Brazil's Favela Offensive

Backed by federal armed forces, local police in Rio de Janeiro are temporarily occupying two of Brazil’s most notorious favelas, or shantytowns, following an intense military campaign that began 10 days ago in response to an uprising by local drug dealers. The favela pacification campaign fits into Brazil’s strategic imperative to wrest control of large swathes of urban territory from powerful drug traffickers in time for Rio de Janeiro to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics. While Brazil is eager to improve its image ahead of these high-profile events in justifying its regional prowess to the world, the state is up against a number of serious constraints in its efforts to ensure this latest favela offensive has a lasting impact on the political, economic and social stability of the country.