A Brazilian judge who was a leading campaigner against organised crime was shot dead on Monday, raising fears of a growing terror offensive by drug cartels. It is the second assassination of a judge in 10 days and marks a rising wave of violence by criminal organisations in recent weeks. Last month drug gangs paralysed commerce and traffic in parts of Rio de Janeiro city and battled police in the streets. The federal government sent in thousands of army troops to help ensure security. Monday’s incident triggered public outrage and has renewed pressure on the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to deliver on its campaign pledge to crack down on crime. The fear is that assassinations of judges and politicians could become as frequent as in neighbouring Colombia and seriously undermine the state’s authority. “They no longer calculate consequences, they embarked on [full] confrontation,” said Octávio Gomes, head of the order of attorney’s in Rio de Janeiro. Full Story
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