rio das pedras has 40,000 inhabitants and does not suffer from the problems of violence and drug trafficking that many other favelas have found themselves captive to - a utopia da comunidade - rio das pedras, uma favela carioca is available in most major bookstores, and online via livraria travessa on this link, or via livraria saraiva here.

published by carlos alberto da lima in 2012, the book os 583 dias da pacificação dos complexos da penha e do alemão (the 583 days of the pacification of the penha and german complexes) by colonel carlos alberto de lima charts the very first pacification process that took place in two favela conglomerates, considered the bastions of drug trafficking in 2010.

the perimeters were invaded and occupied within 11 hours, in which time a large body of the traffickers fled through the forests and symbolically a brazilian flag was erected atop the main favela hill morro do alemão.