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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro

‘They’re to put the brakes on cops’: Rio barricades turn favelas into fortresses

Police officers dressed in protective gear destroy roadblocks with a digger in a Rio favela.
Members of Rio's anti-barricade military police team destroy roadblocks built by traffickers. Photograph: Alan Lima/The Guardian

Deep in a mosaic of redbrick favelas on the fringes of Rio, a weapons dealer, a drug smuggler and a crime lord held court on a corner as darkness enveloped the streets they rule.

An unnerving arsenal of assault rifles was on show as the trio fielded requests from customers, locals and staff, but the mood was relaxed.

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