Rio de Janeiro's Favelas Raided by Brazilian Military Police

by Sony Sahota | November 25, 2010 at 10:08 pm

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Gunfire between military police and drug gangs escalated in Brazil’s favelas during a fifth day of violence.

Equipped with assault rifles and automatic weapons, officers with armoured cars targeted the Vila Cruzeiro slum in the north of Rio, headquarters of a gang responsible for a number of attacks on police.

Sunday began a series of violence on police stations and vehicles attacked by gang members, reports said. Authorities blame imprisoned gang members angry at police efforts to take control of their turf in more than a dozen favelas.

In this week’s violence, at least 30 people have been killed, among them a 14-year-old girl shot in the chest by a stray bullet. She died in hospital.

The 2014 World Cup will be hosted in Brazil and Rio de Janeiro is among the host cities. Last year it was awarded the 2016 Olympics. Rio is home to 6 million people, with a history of violence and poverty contradicting the image it would rather prefer.

30 people were killed last year as gang members shot down a police helicopter igniting raids by police.