Brazil is the largest country in South America, with a population exceeding 200 million inhabitants and a territory of 8.5 million km2. This large country has the highest number of homicides in the world—a brutality that mainly affects its black population. For example, 75% of homicides committed in 2017 were against black people. The origin of the problem has its roots back in the 300 years of slavery and in the marked social inequalities generated by this past. More recently, the government has declared war on drugs and has tackled the problem more as a matter of security rather than public health. Data ranging from 2007 to 2017 show quite clearly how this policy didn’t work, the homicide rate has grown by 36% in this period. Acting as the strong arm of the state, the police represent this policy and rank first on the podium as the most lethal and violent in the world. The graph in the center gives an overview of the problem showing the total number of homicides in Brazil divided into of its 27 states.