MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Sao Paulo offers 22.000 dollars rewards to whoever turns in data on criminals

Squatters have moved to an abandoned piece of land four kilometers away from the Corinthians Arena

With just over a month left for the 2014 World Cup kick off in Brazil, the governor of the state of Sao Paulo launched the Regional Reward program which will pay 55.000 Reales (approximately 22.000 dollars) to anyone providing useful information to help to solve crimes and track perpetrators.

 “The reward can help to elucidate a still unsolved crime or for the capture of a criminal, whose wrongdoing has been proven but he is still on the run”, said governor Geraldo Alckmin. He added the program will not reveal the identity of the whistler during the court proceedings and when payment of the reward.

At the end of the court case and sentencing of the criminal involved, the person who supplied the information will receive a protocol and a pin so he can review and keep track anonymously of how the information provided to the police is being used and at the same be aware if he will be finally rewarded.

Sao Paulo city, Brazil's business and finance hub will host six of the Cup's matches among which the opening event on 12 June between Brazil and Croatia. Security has become a top priority in Sao Paulo and in all other cities involved in the World Cup.

However this has not prevented an estimated one thousand families from the Homeless Workers Movement, MTST, occupy a piece of land just four kilometers away from the Corinthians Arena, where the Cup's opening match will be played.

According to the MTST web site the one thousand families moved into a piece of land which has been abandoned for over twenty years and argued that “while billions have been spent in the Arena, thousands of families lack decent housing in the Itaquera neighborhood”

The MTST added the families occupied the land because they were living in high risk areas, favelas or unable to pay a rent because of “the real estate speculation in the area as a consequence of the construction of the stadium for the Cup”. They also underlined that they have no intention of protesting or interrupting coming events.

Sao Paulo military police reported that so far there have been no clashes with the squatters, who arrived to the area over the weekend, at night in 17 buses and over 50 cars. “They have already set up wooden barracks and tents where they are settled”, added the report which confirmed that in effect probably there are more than one thousand families.

The MTST is well organized and have for years occupied government buildings or abandoned private property demanding government housing.