulher e a filha, de 3 anos, no fim da tarde da última... (GunPolicy.org)
Dominican Republic to Launch Disarmament Campaign
14 April 2014
Infosurhoy.com
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic is following Brazil's lead in an effort to gets weapons off the street as part of a strategy to reduce crime.
Under an agreement between the two countries, Brazilian experts will offer technical assistance to help Dominican authorities establish a program to "reduce the number of firearms and ammunition among the civil population," according to a prepared statement from the Ministry of Economy, Planning and... (GunPolicy.org)
Peru,Colombia,Jordan,Mexico,Guatemala,Honduras,Uruguay,Argentina,Brazil
Gun Thefts From Peru Army Supplies Points to Possible Corruption, Trafficking
3 April 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Authorities in Peru say the majority of arms used by criminal groups are stolen from private owners and security forces, highlighting a common regional phenomenon that is often facilitated by corrupt officials.
Specialists consulted by El Comercio said the majority of pistols and shotguns used by criminal groups in Peru were stolen from legitimate owners, rather than acquired through the black market. Authorities reported that 1,767 firearms were declared lost or... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Bust Exposes Paraguay to Rio Gun Trafficking Route
24 March 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Police in Brazil have dismantled a gang dedicated to trafficking arms and drugs between Paraguay and Rio de Janeiro, further evidence of Paraguay's status as South America's contraband hub.
The operation, named "Sao Domingos," involved a 10-month investigation and saw the seizure of at least $4 million of drugs (436 kilos of cocaine and 6.5 tons of marijuana) as well as arms (including rifles and ammunition). A total of 21 people were arrested, reported G1. Estadao... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazilian Police Crack Down on Guns in Favelas Ahead of World Cup
14 March 2014
Bloomberg (USA)
Rio de Janeiro state's security forces occupied another slum today following a surge in crime in the favelas where it has expanded policing.
Heavily armed police moved into the Vila Kennedy neighborhood in the west of the city this morning, making it the 38th favela taken over since 2008, according to the state security secretariat. There were no reports of gunfire in what culminated six days of operations in other communities.
Brazil's biggest tourist destination is... (GunPolicy.org)
Estranged Husband Crashes Baptism, Kills Ex-wife, Wounds 4 in Brazil
16 February 2014
Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela)
BRASILIA – A woman died and four other people were wounded Sunday when an armed man fired several shots in a church in the town of Guarulhos, near the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, police said.
The incident occurred during the baptism ceremony for a baby and the woman who died – according to what police commissioner Joao Blase, who is handling the case, told reporters – was the child's mother.
Blase confirmed that some witnesses had said the man who fired the... (GunPolicy.org)
Paraguay Gun Seizure Linked to Brazilian Crime Gangs
10 February 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Police in Paraguay have arrested three Brazilians after finding a cache of high-powered firearms, including a heavy machine gun, in a case highlighting both the migration of Brazil's criminals into Paraguay and the escalating conflict in that important trafficking corridor.
In a house in Ciudad del Este - located in the country's Triple Frontier region with Brazil and Argentina - Paraguayan police found the Brazilians, one of them an escaped convict, along with 8... (GunPolicy.org)
Two-Thirds of Crime Guns Seized in Guyana Came from US or Brazil
30 January 2014
Caribseek News
GEORGETOWN - The Task Force on Narcotic Drugs and Illegal Firearms has recorded a total of 111 firearms seizures for 2012 compared to the 125 in the previous year.
This is according to the National Drug Report that was launched yesterday by Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee.
These include: 28 pistols, 39 revolvers, 31 shotguns, and 13 rifles; 31.5 percent of the weapons seized originated in the United States of America while a similar number originated in... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 18,000 Guns Seized from Brazilian State's Streets in 2013 [PT]
27 January 2014
Jornal do Brazil
[Translated summary: The homicide rate in São Paulo fell in 2013 to 10.49 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Police seized 18,844 weapons from the street in 2013.]
O estado de São Paulo teve em 2013 a segunda menor taxa de homicídios dolosos desde 2001, quando teve início a atual série histórica. O indicador de criminalidade caiu 8,2% no ano passado, com 4.439 casos.
A taxa de homicídios, principal indicador internacional de criminalidade, foi de 10,49 casos para... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazilian City Registers 10 Gun Homicides in One Night
13 January 2014
Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela)
SAO PAULO – The Brazilian city of Campinas, the second-largest in Sao Paulo state, on the night of Sunday and Monday registered at least 12 murders, some of which appear to be linked, authorities said.
Police told Efe that 10 people were shot to death in two of the city's neighborhoods and at least two others died in hospitals where people wounded in the shootings were taken.
The shootings happened within a span of four hours, according to media accounts.
At a... (GunPolicy.org)
12 Wounded in New Year's Eve Shooting in Brazil
1 January 2014
Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela)
RIO JANEIRO – A total of 12 people were wounded, including one who sustained serious wounds, in a New Year's Eve shooting in the Copacabana district, one of the most famous neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro, minutes before the arrival of the New Year, Agencia Brasil reported Wednesday.
The shooting started when a man who had been arguing with a woman grabbed the firearm of a police officer who had responded to the incident.
The suspect, identified as Adilson Rufino da... (GunPolicy.org)
Thousands Support Move to Repeal Brazil's Gun Law [PT]
10 December 2013
Diario De Pernambuco (Brazil)
[Translated summary: A controversial bill is before the Brazilian Parliament to repeal the country's Disarmament Statute and to change rules on the acquisition and circulation of firearms in Brazil. Over 3,700 people support the move to repeal the law.]
Uma das propostas mais polêmicas em tramitação na Câmara, o Projeto de Lei 3722/12, do deputado Rogério Peninha Mendonça (PMDB-SC), que revoga o Estatuto do Desarmamento (Lei 10.826/03) e cria novas regras para a... (GunPolicy.org)
Gunshot Detection System Logs 39,000 Shooting Incidents in US Capitol
3 November 2013
Washington Post
When Absalom Jordan hears the crack of gunfire outside his home in Southeast Washington, he reacts in an instant. "You get away from the windows and get down," the 72-year-old said. "I have learned to live with it."
Police are listening as well. Rooftop sensors monitor his neighborhood around the clock for the distinctive bang of a gun. The inconspicuous devices have logged hundreds of incidents over the past eight years near his apartment as part of a gunfire... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil,Mexico,South America,Central America,Uruguay,Honduras,Chile,Venezuela,Colombia
Do Stricter Gun Laws Reduce Gun Violence in Latin America?
4 September 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Latin America has some of the highest gun homicide rates in the world, despite certain countries having relatively strict gun control laws, raising the question: to what extent, if any, does tighter legislation help to lower homicide rates and violent crime in the region?
The short answer to this question is that there is no clear correlation. A look at six countries with widely differing gun legislation and gun homicide statistics - Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela,... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Homicides Rise 61% in Brazil Over a Decade [PT]
9 August 2013
Globo (Rio de Janeiro)
[Translated summary: Between 2000 and 2010, the rate of gun-related homicides in Brazil rose by 61.4% according to a new study. The research also showed the presence of guns in the home increased the risk of suicide or homicide. There was a total of 29,824 gun homicides during that time and gun suicides fell by 37% after 2003, when the Disarmament Statute came into force. Recent gun deaths have raised concerns about guns.]
RIO - Na última década, os casos de... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Shocked as 'Sweet Child' Apparently Murders His Own Family
7 August 2013
Guardian (UK)
São Paulo police have said that Marcelo Pesseghini was a "sweet child". They are mystified as to why on Sunday evening the 13-year-old pupil seemingly murdered his police officer parents, his grandmother and his aunt before shooting himself.
Three of the victims were apparently sleeping in the family home in Brasilândia, north São Paulo, when they were killed. The body of his mother, Andreia, 36, was found slumped on her knees beside a bed, her arms covering her... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,United States,Mexico,Central America,Caribbean,Brazil
Lax US Gun Laws Blamed for Worsening Latin American Violence
31 July 2013
Los Angeles Times
Lax U.S. gun regulations are enabling the international trafficking of high-powered weapons and fueling the spread of gun violence in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Council on Foreign Relations argues in a report urging President Obama to take action on initiatives that have foundered in Congress.
More than 70% of the 99,000 weapons recovered by Mexican law enforcement since 2007 were traced to U.S. manufacturers and importers, the council report said, citing... (GunPolicy.org)
Singapore,Estonia,Brazil,Italy,United States,Germany,Malaysia
Brazil Named Fourth Top Arms Exporter in the World [PT]
8 July 2013
Tribuna Hoje (Brazil)
[Translated summary - A new Small Arms Survey report shows Brazil is ranked the fourth biggest arms exporter in the world. In 2010, Brazil exported $326 million (£736 million) in arms and ammunition, behind the United States of America, Germany, and Italy. Most of the exported weapons go to the United States, Malaysia, Germany, Estonia and Singapore.]
O Brasil ocupa a 4ª posição no ranking de maiores exportadores de armamentos do mundo, segundo documento divulgado... (GunPolicy.org)
9 Dead, 9 Injured in Brazilian Slum Shoot-Out
26 June 2013
Xinhua
RIO DE JANEIRO - At least nine people were shot dead and another nine injured Tuesday in a shoot-out between police and drug traffickers at a slum in Brazil's northern city of Rio de Janeiro, official sources reported.
Among the victims is Sgt. Ednelson Jeronimo dos Santos Silva, 42, a deputy officer of Rio's Military Police Special Operations Unit (BOPE).
The shooting occurred in the Da Mare housing complex in the Nova Holanda favela (slum) in northern Rio, which has... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil News Director Shot 44 Times, Journalist Murder Rate Rising
13 June 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The murder of the director of a Rio de Janeiro newspaper provides yet another example of the violence facing journalists in Brazil, although the motive behind his killing remains unclear.
Jose Roberto Ornelas de Lemos, who is also the son of the owner of the daily "Hora H," was shot at least 44 times by a group of gunmen in the city of Nova Iguaçu, just outside Rio de Janeiro, reported EFE. Lemos' father said his son was the subject of death threats prior to his... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil,Iceland,United States,United Kingdom,Denmark
Low Rates of Gun Homicide in Iceland Despite High Gun Ownership
16 May 2013
BBC News
Even though I grew up in New England, there was something novel about seeing an Icelandic blizzard. It was paralysing, with epic wind gusts that made snowflakes feel like razors.
