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| Reconquering territory! |
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| Military occupation. |
Like any Bruce Willis do-good urban warfare movie, criminal elements either die during the eardrum-splitting exchange of gunfire, or get captured after a hot pursuit by foot or police cars through a maze of hide-outs while a helicopter hovers above for tactical support, or, to everyone's frustration, escape.
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| Urban war trophies: arms and drugs. |
The paradox is that it was this urban war that appears to have given the two-year pacification program in the favelas a big push. President Luiz Inacio da Silva was saying he couldn't understand why the criminals should be in control over the favelas; he himself dispatched 800 troopers to support the police and military forces in their assault of the Complexo do Alemao and Vila Cruzeiro. There were casualties, yes, but the operation succeeded. The denouement had the soldiers waving the Brazil flag over the re-conquered territory. Wanted criminals were captured, arms arsenals and drug warehouses captured. The war pains would probably be felt by the slum residents for a long time.
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| A hero of the Rio war returns home to his pregnant wife. |
President-elect Dilma Rousseff takes over government on December 31st. Probably, Silva wants Dilma not to be bothered by the favela issues while she takes care of more pressing government agenda, and as Brazil prepares for the great samba welcome to the World Cup 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2018!
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| A view of the two faces of Rio, the bright city and the dark slums. |
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