#rio #news Bope and armored tanks go into Vila Cruzeiro, Rio de Janeiro

25/11/2010 - 17h57

FROM SÃO PAULO

Police operations to try to contain the wave of violence in Rio continued on Thursday, facing criminals' resistance. Clashes between police and criminals in the Jacarezinho shanty-town killed seven people today --the names were not informed. Since the beginning of the attacks and arson attacks against buses, on Sunday 21st, 34 people have died in the police operations in Rio.

In Vila Cruzeiro, in the North of Rio, about 200 Civil Police officers went into the community around 3.15 p.m., after leaving Jacarezinho. Some of the officers were in four armored vehicles of the Military Police, known as the Big Skulls. Police had been undertaking an operation on the site since the morning.

Three armored tanks loaned by the Brazilian Navy, more powerful than a M113, also arrived at the entrance to Vila Cruzeiro this afternoon. It is the first time the MP (Military Police) of Rio uses Navy tanks. The vehicles help the police to cross barricades put up by drug traffickers along the main entrances to the slum --and allow the police to penetrate the area.

One officer was shot in the left arm during the operation in Vila Cruzeiro, but his like is not at risk, according to the MP. The Military Police has not informed if residents of the area are among the dead from Jacarezinho.

	Felipe Dana/AP

REVIEW

A partial review of the situation released by the Military Police mentions nine cars torched only on this Thursday in Vila do Pan (Western zone of Rio), Botafogo (South zone), Costa Barros (North zone), Vila Cruzeiro (North), Duque de Caxias (Baixada Fluminense, outskirts of Rio), Madureira (North zone), Engenho Novo (North zone) and Jardim América (North zone). Nine buses, two trucks and two motorcycles were also set on fire today in different points of the city. A total of 70 vehicles have been burnt since Sunday.

By about 3.30 p.m. the police had taken note of two attacks: against the DPO (Ostensive Policing Group) in Mesquita (Baixada Fluminense) and another against the PPC (Community Police Post) in Jardim América (North zone).

The MP arrested 11 people today, one of them a man who attacked the DPO, and one teenager.

Among the articles found by police during their operations by approximately 4.10 p.m. were four soda bottles containing flammable material, four containers of gasoline, six sticks of dynamite and six detonators.

VIOLENCE

Since the weekend Rio has been the target of a series of criminal attacks. The security authorities believe the actions have been launched by drug traffickers retaliating against the establishment of UPPs (Pacifying Police Units) in slums and hillside areas.

On Thursday morning the mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes (of the PMDB political party) launched an appeal to the population, asking people not to let themselves be intimidated by the wave of attacks and to stand with state's public security policy.

Tradução CLARA ALLAIN

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