As I dragged my bags along Reykjavik's snowy pavement, an older man in a Jeep pulled alongside me.
"You want to get in?" he asked.
It sounded crazy. Why would I ever get in a stranger's car?
Despite everything I was taught about riding in cars with strangers, I climbed in the backseat. And... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil's Firearm Sales Reach Record High as Gun Deaths Also Soar
13 May 2013
News Track India (Delhi)
RIO DE JANEIRO - The number of new guns legally sold in Brazil shot up in the last eight years, growing from 5,161 in 2004 to a record 31,500 in 2012, a media report said.
Figures from the Brazilian Federal Police showed a total of 183,722 new guns were registered in the country between 2002 and 2012, which equals two every hour, reported Xinhua citing O'Globo.
Among those sold in 2012, 60 percent of the weapons were purchased by policemen.
The newspaper said the... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Ownership Rises to Record Post-Gun Law Levels in Brazil [PT]
11 May 2013
Globo (Rio de Janeiro)
[Translated summary: The number of Brazilians who have been granted permission to own guns has risen to record levels in 2012, with 60% of the 31,500 permits granted being issued to civilians for that year. Between 2002-2012, citizens in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina registered the most guns, with an estimated 8 million legal guns in Brazil overall despite the high cost of registering them. There are calls for stricter enforcement of... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,Argentina,Costa Rica,Libya,Germany,United States,Brazil,Paraguay,Austria
Most Brazilian Guns Exported to US
29 April 2013
Folha de Sao Paulo
BRASILIA - The U.S., currently discussing restrictions on the sale of firearms, purchased 7.9 million guns from Brazil in the past 40 years, and 59% of those were exported during the Lula administration (2003-2010).
That is the result of a new study by the Army Command to which Folha had access through the Access to Information Act, with a detailed record of the sellers and buyers of 9.9 million revolvers, pistols, rifles and shotguns, among other weapons, exported... (GunPolicy.org)
New Study Shows Gun Homicides Fell in Brazil After Tough Law Passed
1 April 2013
ABC News (USA)
BRASILIA, Brazil - A new study suggests the number of homicides in Brazil has fallen since the passage of a law restricting gun ownership.
The study by the government's Institute of Applied Economic Research says the homicide rate fell to 20 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2010 from 22 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2003, when the law was passed.
In 1980, Brazilians possessed an average of 10 firearms per 100,000 inhabitants. Widespread fears that the police weren't properly... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazilian Singer Caught with Handguns at Routine Checkpoint [PT]
20 March 2013
Globo (Rio de Janeiro)
[Translated summary: Brazilian singer Udson Cadorini Silva, from the group Edson & Hudson, was caught with two illegal handguns at a routine police checkpoint. Silva belongs to a firearms association, which allows members to carry weapons to and from competitions and training.]
O cantor sertanejo Udson Cadorini Silva, de 40 anos, da dupla Edson & Hudson, foi preso em flagrante na madrugada desta quarta-feira (20) em Limeira (SP) por porte ilegal de arma. O sertanejo de... (GunPolicy.org)
Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania,United States,Russia,Italy,Germany,Brazil,Switzerland,Israel,Austria,South Korea,Belgium,Spain,Turkey,Norway,Canada,United Kingdom,Australia,France,Pakistan,Yemen,Honduras,El Salvador,Jamaica
Fact and Figures: Global Trade in Small Arms
18 March 2013
al Jazeera
Diplomats from around the world have gathered at the UN for talks on an international arms trade treaty, in an effort to stop the sale of illegal conventional arms.
Similar talks held last July failed, mainly due to the objections of the US and Russia, the world's two largest arms exporters.
Al Jazeera has compiled a list of facts related to the global production and trading of small arms.
1. Authorised international transfers of small arms, light weapons, their... (GunPolicy.org)
Northeast Brazil Suffers Highest Gun Deaths - Study
11 March 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A new study shows that northeastern Brazil is the region most affected by gun deaths in the country, having experienced a dramatic upswing in violence over the past decade.
The study, released by non-governmental organization the Brazilian Centre for Latin American Studies (Cebela) shows that over 36,000 Brazilians were killed by guns in 2010 -- a rate of 20.4 people per 100,000. The rate is slightly below 2000 levels but nearly triple the rate of 1980. Nearly 95... (GunPolicy.org)
How Brazil Exploited Sexual Insecurity to Curb Guns
8 March 2013
Bloomberg (USA)
Brazil has a gun culture, a gun industry and a gun problem -- much like the U.S. In fact, more Brazilians than Americans died of gunfire in 2010.
Yet Brazil's 2010 tally, 34,300 deaths, was significantly lower than its gun fatalities in 2003 (39,284), when the government enacted major gun-control regulation. I asked Brazilian political scientist Antonio Bandeira, who coordinates the arms-control program of Viva Rio, a nongovernmental organization in Rio De Janeiro, how... (GunPolicy.org)
New Study Shows 70 per cent of Homicides in Brazil are Firearm-Related
6 March 2013
Globo (Rio de Janeiro)
[Translated summary: The latest edition of Brazil's 'Map of Violence' shows that 36,792 people were shot and killed in 2010 in Brazil, an increase since 2009. 20.4 homicides per 100,000 citizens occur in Brazil and the highest homicide rate was in the region of Alagoas. The regions of Pará, Alagoas, Bahia and Paraíba all experienced a significant increase in homicides, despite anti-violence campaigns. 70 percent of all homicides were committed with guns.]
BRASÍLIA -... (GunPolicy.org)
Second US Teachers Pension Fund Drops Gun Shares
15 February 2013
Financial Times (UK)
A New York City teachers' retirement fund has withdrawn $13.5m in investments in gun manufacturers, in the latest move by a public pension fund to distance itself from the firearms industry after a mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school.
John Liu, New York City's comptroller who serves as investment adviser to the $46.6bn fund, said on Friday that the shooting that left 20 children dead in Newtown, Connecticut, and "the continued prevalence of gun violence... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexicans Swap Over 3,000 Guns for Computers, Bikes in Amnesty
6 February 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Mexico City authorities have received over 3,000 firearms in exchange for cash, bicycles, tablet computers and other goods, in new amnesty program aimed at tackling gun crime.
The program, "For your family, voluntarily disarmament" (Por tu familia, desarme voluntario), has been running in three of Mexico City's 16 districts for the last two months. El Capitalino reports that government officials associated with the program have visited nearly half a million homes in... (GunPolicy.org)
Chile,Brazil,Germany,Libya,Turkey,Denmark,Sweden,Canada
Critics Say German Report on Weapons Exports Reveals Little
30 January 2013
Deutsche Welle
Critics says the government's report on arms exports lacks transparency: exporting companies are not named, and government sales are merely summarized. Yet the government claims it's in-depth and detailed.
How is it that time and again military equipment "made in Germany" shows up in war zones, despite German government claims that it handles its weapon exports "restrictively" and that it maintains a broad ban on exports to countries with questionable track records for... (GunPolicy.org)
Bolivia,United States,Colombia,Brazil,Argentina
Bolivia Breaks Gun Trafficking Ring, Weapons from US to Brazil
28 January 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Bolivian authorities broke up a network suspected of smuggling guns from the United States to Brazil's First Capital Command (PCC) gang, highlighting this Andean nation's role as a transit route in the region's illicit arms trade.
On January 25, authorities arrested four Bolivian nationals in the city of Santa Cruz and seized an arms shipment worth $150,000 that was destined to be sent across the border to the Brazilian PCC gang, reported EFE news agency.
Among the 28... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia,Paraguay,Brazil,United States
What the US Can Learn from Brazil's Epidemic of Gun Violence
18 January 2013
Latitude News
A man walks into an elementary school with two handguns. Within minutes, more than thirty children are dead or wounded.
This isn't Newtown, Connecticut, but Realengo, a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On April 7th, 2011, Wellington Oliveira murdered twelve children and wounded twenty others. The tragedy sparked a national conversation on gun violence, a huge problem in Brazil.
On Wednesday, in reaction to a different massacre, President Obama proposed a series... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Allows Police High Calibre Guns, NGOs Worried About Corruption
16 January 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The Brazilian military will now allow police and firefighters to buy powerful .45 caliber guns for personal use, raising fears over how the weapons will be used and where they might end up.
Prior to the ruling, only federal police were permitted to buy .45 caliber weapons, while other police agencies carried less lethal .40 or .38 weapons. The new regulations open the way for civil, military, and transport police to purchase .45 handguns.
The military command, which... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia,Venezuela,Mexico,Chile,Brazil,Argentina
Gun Laws in Six Latin American Nations Explained
11 January 2013
Americas Society/Council of the Americas
Following a mass school shooting in Connecticut in December 2012, policymakers in the United States began engaging in a renewed debate about gun control. AS/COA Online looks at gun-related legislation in Latin America's six largest economies, identifying regulations for arms licensing. In Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela, gun possession is legal for civilians, though restrictions tend to be stringent. …
Argentina: Gun ownership in Argentina... (GunPolicy.org)
Unsecured Antique Gun Kills Brazilian Teen in Accidental Shooting
4 January 2013
Telegraph (UK)
A Brazilian teenager died after an antique shotgun which had been hidden for years fell to the floor and went off as he was cleaning his room.
Helciane Pereira da Silva, 14, was shot in the stomach by the gun, which is believed had been placed in a gap near the ceiling of the boy's room by a previous owner.
Police in Monteiropolis, in Brazil's northeastern state of Alagoas, said the teenager had been rearranging his room at the time of the accident and had probably... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia,Paraguay,Chile,Brazil,Uruguay,Venezuela
Tough Gun Control Laws in South America
27 December 2012
I Love Chile, Opinion
SANTIAGO — It is interesting to have a look at firearms legislation in South America, where street gangs and violence is commonplace. According to a study done at Universidad de Chile, the number of incidents of handgun use is higher in regions with low levels of education, high poverty and unemployment, and a younger population. It is not surprising that the most vulnerable zones in this matter are Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.
In Brazil, the minimum age required... (GunPolicy.org)
Zimbabwe,Pakistan,Colombia,United States,Brazil
Brazil Should Continue Responsible Gun Control, Reduce Deaths Further
25 December 2012
Rio Times, Opinion
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Last week's slaughter of twenty elementary school children in the United States has tragic echoes with the massacre in Realengo, Rio de Janeiro earlier this year. At 8:30 AM on April 7th, Wellington Oliveira calmly walked into a classroom with two .38 and .32 caliber handguns, and shot twelve children dead.
