Voters overwhelmingly rejected Sunday a measure to ban gun sales in Brazil, which has one of the world's highest murder rates. With 98 percent of electronic ballots counted, officials said that about 64 percent voted against and 36 percent for the ban.
Opinion polls had indicated most would vote against the ban. The government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, human rights groups and the Roman Catholic Church all backed the ban. But the public had swung dramatically against the proposal in recent weeks.
"This is a controversial topic," Lula said after the vote. "A lot of people defend the freedom to use a weapon and a lot of people are against."
"If a common citizen does not now how to handle a weapon, it would be better not to have it," he said. He said he would respect the will of the people.
More than 500,000 people were murdered in Brazil between 1979 and 2003, according to United Nations figures, and many tourists now think twice about a walk along Rio de Janeiro's famous Copacabana beach for fear of being held up at gunpoint.
There are more than 17 million firearms in Brazil, of which nine million are not registered, according to the Higher Institute of Religious Studies, which carried out a study with non-governmental groups Rio Alive and Small Arms Survey.
About 36,000 Brazilians a year are killed by firearms - more than cancer or traffic accidents, the government said.
But the pro-gun lobby - arms makers and various activist groups - have played on public fears about the crime rate. One advertisement used the image of South African leader Nelson Mandela, linking his fight for freedom to the argument that people should be allowed to own firearms.
A recent Toledo institute poll highlighted public doubts about the measure.
Of those polled, 57 percent believed banning sales of arms and ammunition would not reduce crime, while 59 percent said they would feel defenceless against criminals if they were not allowed to have a gun.
In the shantytowns of Rio, dominated by drug-trading gangs, few think that a ban on arms would bring more peace to their lives.
Rene Mello, secretary of the neighbourhood association in the Rocinha section on the hills overlooking some of Rio's wealthiest homes, told AFP that disarmament is not the answer to Brazil's violent crime.
The upper part of Rocinha is controlled by a drug gang, which defends its territory with heavy arms when the police or rival gangs try to launch operations against them.
Mello said that the armed gangs do more social work in the slums than the government.
"They give medicines, food, bottled gas, toys for children and a feeling of safety," he said.
The government passed a law in 2003 tightening restrictions on the sale and carrying of weapons. In July 2004, it launched a campaign to disarm the population, even offering to pay up to 100 dollars for every assault rifle handed in.
By September of this year, about 440,000 guns had been turned in, according to official figures.
Since the 2003 law, the number of gun stores has fallen from 1,500 to 250. The industry estimates that this has caused the loss of 7,000 jobs.
The non-governmental group Viva Rio, which backed the sales ban, said it would fight to return to the 2003 law.
"During debates with those against the ban, we found common ground," said Antonio Rangel told AFP.
"The government should earmark more money for public safety," he said.
Final results from the referendum were expected late Sunday.
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