Rio Favelas Rocinha and Vidigal Occupied Without Shots Fired: Daily

November 13, 2011 | Filed underDaily Update | Posted by Ben Tavener

By Ben Tavener, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – This morning, Rocinha, Rio’s largest favela, and Vidigal, became the most recent communities to be pacified by Brazil’s military and police forces – without shots fired. The operation included BOPE, the Marines and other special armed forces and police squadrons using armored vehicles and helicopters - as a precursor to the installation of Rio’s nineteenth UPP (Police Pacification Unit).

Brazilian military vehicles joined the operation in Rocinha and Vidigal, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Brazilian military vehicles joined the operation in Rocinha and Vidigal, image recreation.

Around 7AM, the Chief of the Military Police, Colonel Alberto Pinheiro Neto made the official announcement of the occupation. Local media reports he said the situation was under control in Rocinha, and that there were no incidents or shots fired.

Operation Choque de Paz (“Shock of Peace”) got underway at around 2:30AM this morning as police installed roadblocks, and is being labeled “historic” by Brazilian media and “even bigger” than that in Complexo do Alemão a year ago.

According to the Secretary of Security of Rio, about 3,000 men of military police, civil and federal, and military Marine Corps participated in the operation, which was backed by four helicopters.

The commander of Special Operations Battalion (BOPE), Lieutenant Colonel Wilma Alonso Rene Goncalves, said nobody was arrested during the operation. He said police BOPE are in various parts of the community, making inroads in the woods, looking for dealers in drugs and arms and ammunition.

“We had to act fast [in Alemão]. We didn’t have as much time to prepare then as we have now. We are ready for this fight,” said operation commander Yerson de Oliveira Neto.

Rocinha residents said the atmosphere was one of “total apprehension”, with people leaving work, stockpiling supplies and heading home as zero hour approached.

Rocinha, perched above wealthy neighborhoods in Rio’s Zona Sul (South Zone), has been considered crucial to the city’s drug trade, and the alleged kingpin of the R$2 million per week enterprise was arrested just days ago.

Accused Rocinha Drug Lord Arrested

Accused Rocinha Drug Lord Arrested: Daily

November 10, 2011 | Filed underDaily Update | Posted by Sarah de Sainte Croix

By Sarah de Sainte Croix, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Accused chief drug lord of Rocinha, Antônio Bonfim Lopes, known as Nem, was arrested by Federal Police at around midnight last night in Lagoa, in front of the Piraquê Club. One military police officer called the arrest of one of Rio’s most wanted criminals a “victory”.

Accused Rocinha drug lord, Nem, arrested, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil News

Accused Rocinha drug lord, Nem, arrested, image recreation.

The fugitive was found in the trunk of a car as he reportedly attempted to escape from Rocinha ahead of its anticipated pacification.

It was reported in local media that he was assisted by two other men – a lawyer and an employee from the consulate of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who initially tried to use his diplomatic immunity to prevent police officers from opening the trunk and making the discovery.

The lawyer reportedly offered police officers R$1 million to let the group walk free. However, all three men were arrested. According to Federal Police, Nem will be transferred Bangu prison later on today.

Rocinha is considered the largest favela in Brazil, and located between the wealthy Zona Sul (South Zone) neighborhoods of São Conrado, Gávea, andLeblon.

Home to at least 70-100,000 people (the exact population is unknown, due to the difficulty of conducting a census), Rocinha is considered crucial to the drug trade in Rio.

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Sunday, November 13, 2011