The Brazil World Cup Is Not All Fun and Games (36 pics)

Nearly 3,000 Brazilian military began Saturday morning to deploy in the favelas of Maré Complex in Rio de Janeiro, located near the international airport, where they will replace the police who occupy the place for nearly a week .

They came without incident from 6:00 local (Belgian 11:00), while the people watched from the windows or on their doorstep. 's operation to "pacify" the area to the World Cup (12 June-13 July) will include 2,050 men of the Parachute Infantry Brigade, 450 and 200 of the Marine Military Police. The Air Force can help "if necessary", said Thursday the general Ronaldo Lundgren told reporters.

Danger Zone

The Force pacification will be posted within 15 favelas of Maré, an area of 10 square kilometers will remain there until the end of July. Considered one of the most dangerous areas of Rio, the Maré Complex is located at a strategic point of the city, where tens of thousands of tourists during the World channeled. It is bordered by the main access road linking central Rio to the suburbs of the metropolis of 12 million people. Last Sunday, 1,180 military police officers from various units, supported by 15 tanks, four helicopters and civilian police had taken possession fifteen minutes and unopposed this stronghold of drug trafficking populated by 130,000 inhabitants. "Pacification" Rio was launched in 2008 with the installation of 38 units from the pacifying Police (UPP) in 174 favelas, to drive out the drug traffickers who reigned there.