Risks and Rewards in Brazil's Favela Offensive

Rio de Janeiro's most wanted drug trafficker was found by police in the trunk of a car fleeing the Rocinha favela ahead of a large-scale operation to pacify such slums before the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. Rocinha is considered the largest favela in Rio and the headquarters of Amigos dos Amigos, one of Rio's two most powerful criminal organizations. Subduing it and nearby Vidigal favela is therefore filled with potential risks and complications. Despite previous successful pacification campaigns, the operation will likely last far longer than the official timeline, and its potential to control crime in the city is limited. The ultimate goal is to avoid internationally embarrassing flare-ups of violence when the international games finally come to town.