At least sixty shots were fired and twenty boys and girls were critically wounded. It was the worst school massacre in Brazilian history.... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,El Salvador,Brazil,Philippines,Jamaica,South Africa,Swaziland,Guatemala,Panama,Mexico,Colombia,Honduras
Top 12 Countries for Firearms Related Deaths
17 December 2012
Forbes (USA)
Few major nations have the right to bear arms configured in their Constitution. Even fewer (as in we are the only one) have gun control legislation as a hot button political issue. The U.S. is the most violent core economy in terms of gun related deaths. It is also the leader in gun violence at school campuses. Yet, the U.S. does not lead the world in firearms related deaths. Countries where gangs and drugs are a problem top the list, even where there is strict gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Costa Rica,Mexico,Honduras,Guatemala,Colombia,Brazil,El Salvador
Study Shows South America Gun Deaths More Likely in Cities [ES]
5 December 2012
Prensa Libre (Guatemala) / EFE News Agency
[Translated summary: A new study found that over 60 percent of gun homicides in Costa Rica, Guatemala and El Salvador occur in large cities. ]
GINEBRA - El informe titulado "Violencia urbana armada" señala que las capitales de los países concentran buen parte de la violencia, por ejemplo la Ciudad de Guatemala o Managua, que contabilizan un 42 por ciento del total de los homicidios armados a nivel nacional.
El estudio, basado en cifras oficiales, revela también las... (GunPolicy.org)
Nearly 300 Crime Guns Stolen from Evidence Lock Up in Brazil
26 November 2012
Fox News Latino (USA) / EFE News Agency
A group of armed men overpowered the lone security guard at a judicial system arms depot in Colombo, a city in southern Brazil, over the weekend and stole 291 firearms that were going to be introduced as evidence at different trials, police said.
The firearms, mostly revolvers and pistols, had been seized by police in various operations and were being held at the depot so they could be used as evidence in different cases.
The robbery occurred around 12:30 a.m. Sunday... (GunPolicy.org)
Drug Gang Shootings Blamed for Uruguay Homicide Rate Rise
22 November 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Uruguay is on course for its most violent year on record, according to a new report, suggesting that organized crime may be increasing its presence in one of Latin America's historically more peaceful countries.
The Proposal Foundation (Fundacion Propuesta - FP), an organization that monitors security in Uruguay, released figures putting the country on course for a homicide rate of 9.19 per 100,000 in 2012. This marks a jump from 6.27 per 100,000 last year, and means... (GunPolicy.org)
Uruguay Police Suspected of Stealing Guns, Trafficking to Brazil Gangs
14 November 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Uruguay is investigating 20 police officers for the disappearance of some 200 firearms over the past two years, as evidence suggests the officers may have been involved in an arms trafficking ring that sold weapons to Brazilian criminal organizations.
The officers, including a former police chief, are suspected of involvement in the disappearance of more than 200 firearms from police headquarters in Treinta y Tres, an eastern province that shares a maritime border with... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Authorities Seize Guns, Drugs After Fatal Gang Shootout
12 September 2012
Fox News Latino (USA) / EFE
An elite police unit killed nine people during an operation targeting drug traffickers in Varzea Paulista, a city about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Sao Paulo, Brazilian officials said.
Six of the nine suspects killed in Tuesday's operation have been identified and all had lengthy criminal records, the Sao Paulo Security Secretariat said.
Forty officers from two squads of the ROTA special operations battalion took part in the operation, which also resulted in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Six People Die in Random Nightclub Shooting in Brazil
28 August 2012
Zee News (India)
RIO DE JANEIRO - Six people were killed and 14 wounded in a gunfight at a nightclub in the southeastern Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte, police said Monday, blaming the violence on a dispute between gangs.
Scores of people were inside the club late Sunday night when two armed men burst in as a band was playing and started firing indiscriminately.
One of the intruders was carrying a military-issue submachine gun, police said.
Several club patrons drew guns and... (GunPolicy.org)
Italy,Germany,Austria,Europe,United States,Brazil
Europe's Role in US Mass Murders: EU Nations Often Provide the Guns
24 July 2012
Washington Post, Opinion
Americans mourn the victims in Aurora, Colo. In Europe, too, there is grief — mingled with incomprehension. The media chorus: How many more massacres before the United States adopts European-style gun control?
Christoph Prantner of Austria's Der Standard bemoans American insistence on Second Amendment rights, "even when this freedom occasionally has a very high price and, in a bloody perversion, fatally impairs the freedom of others."
I can't disagree. I just wish... (GunPolicy.org)
Argentina Loses 400 Military Guns, Pointing to Brazil Connection
16 July 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Argentina's Armed Forces have lost track of more than 400 firearms in the past two years, according to a government report, in evidence that military stockpiles may be feeding a regional arms bazaar.
The newspaper Clarin obtained a report which Chief of Staff Juan Manuel Abal Medina prepared for Argentina's Congress, highlighting the theft of arms from the army, air force, and navy. Among the weapons stolen from the air force and army were six Browning heavy machine... (GunPolicy.org)
Afghanistan,Russia,Central Asia,Pakistan,China,Turkey,Brazil
Where Do 20 Million Illegal Guns Come From? Afghanistan, Says Pakistan
17 May 2012
Express Tribune (Pakistan)
KARACHI - There are an estimated 20 million illegal arms in circulation in Pakistan.
This includes serious firepower: law enforcement authorities are increasingly coming under attack from criminals and terrorists armed with heavy weapons such as grenades (including rocket-propelled ones), long-range sniper rifles and machine guns. The volatile situation in Lyari was a case in point, where despite the fact that police were equipped with tank-like armoured personnel... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Australia,Brazil,Nigeria,Canada
Canada Changed Its Arms Policy, Chose UN Delegate to Suit Gun Lobby
21 March 2012
CBC News (Canada)
The office of Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird ordered last-minute changes to Canada's position on an international arms treaty, as well as to its delegation to meetings at United Nations headquarters, CBC News has learned.
According to documents obtained under the Access to Information Act, the minister's office ignored advice from the department and ordered civil servants to invite Steve Torino, president of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA), to... (GunPolicy.org)
Estonia,Dominican Republic,Ecuador,Ukraine,Kyrgyzstan,Moldova,Kazakhstan,Belize,Latvia,Venezuela,Belarus,Lithuania,Bahamas,Bolivia,Azerbaijan,Russia,Antigua & Barbuda,Guyana,South Africa,Jamaica,Honduras,Guatemala,El Salvador,South America,Colombia,Brazil,Central America,Caribbean
1/3 of Femicides Committed With Gun in Latin America and Caribbean [ES]
2 March 2012
RT-TV Novosti (Russia)
[Translated summary: Nearly a third of crimes against women are committed with a firearm and in Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras this indicator is 60% - Small Arms Survey.]
El mayor nivel de feminicidios se registra en Latinoamérica y el Caribe. Catorce países latinoamericanos aparecen entre los 25 del mundo con la tasa más elevada de crímenes contra la mujer.
El informe de la organización de investigaciones independientes Small Arms Survey,... (GunPolicy.org)
Philippines,Trinidad & Tobago,Zimbabwe,Zambia,Uganda,Tanzania,Senegal,Congo (DRC),Pakistan,Nigeria,Niger,Namibia,Morocco,Mauritania,Malawi,Madagascar,Côte d'Ivoire,Burkina Faso,Botswana,Egypt,Angola,Algeria,South Africa,Ghana,China,United States,Austria,Russia,Israel,Bahrain,Asia,Africa,Brazil
Brazil Arms Exports: Country Preaches Peace, Sells Tons of Arms
28 February 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
A small, scratched metal can thrown on the ground created Brazil's first diplomatic embarrassment of 2012. The canister of tear gas had been collected by pro-democracy activists in Bahrain. Stamped across the can in blue was a Brazilian flag and the words 'MADE IN BRAZIL.'
One year had passed since Bahrain became the stage for pro-democracy protests by the majority Shiites against the Sunni monarchy commanded by king Hamad bin-Isa Khalifa. The protesters had been... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,El Salvador,Honduras,Venezuela,Brazil,Colombia
Colombia Capital Tries Trial Ban on Guns in Public
2 February 2012
New York Times / AP
BOGOTA, Colombia — Gustavo Petro was imprisoned as a rebel in the 1980s on a weapons conviction. As Bogota's new mayor, he wants to get firearms off the streets of this city where the conspicuous display of guns has long been the norm.
So he's trying an experimental ban on gun-wielding in public.
The only people authorized to carry weapons during the 90-day trial that began Wednesday are active and retired police and soldiers, bodyguards of diplomats, politicians,... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil: 4.3 Million Guns Sold in 5yrs, 40,000 Gun Deaths in 2009 [PT]
27 January 2012
Publica (Brazil)
[Translated summary: domestic manufacturers alone sold 4.3 million guns in Brazil over the past five years. Nearly 40,000 people died in 2009 in episodes involving firearms, including homicides, suicides and accidents, according to latest figures provided by the Ministry of Health. A study by Pablo Dreyfuss, who was a leading expert on the subject, showed that 90% of these deaths are the result of crimes and the risk of dying from injuries caused by firearms in Brazil... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil, the Worlds' 4th Largest Arms Manufacturer and Exporter [PT]
27 January 2012
Publica (Brazil)
[Tanslated summary: Brazil, fourth largest exporter in small arms and around 4,5 million arms exported in the past five years.]
De maneira pouco transparente, governo incentiva crescimento da indústria. Ênfase é nas armas leves: Brasil é 4º maior exportador mundial. Levantamento inédito do Exército revela que nos últimos 5 anos, exportamos 4,5 milhões de armas.
