Conquering Complexo do Alemão
A big step towards reclaiming Rio de Janeiro from the drug dealers
The Economist (UK)
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
It was a moment that residents of Rio de Janeiro thought would never come. For decades many of the city’s favelas have been ruled by drug traffickers or militias. Sporadic flare-ups would see the police go in to these self-built settlements seeking revenge, only to pull back leaving bodies scattered and the gangs to return to business. But last month when the city’s two main drug gangs began hijacking and torching vehicles at gunpoint, this time the authorities’ response was different.
