Milagro de la Vida

reuters:

The same tear gas is being used on Turkey and Brazil protesters, according to recent reports made by sources in both countries.

Last week, the Associated Press reported the tear gas used in Turkey was from Brazil. The tear gas is made by the Brazilian manufacturer Condor Non-Lethal Technologies. The company gave a statement regarding the use of its tear gas in Turkey’s recent protests:

The Rio de Janeiro-based Condor Non-Lethal Technologies SA confirmed that it sold the tear gas to Turkish security forces – adding that the gas is “specifically designed to temporarily incapacitate people without causing them permanent damage or death” – but deflected some of the furor by saying that other countries also export tear gas and other weapons to Turkey.

“Turkey is one of the countries to which exports the Condor, but the Turkish police buy such equipment from other vendors as well, including Americans and Koreans,” the company said in a statement.

Brazil’s Foreign Ministry also confirmed that a number of Brazilian companies export the so-called non-lethal weaponry to Turkey. It added that Brazil had no comment on alleged human rights violations occurring in Turkey as it does not meddle in the internal affairs of other nations.

The tear gas was also allegedly used against protesters in Bahrain in 2011 (Al Jazeera), which the United Nations described as excessive: 

“The use of tear gas in particular has reportedly resulted in a number of deaths of protestors and bystanders – and that number has reportedly risen in recent months,” Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), told reporters in Geneva [in 2012]

A tear gas canister, shared on Instagram, is reported to have been used in Brazil (photo via Salad Uprising). UPDATE: the photo of the Brazilian tear gas canister appears to have been first reported here. 

International Treaty Governing Tear Gas Trade Kept On Hold: 

On April 2, 2013, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the landmark Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), regulating the global trade of arms and other items such as tear gas. While the treaty was signed by 72 countries, not including or Brazil, it requires 50 ratifications to go into effect. No country has yet ratified the ATT; Turkey has signed the treaty.

Amnesty International considers the ratification of the ATT to prevent weapons “flowing into countries where they are likely to be used to commit human rights atrocities - it can protect millions of people and save lives.” 

However, no such claim to prevent excessive force by the league of industrialized nations, of which Turkey and Brazil are on the cusp of joining.