Remains found in the Amazon belong to journalist Dom Phillips 0:54
(CNN) --
Of the 30 Brazilian cities with the highest rates of violent deaths, 13 are in the Amazon region, according to data compiled by the Brazilian Public Security Yearbook in a report released Tuesday.
All 30 cities had rates above 100 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants between 2019 and 2021.
Data compiled by the 2022 report of the Brazilian Public Security Yearbook shows that the rate of violent deaths in the region was 38% higher than the national average in 2021.
The report describes the region as one of those affected by "extreme violence," a situation that recently became visible with the deaths of British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous activist Bruno Pereira.
Of the 13 Amazon cities with the highest death rates, 11 are mostly rural and sparsely populated.
All 13 cities are neighboring or located near indigenous territories.
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Such is the case of Jacareacanga, in Pará, which ranks second on the list.
With a population of less than 7,000 inhabitants, it has a rate of 199.2 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants between 2019 and 2021, according to the report.
The yearbook cites data from the Pastoral Land Commission that maintains that 77% of deaths due to land conflicts in the last 10 years occurred in the Amazon.
The cocktail of "violence and illegal practices" in the Amazon
According to the Yearbook, the increase in violence in the region is directly related to various types of crime, especially drug trafficking and environmental crimes, as well as "the growth of organized crime factions in the region."
The Amazon is characterized by "the juxtaposition of violence and illegal practices," such as deforestation, illegal mining, corruption, and "the intense presence of militias and organized crime factions," according to the report.
The document criticizes the "myopic" political and institutional attitudes that place indigenous peoples as enemies of the nation and view alternative energy and economic solutions with suspicion.
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The report adds that the absence of agents is a factor that contributes to this violence and illegal activities.
The yearbook cites the example of the state of Acre, whose territory is larger than that of Greece.
As of March 2022, the entire state had only 78 police chiefs, who are normally the ones in charge of conducting investigations.
Roraima, a state roughly the size of Romania, has only 56 chiefs for the entire territory.
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