War in Rio's Favelas

Bandits fleeing Vila Cruzeiro towards Complexo do Alemão. Via O Globo

In Rio at least 17 schools, several universities, and 12 nursery have been shut down due to the increased violence in Rio and the surrounding area. In Rio's favelas there is an all out war going on... and it is all being broadcast live on TV. Seriously, there are hundreds of bandits running around in the hills that surround the favelas all with giant guns. The police shoot them from the military helicopter all while the news helicopter catches it on film. I have never seen anything like this.

What we are watching right now is the invasion by Special Operations Battalion (BOPE) of the Vila Cruzeiro Favela. The bandits fled towards Complexo do Alemão. Whereas the gangs used to fire upon each other when one rival entered the others territory, now the gangs have joined forces and can flee between favelas. It began when 150 military police officers from the BOPE and 30 Marines with painted faces, entered the Vila Cruzeiro, in Penha, on Thursday in the early afternoon. Six armored vehicles, the same as the vehicles used in Iraq, are being used to transport troops to the favela as well. Over 100 municipal police were also sent into the favela. This is just one police operation out of many that have occurred since the police forced began their retaliation early Wednesday morning.

Residents, especially those that live in favelas (most favelados are good, hard-working, honest people, by the way), have barricaded themselves in their homes or have left home all together. Stray bullets are a sad reality of urban warfare.

So far 27 people have been killed. Police said they had not yet identified all the dead or determined what connection, if any, they had to drug trafficking or other crimes, but Military Police Colonel Lima Castro did warn that, "Bystanders may be affected."

I left the house today without fear because I live in a safe neighborhood, but there are heavily armed police everywhere as people stop at pubs to watch the violence happening across the bay.