Violent deaths surge in Brazil

Nothing new for Brazil, it's been this way for years. There is really not a great deal to be concerned about since most murders in Brazil are drug related (i.e. drug traffickers killing competitors or users who don't pay up) or husbands/wives/lovers killing one another.

There are very few expats killed in Brazil, and generally speaking when they are, they fall into one of the above categories. Expats are more at risk of being killed in traffic accidents in Brazil than anything else. Of course you should always follow the common sense safety tips that one would follow anywhere in the world. A comprehensive list of those rules can be found in my topic:

A Gringo's Survival Guide to Brazil

Cheers,
James    Expat-blog Experts Team

It is a sad situation when there are as many murders in this country in ONE YEAR as all of the combat deaths of US military personnel in the ENTIRE Vietnam War (1961-1975). That said, Brazil does not have the highest murder rate in Central and South America.

There are very few "stranger" murders in Brazil. The perpetrator is almost always known to (or related to) the victim. There rarely ever are tourist murdered while staying in Brazil for short periods, but they do happen. One must always use caution.

I don't want this topic to give the impression that one should not come to Brazil as a tourist. The Brazilian news reports about the murder rates are always quite sensationalistic. They neglect completely to tell the complete truth, which is, that around 70 percent of the murders are drug/organized crime related and the remaining 30 percent are mostly husband/wife/lover killings.

Tourists in Brazil are in no greater danger of being murdered than they would be when travelling to most other countries, so there really is no need for alarm. I have lived in Brazil, in 5 different states, for almost 14 years now and never been the victim of any crime. I have always lived in areas that are considered lower working class areas (i.e. areas of higher risk) and even so have never had any problems at all. I don't do things that would make me a target for crime and treat everyone around me with respect. That's the key to safety in Brazil... use your head, follow the safety tips I've given and treat people here decently, they'll treat you the same way.

Cheers,
James    Expat-blog Experts Team