Rio, 4/29/2004 (Agência Brasil) - "Although Brazilians are only 2.8% of the world's population, the country has 11% of all the homicides committed on the planet. Unfortunately, that is a number that just keeps rising," laments Carlos Lopes, who representatives the UN Development Program in Brazil. Lopes made his comments at the opening of an international seminar on weapons in Rio de Janeiro.

According to Lopes, in Brazil 40,000 people are killed annually by firearms. "That is more than the number of people killed in Iraq. It is difficult to comprehend that so many people die from gun wounds here, after all Brazil is supposed to be at peace," he said.

Lopes says that UN data shows that people in the private sector (this does not include the military) are spending almost US$24 billion (R$70 billion) annually for protection; this is the so-called "industry of fear." It is a thriving business that siphons off money from areas that need investments, such as social assistance, he explained.

Translator: Allen Bennett