Why is there so much violence in Rio de Janeiro?

Many ordinary residents of this city of about 6.5 million start the day scanning mobile apps that track live reports of gunfire before planning their commutes. read more

Murders increased during the late-2000s. Bucking this trend are the two largest cities. In 2008 Rio de Janeiro registered the lowest murder rate in 18 years, while São Paulo is now approaching the 10 murders per 100,000 mark, down from 35.7 in 1999. read more

2016 has been a very bad year. We have seen a dramatic increase in homicides, robberies and other crimes,' said Ignacio Cano, a sociologist at the Violence Studies Lab of Rio de Janeiro State University. read more

The good news is that both Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo are safer than all of them, one study suggests. No country has more cities plagued by violent crime than Brazil. The good news is that both Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo are safer than all of them, one study suggests. read more