Uma pequena lata metálica, arranhada e atirada ao chão, gerou o primeiro vexame diplomático... (GunPolicy.org)
Thailand,Malaysia,Indonesia,Kuwait,Qatar,Mexico,Peru,Venezuela,Colombia,Bolivia,Somalia,Nepal,Oman,Latvia,Mauritius,Guyana,Congo (DRC),Bosnia & Herzegovina,Saudi Arabia,Liberia,Kazakhstan,Singapore,Dominican Republic,Jordan,Trinidad & Tobago,United Arab Emirates,Guatemala,Honduras,Chile,Ecuador,Argentina,Zimbabwe,Zambia,Uganda,Tanzania,Senegal,Congo (ROC),Nigeria,Niger,Namibia,Morocco,Mauritania,Malawi,Côte d'Ivoire,Egypt,Burkina Faso,Brazil,Tunisia,Sri Lanka,Pakistan,Philippines,Yemen,United States,Italy,Germany,Israel,Austria,Russia,Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,South Africa,Algeria,Angola,Botswana,Ghana,Guinea,Madagascar
Brazilian Gun Industry Seeks New Markets: Africa and Asia [PT]
27 January 2012
Publica (Brazil)
[Translated summary: With the support of the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs, Brazilian gun manufacturers seek new markets in countries with a history of human rights violations: Tunisia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Philippines and Yemen. Brazil is among the six countries in the world with annual exports exceeding $ 100 million, according to recent research from Small Arms Survey. According to the Army, responsible for supervising and controlling exports from 2005 to... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuela Destroyed 138,000 Arms in 2011 [ES]
17 January 2012
Venezolana de Televisión (Caracas)
[Translated summary: The director of Venezuela National Police explained that the rate of destruction in 2011 is of 464 weapons per 100,000 people. An important result compared to 90 weapons per 100,000 people in Brazil.]
El director de la PNB explicó que esa cifra nos da una tasa de destrucción de 464 armas por cada 100.000 habitantes, sólo en el 2011 / Resaltó que este que este dato demuestra que en Venezuela "estamos demostrando con hechos que hay una voluntad... (GunPolicy.org)
FIFA Mulls Brazilian Plans for Gun Scrapping Drive at Soccer World Cup
14 December 2011
Guardian (UK)
RIO DE JANEIRO - Football's governing body, Fifa, is studying plans to hand out free or cut-price World Cup tickets to football fans who surrender guns to the Brazilian government.
Brazil's justice ministry submitted the plans for the 2014 event last month as part of a new disarmament drive in the South American country.
According to reports in the Brazilian media, the government's suggestions also include swapping official footballs and shirts signed by World Cup... (GunPolicy.org)
Rio de Janeiro Police Caught Selling Seized Firearms to Criminal Gangs
13 December 2011
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Police in Rio de Janeiro arrested 16 people, including 11 military police, accused of selling confiscated firearms to criminal groups.
According to news site R7, the group operated a gun trafficking ring that sold weapons to gangs based in Rio's third-largest favela, Jacarezinho.
This is one of Rio's poorer areas, where crack cocaine use is widespread, and prison gang the Red Command (Comando Vermelho) is active.
Jacarezinho does not yet have a police pacification... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Govt Recorded More Than 38,000 Gun Deaths in 2010 [ES]
12 December 2011
La Nueva (Argentina)
[Translated summary: According to data released by Brazil Ministry of Health, 70.5% of the murders of 2010 involved firearms. If suicides, accidents and gun deaths from undetermined cause are taken into account, firearms were involved in the death of more than 38,000 people.]
El 70,5 % de los asesinatos que se registraron en Brasil en 2010, 35.233 personas, fueron muertos con armas de fuego, según datos difundidos hoy por el Ministerio de Salud.
Si se cuentan los... (GunPolicy.org)
Caribbean,Central America,South America,North America,United States,Uruguay,Colombia,Mexico,Argentina,Brazil,Paraguay,Bolivia,Chile,Ecuador,Peru,Venezuela
Latin American Governments Target Gun Runners, Countries Making Guns
28 November 2011
United Press International
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay - Latin America's increasingly ambitious Mercosur regional bloc is aiming to focus on small arms suppliers who are seen as being behind the region's endemic and seemingly insurmountable problem of violent crime.
The area's disparate armed groups, guerrillas with political agenda and drug-related gangs have drawn attention from Mercosur's watchdog committees as senior officials explore ways of containing organized crime, rooting out myriad networks... (GunPolicy.org)
570,000 Firearms Removed from Brazil Streets since 2004 [ES]
1 November 2011
Univision (USA) / AFP
[Translated summary: The Brasilian government has recovered 570,000 firearms since 2004. This year, 28,000 firearms were removed from circulation; between 1997 and 2008: 1,8 million firearms were destroyed; at least 8 million guns are still in the hands of civilians, security forces and criminals; firearms are involved in 20,000 to 30,000 murders each year.]
El gobierno brasileño retiró 570.000 armas de fuego de circulación durante las campañas públicas de... (GunPolicy.org)
Churches Support Brazil Gun Buyback, Destroy 27,000 Firearms [FR]
28 October 2011
La Croix (France)
[Translated summary: The Sou da Paz Institute, a Brazilian non-governmental organisation that campaigns actively for the prevention of violence sought the help of churches and religious communities to support and justify its campaign of voluntary surrender of firearms and ammunition.]
L'institut Sou da Paz, une organisation non-gouvernementale brésilienne qui milite activement pour la prévention de la violence a demandé le concours des Églises et des communautés... (GunPolicy.org)
Half a Million Guns Destroyed This Year in Brazil Gun Buyback [Fr]
17 September 2011
Le Figaro (France)
[Translated summary: The Brazilian Minister of Justice launched the second phase of national disarmament, urging civilians to surrender their guns. The first phase aimed to collect 22,000 firearms.]
Le ministre brésilien de la Justice vient de lancer la deuxième phase d'une campagne incitant les citoyens à se séparer de leurs armes à feu.
Les Brésiliens peuvent l'effectuer de manière anonyme et toucher, selon le type d'arme, entre 100 et 300 reals (de 40 à... (GunPolicy.org)
One Death by Gunshot Every 15 Minutes in Brazil [Fr]
3 September 2011
Le Nouvel Observateur (France), Blog
[Translated summary: In less than six months, the Military Police of Imperatriz, Brazil, have collected 84 firearms during random investigations. On Average in Brazil, there is one gun death every 15 minutes]
IMPERATRIZ, Maranhão - Il y a des centaines d'armes à feu en circulation rien que dans la région d'Imperatriz. On vient de saisir une douzaine de pistolets et fusils hier et avant-hier dans les rues. Au Brésil il y a un mort par balle toutes les 15 minutes... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa,Brazil,Argentina,Australia,Mexico,United States,Canada,Africa,Sweden,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas
Canada Gun Lobby Influence on Foreign Policy: Arms Trade Treaty
3 August 2011
Embassy Magazine (Canada), Opinion
Canada has never been a strong supporter of international efforts to negotiate an effective Arms Trade Treaty. But in mid-July, it reversed its previous low-key but constructive role at the United Nations ATT preparatory meetings to become a potential treaty spoiler. All indications point to this change of heart arising from the domestic gun lobby's influence on Canadian foreign policy.
After years of preparation, member states of the United Nations will devote a month... (GunPolicy.org)
Guyana Police Arrested Venezuelan for Illegal Handgun Possession
20 July 2011
DemeraraWaves (Guyana)
A Venezuelan man was early Wednesday nabbed allegedly with a gun and ammunition in his possession.
Guyana Police Force spokesman, Ivelaw Whittaker said police acted on information about 4 AM and found a .38 revolver and 12 matching rounds.
The arrest took place at Eteringbang Landing. He is assisting police with their investigations, Whittaker added.
Police Commissioner, Henry Greene told Demerara Waves Online News ( www.demwaves.com ) that the man entered Guyana... (GunPolicy.org)
Suriname,Bolivia,Colombia,Brazil,Paraguay,Argentina
Brazil's New Small Arms Smuggling Frontier? The Sea
18 July 2011
Christian Science Monitor, Blog
Brazil has more gun deaths than any other country in the world, and so the phenomenon of arms trafficking is a major concern.
Almost 20 percent of guns seized in the country are foreign produced, while those that cannot legally be sold in the country are legitimately produced in Brazil and then exported, before being smuggled back in, according to a study on arms trafficking by NGO Viva Rio, in collaboration with Brazil's Justice Department.
According to a recent... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Buyback Aims to Collect, Destroy Another Million Guns in Brazil
7 May 2011
Associated Press
The government began a gun buyback campaign on Friday that officials hope will take more than one million guns off the streets by the end of the year.
The campaign started one month after a gunman shot and killed 12 children in a Rio de Janeiro school before killing himself. In similar campaigns in 2003 and 2009, 1.1 million firearms were turned in.
The Justice Ministry says on its Web site that gun owners can turn in their guns and ammunition with no questions... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Lawmakers Propose New Referendum on Gun Law, Gun Sale Ban
13 April 2011
BBC News
Brazilian lawmakers say they will propose a national vote on whether to ban the sale of guns, after a deadly shooting at a school last week.
The Senate leader said legislators would rush through a bill to allow a referendum to be held this autumn.
A similar proposal in 2005 was rejected by voters and kept gun sales legal.
Brazil observed three days of mourning after the attack on 7 April, in which a gunman shot dead 12 children in a school in Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil... (GunPolicy.org)
School Shooting Prompts Gun Buyback, Bill to Ban Gun Sales in Brazil
12 April 2011
Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - Five days after Brazil's most lethal school shooting killed 12 children, Senate leaders decided Tuesday to rush a bill that would let the voters decide whether to forbid gun sales in South America's biggest country.
Senate leader Jose Sarney said at a news conference that legislators would treat the matter with urgency so the issue could be put before Brazilian citizens this fall.
The bill would have to be approved by both the Senate and the... (GunPolicy.org)
After Brazil Mass Shooting, Demonstrators Demand Tougher Gun Laws
12 April 2011
NTD-TV News (New York), Transcript
A group of protesters gather on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro - three days after 12 children were shot dead at a local school.
They're calling on authorities to increase gun control measures.
As red-stained Brazilian flags blow in the breeze - the activists hold signs with the names of the children who were lined up and shot point-blank.
One demonstrator said security forces need to crack down on the availability of fire arms.
[Antonio Costa, President, Toe... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Renews Its Million-Gun Destruction Push After Rio School Massacre
12 April 2011
Forbes (USA)
Brazil's Ministry of Justice is calling on gun owners to turn in their arms. The government's disarmament campaign is voluntary and began back in 2005, but the justice department opted to start the campaign earlier and promote it more feverishly following the nation's first homicidal school shooting on April 7 in the Realengo neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro.
The disarmament campaign will start May 6 with the objective to take as many guns off the street as possible. The... (GunPolicy.org)
Suspected Vendors of Revolver to Rio Schoolkids' Mass Killer Arrested
10 April 2011
Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela)
RIO DE JANEIRO – Rio de Janeiro's Civil Police announced Saturday the arrest of two men accused of selling a revolver to the perpetrator of last Thursday's massacre at a school, in which 12 children were killed and another 12 were wounded.
