The War On Poverty

PAULO SANTOS/AP

THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Lula meets the residents of a favela in northern Brazil

The carnival celebration that sambas through the streets of Rio de Janeiro this week is traditionally a showcase of coordinated public spirit. Class divisions give way to elaborate, egalitarian parades involving millions of people and months of preparation. But this year even Carnival became a reminder of Brazil's poverty-driven violent crime, as drug gangs spread terror through Rio's streets last week on the eve of the big party, killing at least 10. It was one more loud warning that to maintain order over the long term, Brazil has little choice but to tackle its epic social inequality, which is the worst...

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