Brazil
In 2005, a referendum was held in Brazil in an attempt to forbid the sale of firearms and ammunition nationwide. According to the Brazilian constitution, every citizen has the right to self-defense and the pro-gun campaigners focused their arguments around this constitutional right, as well as making economic arguments.........
.....The result of the referendum ended with a victory of those against the gun-ban, with over 63% of the voters opposed.[9] Although the Brazilian Government, the Catholic Church, and the United Nations, argued in favor of a gun ban, it was argued successfully that guns are needed for personal security.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_BrazilBecause of gun politics in Brazil, all firearms are required to be registered with the state; the minimum age for ownership is 25[1] and although it is legal to carry a gun outside a residence, extremely severe restrictions were made by the federal government since 2002 making it virtually impossible to obtain a carry permit.[2] To legally own a gun, the owner must pay a tax every three years to register the gun, currently at BRL R$85[3] and registration can be done via the Internet or in person with the Federal Police.[4] Until the end of the 2008, unregistered guns could be legalized for free.[5]
The total number of firearms in Brazil is thought to be around 17 million[2] with 9 million of those being unregistered.[1] Some 39,000 people died in 2003 due to gun-related injuries nationwide.[2] In 2004, the number was 36,000.[1] Brazil has the second largest arms industry in the Western Hemisphere.[6] Approximately 80 percent of the weapons manufactured in Brazil are exported, mostly to neighboring countries; many of these weapons are then smuggled back into Brazil.[6] Some firearms in Brazil come from police and military arsenals, having either been "stolen or sold by corrupt soldiers and officers."[6]
The majority of Brazilian population, in 2005, voted against banning the sale of guns and ammunition to civilians in a referendum. Voting was compulsory for people between the ages of 18 and 70. The belief of a fundamental natural right to self-defense, low efficacy of police, high levels of use of illegal weapons in crimes in contrast to a very rare usage of legal weapons, increasing power of criminal organizations (like PCC) and heavy lobbying by non-brazilian lobby organizations such as the NRA are some of the factors that may have influenced 65% of Brazilian people to decide against the ban. The gun ban proposal received mixed support in the press, while celebrities were generally in favor, and drew the attention of international NGOs such as the NRA and the IANSA who financed Brazilian anti-ban lobbying groups and right-wing press, most importantly Veja the brazilian news magazine (indeed weekly publication of any kind) with the largest paid circulation in the country. Other media, like the powerful Globo group (owners of Brazil's largest TV network Rede Globo) and some quality broadsheets like Folha de São Paulo took a more nuanced stance tending towards the neutral
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4368598.stmGuns kill one person in Brazil every 15 minutes, giving it the world's highest death toll from firearms.
Last year, there were 36,000 shooting deaths. The UN says guns are the biggest cause of death among young people in Brazil.
