1. CITY OF GOD – CONTEXT
Trafficking
The Colombian cocaine trade has impacted Brazil and in turn its
favelas, which tend to be ruled by druglords. Regular shoot-outs
between traffickers and police and other criminals, as well as
assorted illegal activities, lead to murder rates in excess of 40 per
100,000 inhabitants in the city of Rio and much higher rates in
some Rio favelas. Traffickers ensure that individual residents
believe they can guarantee their own safety through their actions
and political connections to them. They do this by maintaining
order in the favela and giving and receiving reciprocity and
respect, thus creating an environment in which critical segments
of the local population feel safe despite continuing high levels of
violence.

2. The Favelas
The best-known favelas are those in and around Rio de Janeiro,
possibly because Rio's peculiar urban geography has placed many
of them up the hills that face the city's prosperous seaside
neighbourhoods and tourist spots, and thus made them readily
visible. They provide a dramatic illustration of the gap between
poverty and wealth, juxtaposed with the luxurious apartment
buildings and mansions of Rio's social elite. Several hills in Rio are
densely populated by favelas. In 2004, it was estimated that 19
percent of Rio's population lived within favelas