The World Cup, fun and favelas: state of emergency in Rio | M6 | Enquête Exclusive

On June 12 the FIFA World Cup kicks off in Brazil. It’s the start of four weeks of partying in a highly charged atmosphere. They are expecting three million tourists and supporters in Rio, a global event. However, Rio, ebullient and sexy, is one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Drug dealers are returning in force as the World Cup approaches: in 2013 drug seizures increased by nearly 30 per cent and murders by 15 per cent. Will the authorities be able to curb gang violence not only in the favelas but in the very heart of the city? The Brazilian authorities have set up an unprecedented security operation: men from the BOPE, the Brazilian police’s elite commando, will pursue the dealers right into their own territory. In an exclusive, we follow their high-risk missions over several weeks. We accompanied the hunt for drug dealers in the narrow alleys of one of the most dangerous favelas in Rio. Whether residents of Rio or coming just for the event, hundreds of French people fully intend to make the most of the World Cup. Laëtitia left Paris three years ago to live out her Brazilian dream. She bought a house in the heart of the Vidigal favela, which was pacified by the army and has become one of the new hip neighborhoods of Rio. Laëtitia has opened a boarding house, which she hopes to exploit during the world cup. Iliana, a 26 year-old from Brittany, has come to party and enjoy the bubbling atmosphere of the city. And as for Jerome and his friends, they were here in March for Carnival, the final dress rehearsal before the World Cup.