“War on drugs” claims yet another victim! This time 13-year old Christian Andrade, who was shot after attempting to help a woman that had hit the ground

Note from BW of Brazil: So this is how it works in Brazil. Consistently. Military Police wage a so-called “guerra às drogas” (war on drugs) but yet week after week, innocent victims, the vast majority of whom just happen to be black, end up losing their lives. And lest one think this is an exaggeration of the situation, we will remind you that Amnesty International recently revealed that Brazil’s police force is the one that kills the most of any country in the world. According to this same report, police in Rio de Janeiro, for example, killed 5,132 people between 2005 and 2014, this of a total 8,466 murders in the state in that period. The report also revealed that these killings, in their majority, are carried out with impunity. Still in Rio, 80% of those killed by police between the years 2010 and 2013 were black and 75% were between the ages of 15 and 29. With these sorts of statistics, does anyone think it’s outrageous to suggest that there is a state policy in regards to dealing with the black population?

Teenager dies during police operation in Rio de Janeiro and residents protest

The boy, identified as Cristian Andrade, was playing futebol with friends on a dirt field when he was shot

Courtesy of Jornal de Brasília

A 13-year-old died, hit by a stray bullet during a police raid in the Manguinhos favela (slum) in northern Rio de Janeiro, late Tuesday morning (September 8). After the death, community residents sealed off Avenida Leopoldo Bulhões , one of the main roads of the region in protest. It is not known whether the shot that killed him came from police or criminals, but the protesters complained of police action.

Merchants closed their shops, schools dismissed students and the Military Police resorted to tear gas to disperse the demonstrators and release the traffic on the avenue. In the late afternoon the mood was still tense in the region.

The dead teenager, identified as Cristian Andrade, was playing futebol with friends on a dirt field when he was shot. Help arrived but he died in a local hospital.

The operation in the slum was promoted by Civil Police of the Homicide Division of Rio and Coordination of Special Resources (Core) in an attempt to arrest a person accused of participating in the death of the soldier Clayton Fagner Alves Dias, who worked with the Unidade de Polícia Pacificadora (UPP or Pacifying Police Unit) in Manguinhos. He was shot to death on Ilha do Governador, where he lived with his family on April 28^th, during a day off. When they came to Manguinhos on Tuesday morning, Civil Police officers were met by gunfire.

12-year old boy is latest victim of the stupid and ineffective “war on drugs” in Rio de Janeiro

Courtesy of Jornal Nova Democracia

Photo of the body of young Cristian Andrade Soares, 12, who according to residents of the favela of Manguinhos, north of Rio, was shot by UPP officers while playing futebol.

Christian Andrade was a studious boy and participated in social projects in the community, according to reports from friends and relatives. Jorge da Silva, the boy’s uncle, said he heard from other residents that his nephew was playing futebol at the time of the shootout between police and traffickers.

“He was playing ball and saw a woman fall to the ground in the street. According to residents, he went to help the lady and ended up taking a shot,” the uncle said. “He was a studious boy and good boy, all of a sudden comes a thud like this to our family. It’s very sad.”

The police chief Rivaldo Barbosa, of the Homicide Division of the Capital, assured during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, that Cristian Soares da Silva WAS NOT ARMED.

“Not very close to the boy’s body were found a pistol Glock .40 model, ammunition and a radio transmitter. I ASSURE, HOWEVER, THAT THE GUN WAS NOT THE BOY’S. He (Cristian) was in the firing line, between traffickers and police,” he said.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REQUESTS AN URGENT INVESTIGATION

According to information from Amnesty International, reports verified by the institution suggest that police attempted to alter the crime scene, carrying Cristian’s body to the caveirão (Military Police tank), but were stopped by locals.

“Once again a child is killed as a result of this logic of war that marks the policy of public security in Brazil that victimizes, mostly, young blacks from the peripheries of the cities,” said Atila Roque, director of Amnesty International Brazil.

Source: Livre Imprensa, Jornal de Brasília