Charleston Souza de Lucena, 38, and Izaias de Souza, 48, were arrested before dawn Saturday, accused of selling a 32 caliber revolver to Wellington Menezes de Oliveira, the killer who committed suicide when surrounded by... (GunPolicy.org)
School Massacre Spotlights Gun Violence, Rising Firearm Sales in Brazil
8 April 2011
Christian Science Monitor
Brazil is no stranger to urban mayhem, with street shootouts splashing the front pages of newspapers each day in the nation that tops the world in deaths by firearms.
But Thursday's massacre of 12 children at school in western Rio de Janeiro has touched a nerve in this hardened nation. As families hold burial services today, Brazil is asking how such violence more associated with the United States became a reality here.
As happened following the 2007 Virginia Tech... (GunPolicy.org)
Young Gun Owner Shoots, Kills 12 in Brazil's Worst Mass School Shooting
7 April 2011
Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - A gunman roamed the halls of an elementary school in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday and killed 11 children, lining them up against a wall and shooting them in the head at point-blank range as he shouted, "I'm going to kill you all!"
It was the worst school shooting in Brazil and would have been deadlier if the gunman had not been shot in the legs by a police officer, who said the man then fell down some stairs and shot himself in the head.
Images... (GunPolicy.org)
Drop in Gun Violence as Rio Works to Rid its Slums of Armed Drug Gangs
1 April 2011
Guardian (UK)
Pushing through the emergency department's rubber-coated swing doors, Dr Luiz Sérgio Verbicaro threw open his arms as if welcoming guests to his new home.
Before him a huddle of bored-looking medics made small talk around a table in a corner of the otherwise empty department. Outside, the ambulance bay was deserted.
"It is good – and abnormal," said Verbicaro, 60, a veteran surgeon and the director of the Getúlio Vargas hospital in northern Rio de Janeiro, until... (GunPolicy.org)
Peru,Guatemala,Afghanistan,Argentina,Venezuela,Brazil,South America
Survey: South American Security Firms Carry More Guns Than Elsewhere
29 March 2011
United Press International
RIO DE JANEIRO - Private security firms in Latin America are the most armed with the largest weapons arsenals in that category of security industry companies worldwide, a new survey report said.
An added problem was that many of the weapons carried by employees of private security firms weren't registered under companies' names.
Instead, the weapons had private registrations that made the task of evaluating the firms' arsenals more difficult, said an advance research... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Switzerland,Russia,Norway,Mexico,Japan,Italy,Germany,Austria,Czech Republic,India,China,Canada,Brazil,Australia,United States
How Gun Control Laws Vary in 16 Countries Around the World
10 January 2011
Guardian (UK)
Australia
Ownership is strictly prohibited unless there are "genuine reasons" such as licensed sport, animal control or employment requirements.
Brazil
If you are over 25 and have registered a weapon, you are free to keep it indoors. The country has the second-highest gun-related death rate after the US.
Canada
Significantly stricter than the neighbouring US. To acquire a licence, applicants must undertake a safety course, pass a criminal records check and be... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owner Kills His Bride, Best Man, Himself at His Own Wedding in Brazil
21 December 2010
United Press International
RECIFE, Brazil - A Brazilian man shot and killed his new wife and his best man and then took his own life at their wedding reception, police said.
The bride's brother was wounded, O Globo reported.
Witnesses told police Roger Damascena, 29, went to his father's pickup truck during the reception Saturday in Casa Grande, a village near Recife, and apparently retrieved a gun. A few minutes later, he began shooting, gunning down Renata Costa Alexandre Coelho, 25, and... (GunPolicy.org)
Most Robberies in Guyana Involve Guns, Many Smuggled from Brazil
18 May 2010
Stabroek News (Guyana), Editorial
Last week's forum – "In Harm's Way: Girls in Settings of Endemic Armed Violence" – that was organized to observe the 'Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence' by the International Action Network against Small Arms was cause for both controversy and concern.
Ms Glynis Beaton, General Secretary of the Young Women's Christian Association, created a stir by declaring, probably with some hyperbole, that there were "at least 150,000 persons in possession of illegal... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Saved 13,000 Lives, 1 for Each Gun Destroyed in São Paulo
30 March 2010
Estadão (São Paulo)
Translated summary: Policies to reduce gun violence saved 13,000 lives -- one life saved for each firearm destroyed -- in Sao Paulo State between 2001 and 2007, according to a new study 'Less Guns, Less Crimes'.
Um estudo do Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada (Ipea) e da PUC-Rio relaciona a queda no número de homicídios no Estado de São Paulo, entre 2001 e 2007, ao crescimento na apreensão de armas - sobretudo após o Estatuto do Desarmamento entrar em... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Announces Amnesty to Reduce 5million Unregistered Guns
11 January 2010
Global Insight
The Brazilian government has launched a new disarmament campaign, according to the interim justice minister Luis Paulo Barreto, Agencia Brasil reports. The Justice Ministry has also released data on a campaign to register firearms that ended on 31 December. The campaign saw 1.2 million arms registered last year and 14,544 arms handed over to the police in return for compensation. Anyone found with a weapon that has not been registered faces the risk of a three-year jail... (GunPolicy.org)
'Aggressive Incentives' Lure Brazilian Gun Maker from Florida to Georgia
17 July 2009
Atlanta Business Chronicle
A Miami-based small-arms manufacturer has Georgia in its sights for a corporate relocation that would create up to 300 jobs.
Taurus USA is also eyeing locations in Alabama, South Carolina and Brevard County, Fla., for the up to $20 million investment.
If Taurus relocated to Georgia from its Hialeah, Fla., location, it would locate manufacturing, distribution and corporate jobs in an up to 125,000-square-foot facility. The jobs would pay, on average, about... (GunPolicy.org)
Argentina,Brazil,United Nations
Global Gun Control Expert Pablo Dreyfus Killed in Air Crash [Es]
22 June 2009
El Clarin (Buenos Aires), Obituary
[Translated summary: World-renowned and respected gun control expert Pablo Dreyfus and his wife died in the recent crash of Air France 447].
Mensajes de todo Brasil llegan sin cesar, en homenaje al argentino Pablo Dreyfus, desaparecido en el accidente del avión de Air France. Son militares, diplomáticos, policías, curas, gobernadores, parlamentarios, ONGs y ciudadanos comunes, que envían agradecimientos por todo lo que ese porteño ha hecho por los... (GunPolicy.org)
Portugal,Angola,Brazil,Cabo Verde,Guinea-Bissau,Mozambique,Sao Tome & Principe,Timor-Leste
Police Chiefs of Portuguese-speaking Nations Meet to Curb Gun Running
12 June 2009
Diario de Noticias (Lisbon)
CPLP (Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries) police chiefs have created a committee to fight arms trafficking through tighter controls of legal arms sales.
The PSP (Portuguese Public Security Police) has suggested to the CPLP chiefs of police a harmonization of legislation relating to the trade and transport of firearms. The objective is to prevent the considerable number of weapons circulating legally between these countries falling into criminal hands.
The CPLP... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations,Finland,New Zealand,United States,Australia,Canada,France,Belgium,Sweden,Switzerland,South Africa,Austria,Israel,Brazil,Germany
Comparison of Key Handgun Restrictions in 14 Industrialised Countries
25 September 2008
Economist
Finland's government is introducing tougher regulations on handguns following a mass shooting at a school on Tuesday September 23rd, the second in under a year.
The country had been among the most lenient in the world, allowing 15-year-olds to keep a handgun under parental supervision, requiring no medical or psychological tests and no minimum wait for those buying weapons.
The gun-death rate (whether murder, accident or suicide) in rich countries is highest where... (GunPolicy.org)
$28million Gun Buyback Aims to Destroy 300,000 More Firearms in Brazil
23 August 2008
BBC News
SAO PAULO — The Brazilian government is to launch a campaign as part of an effort to get 300,000 guns off the streets and to cut the country's high murder rate.
Anyone who hands over a firearm will receive between 100 and 300 reais ($60-$185) and will not be investigated if they were illegally holding the weapon.
The campaign will be promoted by advertising on television, radio, newspapers and the internet.
A similar move four years ago helped remove 500,000... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Kicks Off New Gun Registration, Buyback Campaign [PT]
21 August 2008
Folha de São Paulo
[Translated summary: Brazil begins a new gun registration drive, convincing citizens either to register their guns, or to hand them over in a new buy-back campaign].
O governo lançou nesta quinta-feira uma nova edição da campanha para o registro nacional de armas de fogo. Coordenada pelo Ministério da Justiça, a campanha tem como objetivo incentivar os brasileiros a registrar ou entregar voluntariamente suas armas para reduzir as mortes no país. A partir de... (GunPolicy.org)
With Less Drugs and Guns, Homicides Fall in São Paulo [PT]
6 August 2008
O Estado de São Paulo / AE
[Translated summary: A study from the São Paulo Public Security Secretary shows a direct correlation between the reduction of guns in circulation and the dramatic decrease in homicides in the state this decade].
SÃO PAULO — Estudo feito pela Secretaria da Segurança Pública mostra uma correlação direta entre a redução da circulação das armas de fogo e a diminuição dos homicídios nas 99 cidades do Estado que registram mais de 20 casos por ano em 2001. Os... (GunPolicy.org)
Machine Guns from Bolivian Army Equip Rio Drug Traffickers [PT]
3 August 2008
O Globo (Rio de Janeiro)
[Translated summary: Nine .30 machine guns diverted from the Bolivian armed forces have been apprehended in Rio's favelas this year alone, after being transported through Paraguay].
RIO — A novidade agora entre os traficantes dos morros e favelas do Rio é uma metralhadora calibre .30 (7,92 x 57mm), modelo Lehky Kulomet ZB, fabricada na antiga República da Tchecoslováquia, com capacidade de tiro capaz de derrubar até um helicóptero. Arma de guerra de uso restrito... (GunPolicy.org)
New Gun Amnesty, Buyback, 'Disarmament Caravan' in Brazil [PT]
29 July 2008
Jornal do Brasil (Brazil) / Portal Terra
[Translated summary: Federal Police official explains "disarmament caravan" that will take place later this year to collect guns from isolated places in Brazil, in new gun buy-back campaign with the participation of civil society].
