In Rio de Janeiro, armed drug gangs have long ruled the favelas, as slums in Rio are called, and favela residents have been forced to live under the gun. But as Brazil rapidly transforms itself into an economic powerhouse, the state has gained the upper hand. One by one, military forces are disarming the favelas and sending in so-called Units of Pacifying Police, or UPP's, to keep the peace. Residents are wary that the UPP's will abondon them once the World Cup and Olympic games have passed and the world's attention has moved elsewhere. But in the meantime, there is an opening for favela residents to demand the rights and protections that have been denied to them for so long. If they win their claim to full citizenship, the view from the hillsides of Rio will never be the same. |