Carolina Pimentel
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília - Since late Friday night, the state of São Paulo, Brazil's richest and most industrialized area, has been under attack by a criminal organization known as the PCC. On one hand, there have been simultaneous rebellions in almost every detention center and prison in the state (there are 106 of them). On the other hand, people who work in public security have been attacked around the state with the result that, as of Monday morning, May 15, a total of 52 people have been reported killed, 35 of them policemen, municipal guards, employees of prisons or the state Secretariat of Public Security. Another 54 people have been injured, 24 of them policemen.

The PCC (which stands for First Capital Command) was orginally an activist group working for prisoner rights. But it has become a powerful criminal group. This weekend's rebellions and attacks throughout the state of São Paulo are seen as a show of force by the group which did not like it when many of its leaders in prison were transferred to maximum security penitentiaries which are distant from the city of São Paulo.

Translation: Allen Bennett