BRASÍLIA — A Polícia Federal, por meio do Ministério da Justiça, deve firmar convênios e criar a caravana do desarmamento para recolher armas em pontos isolados do Brasil.
- A idéia é ir um pessoal e ficar na cidade por um ou dois... (GunPolicy.org)
Federal Police Estimate Brazil Has Five Million Illegal Guns [PT]
29 July 2008
Jornal do Brasil (Brazil) / Portal Terra
[Translated summary: Estimate from the Brazilian Federal Police points to five million illegal guns in the country, and official explains how gun owners can register their weapon].
ARARAQUARA — O Brasil tem hoje em torno de cinco milhões de armas consideradas ilegais e sem qualquer registro do governo. Esta é a estimativa oficial da Polícia Federal, órgão responsável pela Campanha do Desarmamento 2008, que tem como foco, além de receber as armas da... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Youth, Gun Focus May Hold Answer to Jamaica's Gun Crime Problem
7 May 2008
Jamaica Gleaner
A multidimensional strategy including a strong emphasis on improved police-community relations has been credited for Brazil's success in curbing crime in its second largest city.
The anti-crime push — which is also hinged on rehabilitating troubled youths and seizing guns from the streets — has been critical to Cesar Rubem battling lawlessness in his native Rio de Janeiro.
"Our work has tried to look at these three components — working with young people, gun... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations,United States,France,Canada,Germany,Angola,Thailand,Australia,Colombia,South Africa,Turkey,Pakistan,Russia,Brazil,United Kingdom,India,China
Guns Around the World: Civilian Firearms per 100 People in 16 Nations
30 April 2008
Economist
An estimated 875m small arms are in circulation worldwide: one for every seven people on the planet. Nearly three-quarters of these are owned by civilians. And about 80% of those guns in civilian hands are found in just 30 countries, according to the Small Arms Survey, a research group.
Although America accounts for 40% of firearms in civilian ownership, people put them to more deadly use elsewhere. The gun murder rate in Colombia and South Africa, for example, is... (GunPolicy.org)
Protestors Place 2,000 Crosses for Victims of Gun Violence in Rio de Janeiro
27 April 2008
IndiaTimes / Reuters
On Saturday a group called "Peace for Rio" placed 2,000 crosses along one of Rio's main roads to commemorate the death of each person to have been gunned down in the city in 2008 thus far. Some 17 people are killed every day in Rio. Gun violence is the leading cause of death.
"It is a real tragedy this massacre of human lives. Behind each of these crosses there is a family tragedy, those who are living and today are inconsolable after having a family member... (GunPolicy.org)
Guyana,Trinidad & Tobago,Caribbean,Brazil,Argentina
Women's Groups Demand to Know Where Caribbean Gangs Get Their Guns
5 March 2008
Stabroek News (Guyana)
A two-day meeting for parliamentarians and NGOs to review the impact and "responses to small arms diffusion and violence in the Caribbean" is set for Trinidad today and a women's group is asking where the gangs are getting guns and ammo for killings like those at Lusignan and Bartica .
According to a press release the Women's Institute for Alternative Development (WINAD) said the meeting hopes to explore a Caricom instrument to support implementation of the UN... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Gun Deaths Outpaced Births: Gun Buyback Saw 8% Homicide Drop
28 February 2008
ISN Security Watch (Switzerland), Web Page
Results from a recently released study that measured population growth and homicides in Brazil between 1996 and 2006 revealed that homicides dropped by eight percent between 2003 and 2006, a time period that overlaps with a nationwide gun buy-back program during which nearly 500,000 firearms were removed from circulation.
Gun buy-back programs have met with mixed success in Latin America, but according to the study, authored by Julio Jacobo Waiselfisz, Brazil's gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Paraguayan Military Men Arrested for Ammunition Theft, Gunrunning to Brazil
9 January 2008
LatinNews Daily, Web Page
The involvement of high-ranking Paraguayan military officers in the clandestine supply of arms to criminal gangs in Brazil appears to have been confirmed with the arrest of a colonel and a major in a case involving the theft of army munitions and their sale on the black market in Ciudad del Este, in the notorious Triple Border area.
On 24 December an audit of the arsenal of the 3rd infantry division just outside Ciudad del Este revealed that more than 50,000 rounds of... (GunPolicy.org)
Celebratory Gunfire Kills Brazilians, Stray Bullets Fly in Rio's New Year Bash
1 January 2008
International Herald Tribune / AP
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — One man was killed and five people were wounded by gunfire at a New Year's bash that drew some 2 million people to Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach, the government's official news agency said Tuesday.
A 29-year-old man died of a gunshot wound in the stomach, and a 63-year-old woman shot in the back and a 24-year-old man shot in the head were hospitalized in critical condition, the official Agencia Brasil news service reported.
Three other... (GunPolicy.org)
Santa Retreats: Festive Helicopter Takes Bullet Holes, Visiting Kids in Rio
19 December 2007
Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Not even Santa is safe in Rio de Janeiro.
A helicopter carrying a Santa Claus to distribute gifts at a Christmas party came under fire when it flew over a Rio shantytown, authorities said Wednesday.
The chopper was hit by two rifle shots Sunday, but no one was injured and the aircraft returned safely to its base, police inspector Aldari Vianna said by telephone.
Gang members apparently attacked the helicopter thinking it belonged to the... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazilian Ammunition Manufacturer Pioneers Laser Marking on Each Round
21 September 2007
Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane), Web Page
If the recent reports of a South African Metro Police officer's dealing in ammunition from his vehicle are anything to go by the answer must be a resounding 'yes'.
The case of the Metro Police officer has made it clear that current control mechanisms over ammunition in State armouries are ineffective. The measures did not prevent the corrupt official from selling ammunition to criminals. The seriousness of this is made worse given that, according to reports, this... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Gun Smuggling 'Rampant' Across Porous Guyana-Brazil Frontier
2 September 2007
Stabroek News (Guyana)
Illegal trafficking in arms and ammunition is rampant across the border between Guyana and Brazil, with one speedboat operator at Lethem telling this newspaper on Friday that he frequently transported men with weapons stashed in suitcases via the many illegal crossings over the Takutu River.
The speedboat operator also told this newspaper that criminals in Brazil and Guyana would often trade drugs for guns, with the Guyanese mostly supplying the Brazilians with... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Helped Sao Paulo, Brazil Halve its Murder Rate - US Study
25 June 2007
KYW News Radio (Philadelphia)
Criminologists in the US have been studying how one city in Brazil managed to halve its murder rate in seven years.
Ted Goertzel, professor of sociology at Rutgers University-Camden, says the out-of-control murder rate in San Paolo, Brazil was cut in half in less than seven years by a nationwide firearms ban. He says the same thing has been thought of in the US, but it's the politics that differ:
"They don't have the protection for the right to carry guns that we... (GunPolicy.org)
Stray Bullets Rain Down on Rio de Janeiro: 87 Innocents Hit in 3 Months
20 June 2007
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — The toll from stray bullets that rain down on Rio from the city's steep hillside slums as police and drug gangs battle with automatic weapons has grown sharply, with one innocent bystander killed or wounded every day.
Businesses and schools in the line of fire have been shuttered. Thousands of children are staying home. Even air travel is affected — domestic jet routes were diverted from Rio's downtown airport when shooting flared up in a... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil,South America,Central America,United Nations
Global Gun Control Week Builds Pressure on Gun Violence in Latin America
11 June 2007
O Globo (Rio de Janeiro), Opinion
It is Global Action Week against Armed Violence and we need to follow up on two important processes: internationally, the Geneva Declaration, and in Brazil, the new National Plan of Public Security and Citizenship.
The Geneva Declaration on armed violence and development is an initiative of the Swiss government aimed at reaching a resolution on this issue at the UN General Assembly by the end of 2008 and defining goals for security and development. Unfortunately, the... (GunPolicy.org)
São Paulo's Murder Rate Halved Since 2000, Gun Control Partly Credited
10 June 2007
Brazzil Magazine
The murder rate in the state of São Paulo has been cut in half since 2000. This will come as a surprise to many readers because there has been so much news coverage of brazen attacks by organized criminals on police stations and public transportation in São Paulo as well as in Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian cities.
These attacks are intended to generate media coverage, embarrass officials and intimidate law enforcement. They disrupt the life of the community and... (GunPolicy.org)
Drug-related Gun Battles in Rio de Janeiro Leave 19 Dead
18 April 2007
BBC News
Nineteen people have been killed in gun battles between rival drug gangs and in a separate incident involving police in Brazil's city of Rio de Janeiro.
The battles are said to have involved drug dealers trying to gain control in the Morro da Mineira shantytown.
The shootings caused chaos in the central district of the city.
They happened as the government considers a request from Rio's governor for troops to be sent to the city to help police.
Earlier this... (GunPolicy.org)
In Rio, Ambulance Crews Carry, Spray-fire M-16s to Ward Off Drug Gangs
30 March 2007
Washington Post Foreign Service
RIO DE JANEIRO — Emergency medical technician Antonio Carlos Maia doesn't ride shotgun in his ambulance. He rides assault rifle. The scuffed barrel of his M-16 juts out of the passenger-side window, locked and loaded with a magazine full of bullets.
Just in case, a 9mm pistol is holstered under the bottom edge of his bulletproof vest. The ambulance driver and two additional EMTs riding in the back have their own guns, meaning that this military police medical crew in... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazilian States Which Destroyed Most Guns Saw Crime Rates Fall
25 September 2006
Reuters
BRASILIA, Brazil — More than 150 Brazilians were murdered each day last year on average, putting Brazil on a par with some war zones in terms of its homicide rate, the Justice Ministry said on Monday.
Some 55,000 Brazilians died of homicide in 2005 — a few thousand more civilians than in three years of war in Iraq, according to leading estimates.
Brazil, a continent-sized nation of 185 million people starkly divided into rich and poor, has had notoriously high... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia,Canada,Brazil,United Nations
Nations Disarm: Australia Set Off a Universal Gun-Control Revolution
28 April 2006
Australian (Sydney), Opinion
Today we remember the Port Arthur murder victims in church services and vigils, prayers and concerts, books and documentaries. The cross listing their names overlooks the memorial garden, a quiet place for contemplation and tears in honour of those so brutally slain on April 28, 1996.
