Rio de Janeiro news stories on Newser

Rio Carnival Revelers to Get 3M Free Condoms

Rob Quinn — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 01:20:00 CST

It's party time in Rio, and health authorities want the millions of carnival revelers to play it safe. Some three million condoms are being handed out during the five-day festival, along with paper fans bearing catchy anti-STD slogans, CNN reports. Health officials say they are targeting young gay men, and...

11 Feared Dead in Rio Buildings Collapse

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:03:45 CST

At least 11 people are feared dead after the collapse of two high-rise buildings in downtown Rio de Janeiro. Emergency rescue workers were scrambling to dig out any survivors, and managed to free five people. The buildings, one 20 stories tall, crushed a four-story construction site nearby, and buried the...

Brazil Raids Rio's Largest Slum

Mark Russell — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 06:29:36 CST

Upwards of 2,000 members of the Brazilian police and military, backed by armored vehicles and helicopters, swept through Rio's biggest slum before dawn today, in the biggest anti-gang action since last November , reports the AP . But unlike the previous raid, which was precipitated by a rash of gang violence,...

Rio de Janeiro Racks Up 60K Unsolved Murders

Sarah Whitmire — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 09:17:59 CDT

Looks like we won't be seeing Law & Order: Rio de Janeiro anytime soon. The Brazilian state has racked up 60,000 murders over the last decade that have gone unsolved and unprosecuted. The number came to light as part of a departmental investigation related to a national plan to...

2 Detained in Rio School Shooting

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 12:17:17 CDT

Two men have confessed to illegally supplying a gun to the man who entered a Rio de Janeiro school, opened fire and killed at least 12 children before taking his own life, a police official said today. Charleston Souza de Lucena, 38, and Isaias de Souza, 48, said that they...

Brazil Gunman Lined Kids Up, Shot Them in Head

Kevin Spak — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:26:05 CDT

Grieving families today buried the 12 children shot and killed in a Rio de Janeiro elementary school , as horrifying details emerged about their final moments. Most of the victims, between the ages of 12 and 15, were shot in the head at point blank range. The gunman, 23-year-old Wellington Oliveira,...

Gunman Kills 12 at Brazil Elementary School

Kate Schwartz — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 09:21:10 CDT

Tragedy in Brazil: A former student killed at least 12 people at an elementary school in Rio de Janeiro this morning. Wellington Menezes de Oliveira, 24, brought two loaded 38-caliber revolvers into the school and opened fire before shooting himself, say police. He reportedly left a note outlining his desire...

Rio Cops Storm Gang Haven

Polly Davis Doig — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 11:33:11 CST

Hundreds of Brazilian police stormed a Rio slum today in a war-zone scene aimed at reclaiming longtime gang turf ahead of the city's 2016 Olmpiad, reports the AP. Backed by helicopters and armored vehicles, the police said they quickly overran several hundred gang members and seized huge stashes of guns...

Rio Cops Try to Reclaim Gang-Ruled Slums

Nick McMaster — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:34:05 CST

Now that Brazil has won its bid for the 2016 Olympics, the housecleaning has begun. Police mounted intense raids on shantytowns that have been co-opted as operating bases by gangs. Ten suspected criminals were killed in gunfights with police, the AP reports. The overall plan is to push the gangs...