People and Power- Peace in the favelas

For decades Brazil's favelas - or shanty towns - have been a deadly battleground, where thousands died in the turf wars of rival gangsters and drug lords.

But two years ago - in anticipation of the football World Cup in 2014 and the 2016 Summer Olympics, the Brazilian government launched a new initiative.

Since then the Police Pacifying Units (UPP), have moved into 12 favelas, freeing 150,000 people from the control of the gangs and bringing a new calm to embattled neighbourhoods.

But as filmmakers Dom Rotheroe and Alfonso Daniels found out - while most residents in the UPP-controlled favelas welcome the fragile peace others fear it may not last.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• peoplepower
• Brazil
• slums
• crime
• world
• cup
• violence
• drugs