Rio Approves Bonuses for Police Killing 'Criminals'
Lawmakers in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro have approved a bonus for police officers who kill "criminals," a move that sparked outrage among rights defenders who fear a "massacre."
A similar measure, nicknamed the "Wild West Bonus," was in effect from 1995 to 1998 when it was scrapped due to a sharp rise in deaths at the hands of Brazilian police.
The new measure "stimulates violence and turns death into public policy," said leftist lawmaker Henrique Vieira, who voted against it.
In Rio, aggressive police interventions are common in the poor and densely populated favelas where drug traffickers reign supreme.
The text must be promulgated by Rio Governor Claudio Castro -- an ally of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro -- to take effect.
It stipulates that officers can earn a bonus of 10 to 150 percent of their salary "during the seizure of heavy-caliber weapons or situations resulting in the neutralization of criminals."
Djeff Amadeus, a lawyer for an NGO defending Black rights, told AFP Wednesday the measure could result in a "widespread massacre perpetrated by police officers who will do everything possible to earn more money."
In 2024, 703 people died during police interventions in the state of Rio -- nearly two every day, according to official figures.
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