Another memorial to those killed and wounded on that awful day is less visible or tangible but powerful nonetheless: Australia's nationally uniform gun laws. Out of horror and insanity,... (GunPolicy.org)
Former Soldiers Confess to Stealing Assault Rifles from Brazilian Army
17 March 2006
United Press International
RIO DE JANEIRO — Two former Brazilian soldiers confessed to stealing weapons from an armory, prompting a military operation to recover them, O Globo reported Friday.
Some 1,500 troops staged search operations in Rio's hillside slums known as "favelas" in an effort to find the cache of weapons.
However after 10 days of searching, the patrols supported by tanks and helicopters did not find the guns.
The operation sparked increased violence in the favelas, where... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazilian Army Recovers Assault Rifles Stolen by Shantytown Robbers
15 March 2006
Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — The recovery of stolen weapons won't stop the army from searching shantytowns for the bandits who took them, security officials said Wednesday.
The army announced Tuesday that it had recovered the 10 assault rifles and a pistol stolen from an army barracks on March 3 by seven gunmen wearing army-issue camouflage gear and ninja masks.
The robbery triggered a massive military operation, with some 1,600 troops occupying 10 shantytowns... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazilian Troops, Police Storm Favelas in Search for Stolen Army Guns
8 March 2006
Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Army troops and federal highway police set up checkpoints on Rio de Janeiro's major access roads Wednesday, trying to prevent thieves from fleeing with rifles stolen from a Brazilian army barracks last week.
Some 1,500 troops and police officers have occupied nine shantytowns searching for the guns stolen Friday by seven gunmen wearing army-issue camouflage gear and ninja masks. The gunmen overpowered three guards, stole the weapons from a... (GunPolicy.org)
Caribbean,Central America,Honduras,Colombia,Mexico,Brazil
Guns and Cocaine in Caribbean, Central America: A Market Out of Control
28 February 2006
ISN Security Watch (Zurich), Web Page
Gone are the days when the black market for cocaine required a few strong men, limited bribes, and involved the purchase of a few revolvers. The cocaine trade has expanded well beyond the Andean mountain corridor and the control of local actors there.
The market for small arms and light weapons has completely overlapped the cocaine market. Purchases for arms are no longer made with cash but with cocaine, and the same routes used to smuggle cocaine out of South America... (GunPolicy.org)
El Salvador,Paraguay,Guatemala,Costa Rica,Colombia,Brazil,Mexico,Central America,South America
At Least 90 People Killed in Latin American New Year Celebrations
2 January 2006
Australian Associated Press
SAN SALVADOR — At least 90 people were killed in Latin America in road, fireworks and other accidents during New Year's celebrations.
The highest death toll was registered in El Salvador, where some 33 people were killed and another 89 injured during celebrations marking the start of 2006, officials said.
Carlos Alvarado, a spokesman for the country's civil defence system, said that many of those killed and wounded from late Saturday to early Sunday were victims of... (GunPolicy.org)
Amnesty Uses Brazil Violence to Promote Gun Control in the World
5 December 2005
Brazzil / Agência Brasil
During the course of 2006, Amnesty International plans to present its report entitled "They Come In Shooting — The Policing of Socially Excluded Communities in Brazil," on police violence in Brazil, in various European, Latin American, and US cities.
The full text of the 52-page long document, which was released internationally on Friday, December 2, is available on the website: www.amnesty.org.
The presentations will include the participation of two Brazilian... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Wiser Than San Francisco
16 November 2005
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia), Opinion
Jurisdiction No. 1: High rate of violent crime; a widely publicized anti-gun measure on the ballot; voters decisively reject a measure to ban the sale of firearms and ammunition.
Jurisdiction No. 2: High rate of violent crime; a widely publicized anti-gun measure on the ballot; voters decisively adopt a measure to ban sales of firearms and ammunition.
Two jurisdictions. Two gun-ban measures. Two very different results. The first — in which the ban was rejected —... (GunPolicy.org)
Isolation, Many Dangers Explain Why Brazilians Rejected Gun Ban
30 October 2005
Knight Ridder / Tribune (USA)
CAREIRO CASTANHO, Brazil — For Ezaias Guedes da Lima and his neighbors in this Amazonian town, the idea of giving up their guns is as ridiculous as surrendering the machetes they have used to carve out livelihoods in the thick jungle.
Life here is an isolated, dangerous affair, with only a handful of police covering a huge area and wild boar, alligators and other menaces a constant hazard.
That isolation was demonstrated Thursday morning, when three men armed with... (GunPolicy.org)
Another Defeat for Gun Control: Gwynne Dyer
27 October 2005
Trinidad and Tobago Express
Last Sunday in Brazil, a country with the second-highest rate of gun deaths on the planet, almost two-thirds of Brazilians voted against a total ban on the sale of firearms. Explain that.
Brazil loses 38,000 people a year in gun-related killings. That is twice as bad as the United States, generally regarded as the industry leader in these matters: the US has one and a half times Brazil's population, but only 30,000 Americans are shot to death each year. In Brazil,... (GunPolicy.org)
Unfortunate Rejection of Much Needed Ban on Guns
26 October 2005
Khaleej Times (Dubai), Editorial
It is unfortunate that Brazil voters have rejected the sensible and much needed ban on gun sales. About 64 per cent people voted against and 36 per cent in favour of the ban in a referendum held on Sunday. The referendum results do not really come as a surprise though since most opinion polls ahead of the vote had predicted a defeat for the government proposal.
Yet it is hard to justify the overwhelming opposition to gun sales ban. It only goes to show that majority is... (GunPolicy.org)
Shot Down: Lobby Kills Brazil Gun Ban
25 October 2005
CorpWatch
Every 15 minutes, someone in Brazil dies from a gunshot wound, according to the United Nations. Yet the world's first ever referendum on banning civilian guns in this country failed to pass this past Sunday.
Instead the proposed ban went down to a resounding defeat with almost two thirds of the population voting no to the question: "Should the sale of all types of guns and ammunition be banned nationwide for everyone except the police and the military?"
Earlier this... (GunPolicy.org)
The NRA Takes on Gun Control - in Brazil
25 October 2005
AlterNet
Brazilians flatly rejected a plan to ban the commercial sale of firearms and ammunition in a historic national referendum on Sunday. The vote is a victory for Brazil's wealthy gun lobby which opponents say used strategies learned from the National Rifle Association to shift public opinion.
An estimated 122 million citizens took part in the referendum — the first of its kind in the world — and preliminary counts showed 64 percent went against the ban while 36... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Ban Rejection Blamed on Discontent With Lula
25 October 2005
Financial Times (UK)
SAO PAULO — Brazilians voted by more than three to two on Sunday to reject a ban on the sale of firearms and ammunition in the country.
The size of the rejection was seen as a protest at the failure of public policy on security and as a reflection of discontent with the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The vote was held to ratify a clause in the 2003 statute of disarmament. The statute made it harder for Brazilians to buy arms and introduced a... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Advocates Lash Out at Failed Sale Ban
25 October 2005
Jamaica Gleaner / AP
RIO DE JANEIRO — Stunned by the crushing defeat of a referendum to ban the sale of firearms in Brazil, gun control advocates yesterday blamed a lack of public safety and government corruption.
On Sunday, more than 120 million Brazilians were asked: "Should the commerce of small arms and ammunition be prohibited?" With 99.85 per cent of the votes counted, 63.92 per cent of Brazilians voted 'no', while 36.08 per cent voted 'yes'.
"The 'no' vote managed to capitalise... (GunPolicy.org)
In $215 Million Gun Ban Referendum, the Real Question Was …
24 October 2005
OpenDemocracy.net
In a small Brazilian city, José Maria da Silva woke up on Sunday 23 October after a hard working week and prepared to observe a compulsory duty. Not to attend church, even on this saint's day, but rather to go to a polling-station and vote "yes" or "no" on a simple question: "Do you think the commercial sale of firearms and munitions should be prohibited in Brazil?"
As he walked to the polling-station, José Maria da Silva pondered the R$470 million ($215 million)... (GunPolicy.org)
Voters Not Yet Ready to Bid Farewell to Arms: Interesting Summary
24 October 2005
Inter Press Service News Agency
RIO DE JANEIRO — The resounding defeat of a proposed ban on the sale of guns and ammunition in a referendum Sunday reflected one of the most sudden shifts in public opinion ever recorded in Brazil, and some fear that it could usher in more conservative, authoritarian security policies that trample human and social rights.
The firearms ban was voted down by almost two thirds — 64 percent — of voters, an even more sizeable majority than was predicted by polls... (GunPolicy.org)
Rely on the Police? No Way, Say Most Voters
24 October 2005
Reuters
RIO DE JANEIRO — The rejection of a government-backed ban on gun sales by Brazilians has shown their lack of faith in the police and courts in a country where the gun death toll is comparable to war zones.
Nearly 64 percent of voters in this country of 185 million people opposed the proposed ban on Sunday in the world's first national referendum on gun sales.
It was a sign that the fight against crime will be a hot issue in next year's presidential election and... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Ban Campaign 'Heavy in Celebrity, Light in Argument'
24 October 2005
BBC News
SAO PAULO — Statistically, Brazil is one of the most violent places on Earth. Last year, 36,000 people were killed with guns — more than in any other country.
And yet the Brazilian people have voted in a referendum to reject a proposal to ban the sale of firearms.
So what happened? To outsiders, this referendum looked like a no-brainer.
In a country where one person is killed with a gun every 15 minutes, surely the public would vote in favour of an outright... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil's Lula Says Access to Guns Won't Help Citizens' Security
24 October 2005
Bloomberg (USA)
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Brazilians' vote in favor of keeping access to handguns won't make them any more secure.
Brazilians voted 64 percent to 36 percent in a referendum yesterday to reject a proposed ban on retail sales of guns and ammunition, the national elections authority said on its Web site. The balloting marks the first time a country put a gun- control measure to a popular vote, according to the human-rights group Amnesty... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Ban Rejected Despite 'Badly Organised, Weak' Gun Owners
24 October 2005
Newsday (New York)
SAO PAULO, Brazil — Voters in Brazil, a country with one of the world's highest rates of gun-related homicide, overwhelmingly rejected a measure yesterday that would have banned the domestic sale of small arms and ammunition.
More than 63 percent of the electorate voted against the ban, including majorities in all 26 Brazilian states and the federal district.
