Backed by federal armed forces, local police in Rio de Janeiro have launched an offensive in the city’s two most violent and drug-ridden favelas, or shanytowns: Complex do Alemao and Villa Cruzeiro. The offensive is part of the police force's efforts to pacify the city over the past two years. The government had long avoided deploying the armed forces into the favelas until after recently concluded state and presidential elections . In Rio in particular, Gov. Sergio Cabral, who is closely allied with outgoing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and President-elect Dilma Rousseff, understood the importance of maintaining his popularity among the poor in the favelas to secure re-election. With national elections over, the pacification strategy in Rio was able to recommence. Pacifying the Favelas The first phase of the strategy entails a military offensive such as the one now being waged in Alemao and Cruzeiro.