The Buses of Rio, Targets and Barricades in Armed Conflicts.

In Rio de Janeiro, buses have become instruments and collateral victims of the clashes between law enforcement and criminal organizations. The story of a driver forced to evacuate his vehicle under threat of armed men before seeing it reduced to ashes illustrates a reality now commonplace for many sector employees. These acts of sabotage, aimed at hindering police action by creating barricades or causing disorder, are multiplying.

The magnitude of the phenomenon is significant. Last year, the number of buses used to block traffic routes more than doubled, surpassing two hundred and forty. This strategy of massive disruption has concrete consequences on the economic and social life of the metropolitan area. Hundreds of thousands of people found themselves unable to move during large-scale police operations, causing paralyses comparable to a daytime curfew.

For drivers, their profession resembles a high-risk journey. Assaults and attempts at arson are common, generating intense stress. Hundreds of them had to interrupt their activity last year for mental health reasons, even experiencing panic attacks. The fear of being targeted is now a constant companion, both for professionals and passengers, many of whom simply give up on taking bus lines.

This mobility crisis deeply affects populations in peripheral areas, who rely on these transports to reach their workplaces in central neighborhoods. The impact is also noticeable on the education system, as tens of thousands of students have been prevented from attending classes due to insecurity on the networks. Authorities are trying to implement preventive alert systems, but the situation remains extremely tense, turning certain city sectors into lawless zones where traffic is regularly suspended by violence.