Firearms are involved in the murders of about 38,000 people every year here, more than five times the U.S.... (GunPolicy.org)
Arms Makers Accused of Funding 'Gun Rights' Campaign to 'Manipulate Fears'
24 October 2005
Independent (South Africa) / Reuters
SAO PAULO — From sprawling cities plagued by violence to the backwaters of the Amazon, Brazilians voted decisively on Sunday to keep gun sales legal in the country with the world's highest death toll from firearms.
About 64 percent rejected banning arms sales in the nationwide referendum, the electoral court said, with more than 90 percent of the expected 122 million votes counted.
Only 36 percent supported the ban, even though some 36 000 people were killed by guns... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazilians Reject Measure to Ban Sale of Firearms
24 October 2005
Washington Post Foreign Service
BUENOS AIRES — Brazilian voters on Sunday decisively rejected a proposal to outlaw the sale of firearms and ammunition following an aggressive campaign by opponents who argued it would leave citizens defenseless against armed criminals.
With more than 92 percent of the ballots counted, 64 percent of Brazilian voters opposed the ban, which its backers hoped would help Brazil shed its label as one of the world's most dangerous countries. More people are killed by... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazilian Voters Appear to Have Beaten Ban on Weapons
24 October 2005
New York Times
BUENOS AIRES — In a national referendum on gun control, voters in Brazil appear to have overwhelmingly rejected a sweeping permanent prohibition on the sale of arms and ammunition.
With three-quarters of the vote counted there, the gun ban proposal, endorsed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and scores of actors, pop stars and other celebrities, was trailing by a ratio of almost two to one. Voting was obligatory, and nearly 120 million people in a country long... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Rejects Gun Sale Ban in Referendum
24 October 2005
Agence France Presse
RIO DE JANEIRO — Voters overwhelmingly rejected a measure to ban gun sales in Brazil, which has one of the world's highest murder rates.
With 74 percent of the electronic ballots counted, election officials said that about 65 percent voted no and 35 percent yes.
Opinion polls had indicated most would vote against the ban.
The government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, human rights groups and the Roman Catholic Church all backed the ban. But the public... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Ban Referendum Could Hinge on Suspicion of Police
23 October 2005
Reuters
SAO PAULO, Brazil — From Brazil's violence-plagued slums to the guarded enclaves of the rich, people voted on Sunday on whether to ban guns sales in the country with the world's highest death toll from firearms.
Surveys released before the referendum indicated they would reject the ban despite the fact that some 36,000 people were killed by guns last year in Brazil, where bloodshed and violent crime are a daily worry for many citizens.
In debates leading up to the... (GunPolicy.org)
US Groups Watch Closely, But Deny Funding Gun Ban Fight
23 October 2005
Knight Ridder / Tribune (USA)
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Brazilians Sunday overwhelmingly rejected a controversial proposal to ban almost all sales of guns and bullets to civilians.
With about 80 percent of electronic ballots tabulated Sunday night, 66 percent of voters rejected the proposal while 36 percent voted in favor of it, a spread that guaranteed the measure's defeat.
Polls just three months ago found that four-fifths of Brazilians were prepared to vote for the sweeping bullet and gun ban,... (GunPolicy.org)
'Since the Bandits Have Guns, You Need a Gun at Home'
23 October 2005
Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilians soundly rejected a proposal to ban the sale of guns in a national referendum Sunday, striking down the bid to stem one of the world's highest firearm murder rates following a campaign that drew parallels to the U.S. gun control debate.
Brazil has 100 million fewer citizens than the United States, but a staggering 25 percent more gun deaths at nearly 40,000 a year. While supporters argued that gun control was the best way to staunch the... (GunPolicy.org)
'World Agenda on Disarmament' Slowed by Pro-gun Vote
23 October 2005
Bloomberg (USA)
Brazilians, voting in a referendum today, may reject a proposal to ban retail sales of guns and ammunition, a law advocates including President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva say would curb the country's rising violence.
The nation-wide balloting marks the first time a country has put a gun-control measure to a popular vote, according to the human-rights group Amnesty International. The latest polls ahead of the vote showed a majority leaning against the measure, which... (GunPolicy.org)
Polls Show Brazil Will Vote Against Ban on Firearms
23 October 2005
CNN / AP
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — A nationwide antigun referendum has stirred many Brazilians to defend a right they feel they deserve, although it's not guaranteed by their Constitution: The right to bear arms.
Just weeks ago, antigun advocates thought they'd win easily when they proposed a nationwide referendum to ban the sale of firearms in Brazil, which kill nearly 40,000 people a year.
But as some 122 million Brazilians prepare to vote Sunday, polls show a majority are... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Holds Contentious Vote on Gun Control Law
22 October 2005
National Public Radio, Weekend Edition (USA), Audio
Interviews recorded with parties to the Brazilian gun ban referendum. Advocates of the right to bear arms clash with those who say guns lead to chaos and violence ahead of Saturday's vote. An estimated 36,000 people were shot dead last year in... (GunPolicy.org)
Murder Toll Forces Gun Ban Referendum
22 October 2005
Independent (UK)
RIO DE JANEIRO — A hand-written sign hangs from the emergency room door, with the warning: "Restricted due to overcrowding (Risk of Death)".
Inside it's a typically hot Friday night at Bonsucesso General Hospital (HGB) in Rio's sprawling north side, and the gunshot victims are rolling in. They are part of an annual tide of firearms casualties that tops 40,000. That is four times the number in the United States, despite the fact that Brazil's population is 100... (GunPolicy.org)
In Referendum Deception, Mandela Threatens to Sue Gun Lobby
22 October 2005
Al Jazeera
Former South African president Nelson Mandela has threatened to sue Brazil's pro-gun lobby for illegally using his image in their campaign against a proposed ban on firearms, an anti-violence group says.
According to Viva Rio on Friday, Mandela's lawyer sent a letter to Brazil's pro-gun group Front for Legitimate Defence, asking it to stop using Mandela's image in its ads urging people to oppose the ban in a nationwide referendum on Sunday.
About 122 million... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Votes on Deadly Obsession With Guns
22 October 2005
Guardian (UK)
About 120 million Brazilians go to the polls tomorrow to vote in a referendum on the sale of guns in a country which has the second highest rate of gun deaths in the world.
Nearly 39,000 people are killed with guns each year in Brazil — around 22 deaths per 100,000 people — according to UNESCO. A fierce battle over the referendum entered its final stages this week, as voters pondered the question: "Should the sale of arms and ammunition be prohibited in Brazil?"... (GunPolicy.org)
Population Sticks to its Guns: Referendum Set to be Rejected
22 October 2005
Times (UK)
One hundred people die from gunshot wounds in Brazil every day, making it one of the world's most dangerous countries. Yet tomorrow Brazilians look set to reject a proposal to ban the sale of firearms and ammunition.
The world's first national referendum on gun control appears likely to result in a victory for the "no" campaign mounted by an alliance of Brazil's conservative parties and funded by gun manufacturers.
Latest opinion polls suggest that opponents of a... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Ban Referendum Misses its Target
22 October 2005
Financial Times (UK)
As an exercise in participative democracy, it seems badly flawed. Brazilians will vote in a mandatory referendum tomorrow to decide the question, "Should the sale of firearms and ammunition be prohibited in Brazil?"
There should be little doubt about the answer. Gunshot wounds kill more than 107 Brazilians every day, more than traffic accidents and fewer only than heart and brain disorders.
Restrictions on the owning and bearing of firearms were introduced in December... (GunPolicy.org)
Q&A on Gun Ban Referendum: The Key Issues
21 October 2005
BBC News
Brazilians are to hold a referendum on 23 October on whether to ban the sale of firearms and ammunition to civilians. The authorities say it is the world's first nationwide vote on guns, and that it could set a precedent for campaigns in other countries.
The BBC News website looks at some of the key issues surrounding the referendum.
Why is the Vote Important for Brazil?
The South American country has the second-highest number — behind Venezuela — of... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Ban Referendum Support Slides as Opposition Attacks
21 October 2005
BBC News
Campaigning is nearing a climax ahead of an unprecedented national referendum on banning gun sales in Brazil — where one person is killed with a firearm every 15 minutes.
Many landowners, who often live in remote areas out of the reach of law enforcement agencies, are fighting hard for a No vote. Opinion polls suggest the comfortable lead earlier allocated to the Yes vote has now been eroded.
The head of the parliamentary Commission of Agriculture, deputy Xico... (GunPolicy.org)
Rio Slums Blighted by Gun Crime: Firearm Prices Up Since Ban
21 October 2005
BBC News
As Brazil gears up for a referendum on banning the sale of guns and ammunition, Jo Wright visits some of Rio de Janeiro's slums, or favelas, where many residents live with the constant threat of gun violence from heavily armed drug traffickers. The names of the favela residents have been changed.
In the favelas, buildings are pock-marked with bullet holes and youths with military-style small arms patrol the streets at night. Incursions by police or rival factions can... (GunPolicy.org)
John Lott: Q&A on Brazil's Gun Referendum
21 October 2005
Council on Foreign Relations (USA), Interview
Brazilians go to the polls October 23 to vote in a referendum to ban the sale of guns and ammunition. The referendum — the first of its kind in the world — is aimed at curbing Brazil's soaring murder and violent crime rates.
John Lott, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and author of the book More Guns, Less Crime, suggests a ban would do little to stem gun violence in Brazil. He points to inadequate law enforcement as a greater problem. "If the... (GunPolicy.org)
As Brazil Votes to Ban Guns, US Gun Lobby Warns of Global Fight
21 October 2005
Nation (USA)
On October 23 an estimated 122 million Brazilians will vote in a national referendum on whether to ban the sale of guns and ammunition to private citizens. The first of its kind in the world, this referendum has divided the population of Brazil, a world leader in gun deaths, along sim or não lines.
In 2003 voters here passed what is the strictest gun law in the Americas; now the nation's top leadership is divided on how much further to go. The stakes are high. The... (GunPolicy.org)
In a Global First, Brazilians Voting on Banning Gun Sales
21 October 2005
Christian Science Monitor
RIO DE JANEIRO — The debate over gun control is entering uncharted waters in Brazil, where for the first time anywhere in the world, a proposed ban on gun sales will be put directly to voters.
Sunday's referendum follows an ambitious gun buyback scheme last year that prompted people to turn in more than 420,000 weapons ranging from antique rifles to semiautomatic assault weapons. Gun homicides fell by 8 percent the following year, marking the first drop in 13 years,... (GunPolicy.org)