It’s one of the most beautiful places on Earth, but also one of the most dangerous. In the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, violent drug gangs operate with recklessness and no regard for human life. Now, after decades of chaos, Brazilian authorities are trying to restore order. They use army-like forces and a new approach to policing. This bold offensive is called “pacification”, but will it work, and will it work in time?
With the World Cup and the Olympics on the horizon, Rio de Janeiro is racing against time. As the Olympics loom, we’ll delve into some of Rio’s 600 favelas to see what the authorities are up against. We’ll see a heart from the crack cave and a man who rules with an iron fist. The filmmakers take you to the city of God, filled with guns and gangs, as the battle for Rio continues.
Rio de Janeiro is one of the most beautiful cities on earth and it’s easy to see why it’s called “Cidade Maravilhosa” – the city of wonder. Rio gets arguably more postcard views than most other cities combined. But Rio de Janeiro is also a city plagued by major economic disparities. There are 600 favelas in Rio de Janeiro, known as favelas in Brazil. These shanty towns are often built next to the city’s wealthiest neighbourhoods.
One in five city dwellers lives in slums, and many will tell you they feel like second-class citizens. The government has little or no control over Rio de Janeiro’s favelas, which have become havens for drug dealers for decades when officials turned a blind eye. In today’s slums, the media routinely captures images of teenagers brandishing assault rifles, guarding the slums from outsiders and killing anyone who stands in their way.
Security forces in Rio de Janeiro have occasionally taken action against traffickers, but never made a concerted effort to completely disrupt their operations…until now. Keeping Rio de Janeiro safe has never been more important. Brazil will host the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics two years later. The eyes of the world will be on Rio de Janeiro as never before.
Millions of tourists are already booking flights, and in response, Brazil’s government is devoting unprecedented resources to implement a new public safety policy called “pacification.” The mission for the next two years is to take back control of 40 of Rio’s largest and most dangerous favelas and destroy once and for all the drug dealers who have long ruled the streets there.
But bringing safety to Rio de Janeiro and its favelas is dangerous work. Suffice it to say, drug dealers in Rio de Janeiro are not keen on “pacification.” The “pacification” operation is no different from the US military’s offensive in Iraq. The idea is to attack areas traditionally without law enforcement and invade with overwhelming force.
