Jonathan Watts – The Guardian, 3/24/2014
Brazil is poised to send the army into the slums of Rio de Janeiro less than three months before the World Cup following a spate of attacks on police has resulted in the most tense standoff for years in the favelas.
The Rio state governor, Sérgio Cabral, has requested the reinforcements after attacks on police bases, apparently co-ordinated by the city’s biggest gang, Comando Vermelho.
An escalation of fire-bombings, murders and revenge killings have prompted talk of a war between the police and gangsters. Favela residents and NGOs say the situation is now tenser than at any time since 2010, when the authorities began a “pacification” programme to regain control of communities from armed traffickers.
Brazil Portal 