Difference between revisions of "Gun politics in Brazil"

Latest revision as of 15:26, 15 March 2013

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All firearms in Brazil are required to be registered with the state. The minimum age for ownership is 25 and it is generally illegal to carry a gun outside a residence. The total number of firearms in Brazil is thought to be around 17 million.

Over 38,000 people die each year due to gun-related injuries nationwide. The vast majority of the crimes is committed with illegally possessed guns; this may have helped the people decide how to vote in the referendum (see below).

[edit] Referendum

Main article: Brazilian firearms and ammunition referendum, 2005

The Brazilian population, in 2005, voted overwhelmingly against banning the sale of guns and ammunition to civilians in a referendum. Voting was compulsory for people between the ages of 18 and 70. The low efficiency of police, high levels of use of illegal weapons in crimes, and increasing power of criminal organizations (like PCC'- Primeiro Comando da Capital) are some factors that may have helped the Brazilian people to decide 65% against the ban. The gun ban proposal received mixed support in the press, while celebrities were generally in favor, and drew the attention of international groups such as the NRA.

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