Brazilian president Michel Temer has signed a decree putting the military in charge of security in Rio de Janeiro, following a rise in street crime and drug gang violence. Temer said the violence in the province is like cancer, and the organized crime must be controlled by the state.

It is stated that the government will control the operation of the army and if success is achieved in Rio, the army will be transferred to other cities as well.

Some soldiers in the streets were anxious to be reminded of the dictatorship that was ruling in 1964-85, but there are some who see the measures as compulsory.

Brazil is among the countries with the highest number of murders in the world. According to the Rio state government, the murder rates in the state are 8 percent higher than in 2016 and 26 percent higher than in 2015.

Last year in the city, there was a big increase in cases of theft, assault, and murder. Schools are often vacationed because of violent incidents caused by drug gangs in the city.

The decline in oil prices and the economic stagnation triggered by corruption in Brazil are causing the environment for the growth of criminal gangs.

ILKHA