By R. Renee Yaworsky
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil—After a week of combat between drug gangs and Brazilian security forces, over 45 people have been left dead.  Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva has lauded the operation as the beginning of the end for Rio’s notorious drug gangs, stating confidently:  “We will win this war.”

The military operation against the gangs took place in the favela (shantytown or slum) called Complexo do Alemao in Rio.  The favela had been a virtual stronghold for drug gangs, with little police presence for decades.  The mission culminated on Sunday when approximately 2,600 armed officers and paratroopers swarmed on the favela.  Armored vehicles and helicopters were in tow.

Officers seized weapons and drugs, especially marijuana and cocaine.  They also arrested over 40 suspected gang members, including important leaders.  Eliseu de Souza was one of these, found guilty of the 2002 torture and killing of journalist Tim Lopes.  Officers canvassed the favela’s 13 neighborhoods and tracked suspects into the sewers.

This week’s series of violent clashes are part of Brazil’s plan to make Rio safer for the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.  Yet many human rights defenders are critical, accusing the nation of being too tough in the approach.

“The police so far this week in operations in other communities have killed over 50 people, including in a tragic accident a 14-year-old girl,” Patrick Wilcken, a researcher with Amnesty International, said.  “And one has to remember that this community has a long history of these very militarized campaigns by the police, and in 2007 the police did a huge operation, stormed the community and shot dead 19 people, and then left.”

Many innocent residents of the favela were caught in crossfire during the police operations.  Health officials have reported that the age range of those wounded was from 2 to 81.

Jose Pereira, a 33-year-old bricklayer, took a bullet in the leg.  “They fight,” he said, “but we’re the ones who suffer, the residents.  How am I going to work now [with my injury]?  I have three children.  How are they going to eat?”

Complexo do Alemao has a population of about 65,000 who inhabit only 18,000 dwellings—mostly tin-roofed brick shacks.  Fifteen percent of these residents live without any access to proper sewage.  Since the violence began last week, electricity has been lost and many residents have lost the food they kept in their refrigerators.  When asked about the police’s capture of the favela, one mother said, “No, it’s not worth it.  Before, we lived our lives, [the gangs] lived theirs.”

Despite the problems that police operations have created in the favela, many are hopeful that the drug traffickers are on their way out and that a more peaceful time is to come.

“I hope this will be the rebirth of this community,” a grandmother expressed after the violence ceased.  “Things had to change.  We have to hope.”

For more information, please see:

BBC-Brazil’s Lula hails Rio police operation-29 November 2010

Washington Post-Rio slum dwellers caught in battle to pacify city-29 November 2010

Reuters-Analysis: Rio raids a critical step for Brazil’s economy-29 November 2010