November 29, 1995
Web posted at: 1:45 p.m. EST (1845 GMT)
From Rio de Janeiro Bureau Chief Marina Mirabella
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- The heart of one of Latin America's biggest cities came to a standstill Tuesday as tens of thousands marched in protest against the crime and violence that have turned Rio into a city of fear. (799K QuickTime movie)
"It's taken over our lives," said one woman at the "Rio Reacts" march. "It's gotten so I'm afraid to leave the house." (77K AIFF sound or 77K WAV sound)
In recent years, crime in Rio has risen to alarming levels; an estimated 20 people are murdered every day, and there are more than 100 kidnappings a year. Shootouts, hold-ups and massacres are also all too frequent.
Many of the people at the march said they have been victims. Vera Lucia said that a few months ago, she lost her 16-year-old son when he was caught in the crossfire of a drive-by shooting as he sat at a bus stop.
There's violence in cities around the world, but in Rio, nobody's doing anything about it," Lucia said.
Drug trafficking gangs that run the city's slums are behind much of the crime, while an underpaid and corrupt police force does little to fight the problem.
Rio residents say they've had enough. "If things continue as they are, this city will become unlivable," one protester said.
But fighting crime alone may not be enough. There were few results last year when the federal government sent the army into Rio's slums to crack down on drug gangs.
Many people say more has to be done to address the city's overwhelming poverty.
"When people live in sub-human conditions, they'll do anything to survive," said Vera Dias Carneiro, a protest organizer. She said many people turn to crime to get by. (102K AIFF sound or 102K WAV sound)
Viva Rio, an anti-violence group that planned Tuesday's demonstration, is calling for $500 million to help modernize the police force and create better services in the slums. An equal amount already has been earmarked for improvements in shantytowns.
Several marchers Tuesday expanded the protest to include areas of particular concern to them, including better health care for the handicapped and AIDS victims, equal rights for homosexuals and better schools. Several banners read, "More jobs, better salaries."
"It's a complicated problem," said the governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro. "We're working to improve the police force and investing in social programs, but all this takes time."
Rio residents have heard those promises before and little has changed. Organizers of this march say this time they'll keep the heat on the politicians until the drug traffickers and criminals stop terrorizing their city.
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