It’s official, in 2016 the Olympics will shed it’s gracious light on the Brazilian state of Rio De Janeiro in the city of the same name, with it’s stunning beaches, famous statues and vibrant culture. As the world turns it’s attention to the famous city it cannot possible ignore the violence in the slums and favelas.

Favelas are shantytowns that look like mountains of small boxes with windows and doors made of tin and red brick. The residents of Brazil’s favelas will not likely be attending the Olympics, many of them will not likely be making it to 2016. It was recently reported on the LEAP blog (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) that 2,757 homicides were registered in the city of Rio De Janeiro in 2008. It is estimated that the police are responsible for 1 in 5 of these killings.

The low-income areas have erupted into a battlefield where drug wars are being fought between the police and gangs like the Terceiro Comando. These battles are conducted over the heads of families who may or may not be involved in the illegal drug market. Men, women and children are dieing in the hundreds. Children especially, often these gangs prefer to use children to do their dirty work as they receive shorter prison sentences.
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