Britain's Cameron tours Rio shantytown

Under tight police protection, British Prime Minister David Cameron on Friday toured a Rio shantytown controlled by drug traffickers on the second day of his first visit to Brazil. Cameron was welcomed by children practicing capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art, at the headquarters of the British-funded "Fight for Peace" non-governmental organization located in the "Complexo da Mare," a cluster of slums located near the international airport. With more than 100 police backed by armored vehicles providing tight security, the British leader later strolled with the children through the streets of "Nova Holanda," one of the 16 favelas making up Complexo da Mare. Unlike many other favelas, where since 2008 security forces have wrested control from drug traffickers ahead of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 summer Olympics, the area is still under the sway of several drug gangs. Special police units have been deployed in those slums where drug traffickers have been evicted. Founded by British boxer Luke Dowdney, Fight For Peace cares for 2,250 youths a year, teaching them boxing and other martial arts. Cameron opened his visit in Sao Paulo, Brazil's economic capital, Thursday, warning Brasilia against protectionism, and later traveled to Rio where he met with Graca Foster, chief of state-owned energy giant Petrobras. "We have a huge potential in the oil and gas sector. But we are open to British products and services," Foster said after the meeting Thursday. Also Thursday, Cameron handed over to Rio the organization of the Laureus World Sports Awards, which reward people in sports who have been outstanding during the previous year. The British leader was to fly to Brasilia later Friday for talks with President Dilma Rousseff.