Spanish Tourist Is Shot and Killed by Rio Police in Rocinha Slum

10/24/2017 - 11h24

On Monday morning (the 23rd) a 67-year-old Spanish tourist died after being shot by police in the Rocinha favela (slum) in São Conrado, in Rio's southern zone. Two police officers were being held in connection with the incident.

According to the police department, the tourist was in a car along with other tourists that had run a police blockade at 10:30 AM at the Largo do Boiadeiro, an area near the top of the favela.

Without knowing who the passengers were, the police opened fire, hitting tourist Maria Esperanza Jimenez.

This version of the incident is still under investigation, according to Fábio Cardoso, an officer from the Homicide Division. The driver and another tourist who was also in the vehicle said that they hadn't see any police blockade.

The death occurred during a morning marked by confrontation between police and drug-traffickers. Two police officers and a suspect were wounded during a shootout at around 9:30 AM.

The case will be handled by the Military Police investigative unit. The department has said that according to the approach procedures manual the police should not open fire in situations like the one on Monday but are supposed to pursue the vehicle.

Maria Esperanza died after being hit by a bullet from a rifle in the neck. She was a business woman who worked with real estate in the city of Puerto de Santa Maria in Cádiz, in the south of Spain.

Rocinha has been living through a climate of warfare for more than a month due to a turf battle between criminal groups. Troops from the Armed Forces were called in and have been surrounding the community for a week.

Translated by LLOYD HARDER

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