Drug raids in Rio De Janiero

(Vatican Radio) The pacification process of Rio De Janiero's shanty towns known as Faverlas continues apace with two huge pre dawn raids. Navy Marines, and other special forces spearheaded the operation, which included two thousand heavily armed Police Officers backed up by armoured cars and helicopters whirring overhead to give air cover rather than surveillance as it was too dark. Confronted by this sheer weight of overwhelming numeric superiotry, drug cartel gunmen retreated, melting into the background, to avoid a firefight which they surely would have lost.
The main aims are to break up the distribution of drugs, and diminish the hold and the reach of organized crime, which still holds sway in the favelas.
Authorities are only too aware that these areas are within distance of downtown Rio, which is going to be twice in the global spotlight in the relatively near future. As Rio is hosting the 2014 World Cup and the Olympic Games just two years later.
National and local Government, include the pacification issue as part of the infrastructure problem, which together with satisfying accommodation needs, still looms large. Listen to this report by James Blears