RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — At least seven suspected drug traffickers and a policeman are dead after a gunbattle broke out in a Rio slum a day before Carnival.
Separately, police found the body of the co-founder of a local non-governmental organization that tried to help slum residents. His throat was slit.
Police say the shootout in the Jacarezinho slum started Thursday afternoon while police were on patrol.
Jacarezinho is located in northern Rio, far from the tourist areas and Carnival parties.
But violence is a constant worry for officials in Rio. Protecting visitors during Carnival is a top priority, especially as the city prepares to host the 2016 Olympics.
