White House weighs Brazil drug intervention

October 21, 7:56 PMWhite House ExaminerWamara Mwine

A Brazilian Police helicopter was shot down during a shoot-out between authorities and drug traffickers in the Morro dos Macacos slum of Rio De Janeiro just two days after a White House presidential determination that U.S. assistance might be necessary to battle the drug problem.

Two police officers died in Sunday’s crash after the pilot was shot in the leg and the plane fell from the sky. Three others escaped along with the pilot when the helicopter reached the ground. Rio Police say ten presumed traffickers were killed during the fighting in the slum, including three discovered in a car.  The helicopter crashed just five miles away from one of the zones where the 2016 Olympics will be held. Governor of Rio state, Sergio Cabral, spoke to reporters about the security issue. “We told the International Olympic Committee that this won’t be an easy thing and they know that. We can put 40,000 people on the streets; federal, state and municipal police and pull off the event.”

Savio Pontes, a police detective in Rio De Janeiro, says the drug and crime situation in Brazil is more grave than the international community knows. “Unfortunately we do have more murders here than in Iraq and Afganistan wars,” Savio points out. “As a rule, in Brazil, the government doesn´t provide decent public schools and the most poor people have no conditions to get a good job. On the other side, the drug commerce offers really good pay and the possibility to grow up in a "career." Pontes, has a law degree from the University of Rio, is also studying for a masters in sociology at IUPERJ,  claims ‘corruption’ and ‘easy money’ has made politicians give a blind eye to the crisis. “The sad conclusion is that violent episodes like that one will not stop while the economic inequality stays,” Pontes says.  

The presidential proclamation titled “Provision of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Brazil” signed by Mr. Obama refers to the National Defense Authorization Act. The provision reads, “I hereby certify, with respect to Brazil, that (1) interdiction of aircraft reasonably suspected to be primarily engaged in illicit drug trafficking in that country's airspace is necessary because of the extraordinary threat posed by illicit drug trafficking to the national security of that country; and (2) that country has appropriate procedures in place to protect against innocent loss of life in the air and on the ground in connection with such interdiction, which shall at a minimum include effective means to identify and warn an aircraft before the use of force is directed against the aircraft.” 

In terms of the United States pledge for assistance, Pontes says, “And it is even cruel, but the international intervention, mainly from the United States of America, is always to encourage the "war" against drugs, and never to help us to make a better distribution of wealth. Inequality is the Brazilian dilemma.”

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has played down the threat of violence for the Olympics, saying Rio has repeatedly demonstrated that it can pull off big events without risk to players or spectators. The Pan American Games in 2007 without major incident by deploying more than 15,000 specially trained officers to keep the peace.

For more info: 

Police helicopter shot down in Olympic city Rio de Janeiro - Times Online

Police helicopter shot down during gun battle between rival gangs in Rio de Janeiro