US House Speaker John Boehner Visits Brazil Slum
US House Speaker John Boehner Visits Brazil Slum
By JULIANA BARBASSA Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO January 9, 2012 (AP)
U.S. House Speaker John Boehner toured a Rio de Janeiro shantytown that police recently seized from drug traffickers as he kicked off a trade-boosting trip to Latin America on Monday.
He leads a seven-member congressional delegation that will visit the top three U.S. export markets in Latin America — Brazil, Colombia and Mexico.
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The shantytown toured by the representatives was seized from drug traffickers in November, ending decades of criminal control. In the program's three years, 19 permanent "police pacification units" have been created, serving slums housing 280,000 people. Most of the newly protected areas border Rio's wealthy oceanside suburbs or surround the Maracana, Rio's iconic stadium.
"What's happening here is a great example of how they can bring everyone into society as a whole, and where everyone has a chance to be treated equally," Boehner said.
More:
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/us-house-speaker-john-boehner-visits-brazil-slum-15323982
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