Rio favela [Brazil] violence: police take control of gang stronghold

telegraph uk ^ | 4:41PM GMT 26 Nov 2010 | Robin Yapp in Sao Paulo

[BenLurkin]

More than 100 heavily armed gang members fled Vila Cruzeiro, a shanty town in the north of Rio, after a 40 hour gunfight with police.

Television cameras captured many of the men escaping towards a wooded area before entering another nearby favela, Complexo do Alemao.

A sergeant with Brazil's military police was injured by shrapnel close to the favela on Friday morning and gang members were reported to have fired shots at a police helicopter.

A battalion of 800 soldiers, two air force helicopters and ten armoured vehicles were sent to the area to support police after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva agreed to a request by Rio state authorities for military support.

Night vision goggles and hi-tech communication equipment was also provided.

Around 150 elite police officers had entered Vila Cruzeiro, an important base for the Red Command drug gang, on Thursday inside armoured vehicles provided by Brazil's Marine Corps.

[coloradan]

Drug warriors want war, and they’re getting it. I hope they’re happy. Maybe they want to send in miltary equipment into American cities? Oh wait, they already do.

[soycd]

>Television cameras captured many of the men escaping towards a wooded area before entering another nearby favela, Complexo do Alemao.

I wonder why these retreating gangbangers were not met with scope lenses and dispatched instead of
only being “captured” by TV cameras? Seems a bit soft for the assault force.

[wastoute]

I hope they spent some time playing the video game first.

[BenLurkin]

Is there a particular video game you have in mind?

[McCloud-Strife]

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

[McCloud-Strife]

[McCloud-Strife]

[wastoute]

Modern Wqarfare2: Favela.

[buffyt]

I was in Sao Paolo and Salvador in 2000. There is so much poverty. Taxes are high. Government is corrupt. Cops are all on the take..... the MAJORITY of the population lives in slums