MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Preventing “bloodbath” in Rio's shanty towns.

Following a public warning from Amnesty International Rio de Janeiro police occupied two favelas, (shanty towns) fearing fighting between rival drug gangs could escalate into “a bloodbath”.

Over 120 highly armed security forces police officers were deployed around the favelas of Vigario Geral and Parada de Lucas in northern Rio, considered two of the city most dangerous, reported police officials. Apparently during the first hours of operations several suspects were arrested and seven grenades and two assault rifles seized.

The occupation was ordered a day after Amnesty International in an official release from London complained about the Brazilian government's strange "inaction" regarding conditions in the two favelas demanding local authorities take steps to prevent "a bloodbath".

According to the Brazilian press the gang that controls the drug trade in Parada de Lucas invaded Vigario Geral last weekend and drove out nearly 100 members of a rival gang. The evicted who took advantage of the police presence Friday/Saturday to pick up some of their belongings were given shelter in a school in another favela.

Rio newspapers on Friday published photos of a roadblock the gunmen set up on the main access road to Vigario Geral to keep the expelled drug dealers from returning.

In August 1993, Vigario Geral was the scene of one of the bloodiest urban massacres in recent Brazilian history when hooded police officers killed 21 people they accused of collaborating with drug-trafficking rings.

Turf wars among rival drug gangs, as well as clashes between gangs and police, have made Rio de Janeiro one of the most violent cities in the world