SAO PAULO, Brazil
Thousands of federal troops have been sent to reinforce the World Cup host city of Salvador and other cities in the surrounding state of Bahia amid a major spike in murders and thefts coinciding with an ongoing labor strike by military police, local media reported Thursday.
The strike is generating concern for officials as Salvador, Brazil's third biggest city with a population of around 3.5 million, is set to host six matches during the World Cup in June and July.
The crime wave continued in the northeast Brazilian state Thursday as officials said murders, thefts and other violence crimes had risen threefold.
Salvador saw 19 murders in the first 24 hours of the strike, which began Tuesday evening, and a further nine murders during the second night of the strike, police reported. Sixty cars were also stolen.
Other cities registered an even worse spike in murders, robberies and violent crimes.
Shops and supermarkets have been looted in Salvador, resulting in many businesses remaining closed and reduced bus services, as police remain off the streets in defiance of a court order demanding their return.
State lawmakers met with representatives for the police strike movement for three hours Wednesday night but local police association leader Marco Prisco said Thursday morning that no deal had been reached and that the military police strike would continue.
“The government hasn't backed down, the strike goes on,” G1 news portal quoted Prisco as saying. He added the situation would only end if officers were not be punished for going on strike.
Police are demanding better pay and conditions, but the government says its budget for the state's military police is already “at its limits.”
'Hell on Earth'
Governor Jaques Wagner told a press conference Thursday that the strike was taking advantage of the country's upcoming general elections, set for October, for leverage.
Salvador police chief Marcos César Silva described the current state of the city as “Hell on Earth,” confirming that reports of crime had tripled in many places.
It is not the first time that Bahia's military police have protested: a strike in 2012 lasted 12 days and led to a major spike in murders and other violent crimes.
Salvador is one of six Brazilian World Cup host cities to make a recent list of the world's 50 most violent cities compiled by a Mexican non-governmental organization, which compared homicide rates in cities with populations over 300,000.
Fortaleza and Natal, also in Brazil's northeast region, were considered even more dangerous than Salvador. Manaus, Recife and Belo Horizonte also feature in the ranking of most murderous cities.
Although Salvador is known for its crime, as Brazil's first colonial capital it remains a favored destination for a significant number of tourists, both Brazilian and foreign.
The city boasts stunning colonial architecture and over 500 years of history and vibrant Afro-Brazilian culture. The Bahian coast is also home to some of Brazil's most beautiful beaches and resort towns.
Brazil military police end strike amid crime wave
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AA) - Military police in the state of Bahia, in northeast Brazil, decided to end their labor strike Thursday afternoon after two days of stoppages accompanied by a spike in murders, violence crime and theft, local media reported.
The move came after leaders of the striking police forces met in Salvador, Bahia state capital and World Cup host city, following a meeting with the city's archbishop and other key city figures.
Local media reported that officials put an adjusted counter-offer on the table, which offered better conditions and led to strike leaders agreeing to call off the industrial action.
It is not yet clear whether striking police officers will be punished or fined for their strike, deemed “unconstitutional” by a Bahia court.
The strike made headlines after Salvador and other cities witnessed a sharp increase in murders during the 42 hours of the strike, which saw federal troops poured into the area for reinforcement.
The local police homicide unit press department calculated that 39 murders had been recorded in Salvador and the surrounding metropolitan area during the strike.
Businesses have been in lockdown in many areas after some shops and supermarkets were looted. Local buses also ran at a reduced service due to drivers' concerns of being attacked.
Crime in general jumped threefold during the strike, police say.
Salvador is known for its violence, and was recently given the unenviable title of 13th most murderous city on the planet. Despite this, it is popular with tourists and will host six World Cup matches during the tournament which begins in under two months.
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