A recent spate of extreme prison violence in Brazil has seen up 100 inmates killed in the first few weeks of the new year.<br /><br /> #Death toll at 26 from latest #Brazil #Prison #Violence: https://t.co/s2cwR0JvkQ, https://t.co/ohzMAo9eCQ pic.twitter.com/0J9uhWrVrh— Brasil Notícias (@BrasilEsteHora) January 16, 2017<br /> <br /><br /> The latest unrest in Alcaçuz prison in the state of Rio Grande saw police fire rubber bullets to break up violent clashes between members of rival drug cartels. <br /><br /> A rapidly growing prison population has led to chronic overcrowding making gang segregation difficult.<br /><br /> #Brazil #Prison #Violence continues unabated, #Kills 32 : https://t.co/s2cwR0JvkQ, https://t.co/8o61g24Fp1 pic.twitter.com/pyQZGO70mj— Brasil Notícias (@BrasilEsteHora) January 16, 2017<br /> <br /><br /> Brazilian President Michel Temer says it is time for the authorities to act:“We have decided to build five more maximum security prisons under the federal union, and 25 more prisons in each Brazilian state. We have made the budget available for this.”<br /><br /> On the first six days of January 56 prisoners were killed in Manaus and 33 died in brutal circumstances in Roraima state.<br /><br /> The surge, in part, is due to the end of a truce between Brazil’s two biggest drug cartels.<br />
