#NEWS #Rio's Police Close Airspace to Press in Areas of Operation

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Tricia Chaves Tricia Chaves

After Thursday's day-long broadcast of law enforcement and military operations in Rio de Janeiro, police have grounded reporters of news channels Rede GLOBO and Rede Record. Access to the air space in Rio's Zona Norte and Centro neighborhoods was restricted today following comments from the special forces team BOPE ( Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais ) indicating the press was hindering progress and potentially assisting criminals.

Aerial shots showed criminals brandishing machine guns while occupying the hilltop Igreja da Penha and hundreds of armed drug traffickers fleeing the Penha favela toward the Complexo do Alemão favela.

Without helicopters, today's ground footage showed bulletproof-vested reporters concealing themselves behind buildings while filming police and criminals exchanging gunfire. News crews reporting police activity during favela raids is commonplace for Rio de Janeiro's media, where reporters often follow military police and BOPE officers at a dangerous proximity.

The local media and law enforcement speculate the attacks that began on Sunday were provoked by recent UPP pacification units aimed to remove drug traffickers from Rio's favela communities. Much of the violence is contained to these neighborhoods. Television footage showed a safe haven receiving plastic-encased mattresses ordered by Rio de Janeiro Governor Sérgio Cabral to be used by residents who live in areas of risk.

Fear among residents outside the favelas has been elevated in the wake of the attacks. Nearly 100 vehicles (buses, vans and cars) have been seized and burned by traffickers in the Centro, Zona Norte and Zona Sul areas of the city.

Forces deployed to Rio have grown to 21,000 agents, and include the Army and Navy. In an interview with Rede GLOBO this afternoon, Military Police colonel Lima Castro reported police have seized 48 weapons, eight grenades, more than three tons of drugs, homemade bombs and dynamite. A total of 196 arrests and 28 trafficker casualties have occurred as of Friday. Three policemen have suffered small injuries.

Weekend events in the city have been rescheduled and businesses and shopping centers have closed due to safety concerns. Local Twitter users are abuzz updating information about police and criminal activity, business and school closings and event cancellations under the hash tags #eboato and #everdade.

Sources:
Rede GLOBO and Rede Record Live Footage

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