GANG MEMBERS TORCHED BUSES AND ATTACKED POLICE, BANKS AND OTHER TARGETS IN SAO PAULO BEFORE DAWN ON FRIDAY, WOUNDING TWO PEOPLE IN A VIOLENT CRIME WAVE THAT HAS SOWED FEAR ACROSS BRAZIL'S MOST POPULOUS STATE FOR THE LAST THREE DAYS, ACCORDING TO REUTERS. POLICE SAID, HOWEVER, THERE WERE FEWER ATTACKS THAN ON THE TWO PREVIOUS NIGHTS, WHEN SEVEN PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN VIOLENCE ORCHESTRATED BY A POWERFUL PRISON GANG THAT WANTS TO PREVENT THE TRANSFER OF ITS LEADERS TO BRAZIL'S FIRST FEDERAL JAIL. VIOLENT CRIME HAS BECOME A TOP THEME FOR BRAZIL'S OCT. 1 GENERAL ELECTIONS AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAID ON FRIDAY IT WOULD SEND SAO PAULO 100 MILLION REAIS ($45 MILLION) FOR INTELLIGENCE EQUIPMENT AND PRISON CONSTRUCTION. "THE GOVERNMENT AT ALL LEVELS HAS BECOME A TARGET. ORGANIZED CRIME HAS ENTERED A NEW PHASE," SAO PAULO GOV. CLAUDIO LEMBO TOLD JOURNALISTS. THE UNREST MARKS THE SECOND TIME IN AS MANY MONTHS THE ORGANIZED CRIME GROUP KNOWN AS FIRST COMMAND OF THE CAPITAL, OR PCC BY ITS PORTUGUESE INITIALS, HAS CAUSED MAYHEM IN SAO PAULO BY ATTACKING POLICE AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS. IN MAY, NEARLY 200 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN POLICE CLASHES WITH THE PCC IN THE WORST WAVE OF URBAN VIOLENCE EVER TO HIT THE CITY AND STATE OF SAO PAULO, BRAZIL'S FINANCIAL HUB. THE UNREST HAS RAISED DOUBTS ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S ABILITY TO CONTROL PRISONS, WHERE JAILED GANG LEADERS USE SMUGGLED CELL PHONES TO COMMUNICATE WITH SUBORDINATES ON THE OUTSIDE. THE COUNTRY'S TOP TWO POLITICAL PARTIES BLAME EACH OTHER FOR THE VIOLENCE. OVERNIGHT, CRIMINALS SHOT AND WOUNDED AN OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICER AND ATTACKED BANK BRANCHES AND GARBAGE TRUCKS IN THE CITY OF SAO PAULO. A HOMEMADE BOMB WAS ALSO DETONATED IN A SHOPPING MALL, THOUGH NO ONE WAS INJURED. A BUS DRIVER WAS SEVERELY BURNED WHEN GANGSTERS FIREBOMBED A BUS IN CAMPINAS, NORTH OF SAO PAULO. IN THE COASTAL TOWN OF UBATUBA, CRIMINALS HURLED MOLOTOV COCKTAILS AT A POLICE POST AND BUSES WERE BURNED IN AT LEAST FOUR OTHER CITIES. THE PCC HAS UNLEASHED MORE THAN 120 ATTACKS IN THE PAST THREE DAYS. ALMOST 50 BUSES HAVE BEEN TORCHED OR DAMAGED IN THE CITY OF SAO PAULO ALONE. THE TRANSPORT AUTHORITY SAID BUS SERVICE RETURNED TO NORMAL AFTER POLICE PROMISED TO PUT PLAINCLOTHES OFFICERS ON BUSES AND BEEF UP SECURITY ALONG MAJOR ROUTES. PRESIDENT LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, WHO IS UP FOR RE-ELECTION IN OCTOBER, HAS OFFERED TO SEND IN FEDERAL TROOPS. THE STATE'S GOVERNOR, CLAUDIO LEMBO, FROM A RIVAL POLITICAL PARTY, DECLINED THE OFFER AND ASKED FOR CASH INSTEAD. LEMBO'S FORMER BOSS IS GERALDO ALCKMIN, WHO QUIT HIS POST AS GOVERNOR IN MARCH TO RUN AGAINST LULA. ON FRIDAY, OFFICIALS SAID THEY WOULD NOT LET POLITICS GET IN THE WAY OF PUBLIC SAFETY. "THE GOVERNMENT MUST PROVIDE PUBLIC SAFETY AND THIS ISSUE SHOULD NOT BE POLITICIZED, " MARCIO THOMAZ BASTOS, LULA'S JUSTICE MINISTER, SAID AFTER MEETING WITH LEMBO.
