Americas

Home page

Americas

Brazilian police occupy crime-ridden Rio favela

14 March 2014 02:07 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Brazilian police on Thursday took over peacefully one of Rio de Janeiro's most crime- ridden favelas, as part of a "pacification" plan in the lead-up to the 2014 World Cup Games, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Nearly 300 Military Police officers in armored vehicles occupied the streets of Vila Kennedy, a favela of some 25,000 people in eastern Rio, overcoming barricades set up by residents, but otherwise meeting no resistance, official sources said.

The predawn operation took less than 20 minutes, said Colonel Paulo Henrique Moraes, the operation's chief of staff of the Military Police.

Following the operation, some 38 Pacification Police Units (UPP) or stations will be installed at Vila Kennedy to reclaim the neighborhoods from rival drug gangs.

Another 350 officers were deployed in "satellite operations" at neighboring favelas, to prevent gang members from attempting to flee Vila Kennedy for other places.

According to the police, 2013 saw a 7.42 percent rise in reported crime at Vila Kennedy, with 29,732 complaints.

Residents of the favela, which has been the battleground of two rival criminal rings, had been trying for three years to get authorities to set up UPP stations there, not only to combat crime, but also help set up healthcare and educational services.

The "pacification" campaign, launched in 2008, aims to have all of Rio's favelas under the UPP's control by 2016, when Rio will also host the Olympic Games.