Following Bloodbath, 10 Are Killed in Ceará Prison After Gangs Resume Dispute

01/30/2018 - 10h50

Two days after the biggest bloodbath in the history of Ceará took place, leaving 14 dead and wounding 16 at a party - a crime that has been attributed to turf disputes between rival drug gangs - a new dispute between the same two gangs took place, only this time in an overcrowded state prison, resulting in the deaths of ten convicts while wounding eight.

The dispute took place on Monday (the 29th) at the Public Prison of Itapajé, Ceará, 125 kilometers away from Fortaleza and began after detainees belonging to the gangs Comando Vermelho (or "Red Command") and Guardiões do Estado (or "State Guardians") confronted one another.

The latter gang is suspected of having carried out the bloodbath on Saturday (the 27th) in Fortaleza, having targeted members of its rival gang. The attack led to the deaths of people who were not involved in the dispute - 8 of the 14 people killed were women.

Three other riots had already taken place this year before the dispute in Itapajé took place, leaving 9 dead and 14 wounded at a penitentiary in Aparecida de Goiânia, Goiás, which is in the metropolitan area of state capital Goiânia. On top of the riot, 99 inmates also managed to escape from the prison.

PRIOR HISTORY

Ceará has been experiencing an increase in violence and disputes between criminal organizations. The bloodshed in the outskirts of Fortaleza only furthers this trend.

The attack occurred during a party called the "Forró do Gago", which took place near the Castelão Stadium. According to witnesses, a group of people arrived in separate cars and fired their guns in all directions.

The Ministry of Justice has promised to set up a task force that will assist the state of Ceará, providing it with information that can be used to "crack down on" criminals "in an exemplary fashion".

Translated by THOMAS MATHEWSON

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	Mateus Dantas/O POVO
	A dispute between two gangs in an overcrowded prison in the state of Ceará left 10 dead and 8 wounded