Summary
20 June 2011
Brazilian security forces occupied one of the biggest slums in Rio on Sunday. The operation was part of a major clampdown on organised crime ahead of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.
Reporter:
Paulo Cabral
Brazilian Navy soldiers patrol in an operation against drug dealers at Mangueira slum in Rio
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Report
Authorities in Rio launched a fresh attack on organised crime by taking over the Mangueira slum close to the city's famous Maracana Stadium.
Around 800 police and Special Forces occupied the slum without firing any shots. The vast majority of residents co-operated fully with the authorities; they want their community pacified and free of drug dealers.
The police had pre-announced the raid, a strategy that gives criminals the chance to leave the area rather than being confronted in densely populated areas. Rio's authorities are making an effort to win the trust of those living in the slums who after decades of abuse have got used to seeing the police as their enemy.
The Mangueira is the 18th slum in Rio to be reclaimed by the authorities. But there is still a lot to be done. With hundreds of slums known as "favelas" still in the hands of organised criminals, drug dealers have vast areas in which to hide and thrive.
Paulo Cabral, 大象传媒 News, Sao Paulo
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Vocabulary
- slum
an area of a city that is very poor and where the houses are in a bad condition
- clampdown
a sudden action taken in order to stop an illegal activity
- organised crime
crime committed by professional criminals working in large groups
- pacified
brought peace to an area where there had been crime or fighting
- a strategy
a plan that is intended to achieve a particular purpose
- confronted
dealt with a problem or difficult situation
- to win the trust of
to get the respect of
- reclaimed
taken back under control of the original owners
- thrive
to become and continue to be successful
