ABSTRACT
Th e crime problem in Brazil is known worldwide, and its most visible face is Rio de Janeiro. Th e country’s former capital and most visited city is marked by violence, a violence depicted in mass media, academic studies and even fi lms, such as Elite Squad and City of God . In recent decades, crime in Rio de Janeiro has been linked to drug traffi cking, gunfi ghts between criminal gangs, police corruption and violence. Th ose problems occur mainly in poor neighborhoods, or favelas, where people live in a risky environment.
