Brasilia, February 26 (RHC)-- One hundred twenty-two murders have been registered in the Brazilian state of Ceara after the police forces went on strike in that territory last Wednesday.

Local news media reported, under these circumstances, that the figure for homicides raised in comparison with a similar time last year, when 164 crimes of this kind were included in official reports. Currently, those felonies amount to 286.  Similarly, the murder average increased to 30.5, an alarming number compared to the 8.4 in January.

The security crisis that the northern Brazilian state of Ceara experiences is a consequence of police protests demanding better salaries and social guarantees. Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, deployed military forces to maintain order.

However, violence has risen notably.  Last Wednesday, senator Cid Gomes was shot in the chest as he tried to enter a police station in Sobral, 230 kilometers from the regional capital, Fortaleza. Gomes was discharged from the hospital after 4 days in intensive care.

The police strike brought about the cancellation of carnival festivities in three municipalities in Ceara state, one of the most violent in Brazil.  Recently, President Jair Bolsonaro took ownership of a low in murder statistics.  However, experts explained that the drop was not a government achievement and that Bolsonaro’s policies were not effective in violence reduction.

Brazil finished 2019 with 41,635 homicides, 51,558 in 2018 and an alarming number of 59,128 in 2017.  Experts say that Ceara state was the most violent in 2017 because of an intense crime war.