Vigilantes in Rio De Janeiro?

[ClaytonD]

Just saw this today, I did a search and I hope it was thorough enough.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070429/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/rio_s_slum_militias

Vigilantes impose peace in Rio slums
By PETER MUELLO, Associated Press Writer Sun Apr 29, 1:30 PM ET

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - For as long as anyone can remember, the cracked asphalt soccer field in the Roquete Pinto slum was off-limits to children — "reserved" by gangs selling marijuana and cocaine. Then, a few months ago, a mysterious squad of beefy men with submachine guns started patrolling on foot, and the drug dealers disappeared.

A few days ago, while gunbattles were raging in two other Rio de Janeiro neighborhoods and bystanders were shielding their kids from the bullets, the barefoot teens of Roquete Pinto smiled and shouted as they kicked a ball around their freshly liberated field.

tartling transformations like Roquete Pinto's are increasingly visible across Rio, as for-profit "militias" made up of active and former police officers, private security guards, off-duty prison guards and firefighters evict drug gangs from slums where violence used to be out of control.

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More on Link

It seems as though the citizens in some areas of Rio have taken matters in their own hands. I don't know much about Brazil or the issues the country has but the article seemed like an interesting read, although short. It seems as though the militias have the support of some of the higher ups in Brazil as well.

Edit: All that and I forgot to post a link. It's up now.