Stock Photo - The largest and most popular favela, or slum, in Latin America, Rocinha has over 300,000 residents Originally populated by freed slaves, it has since remained a highly maringalised area Other than extreme poverty and poor health and sanitation conditions, another big problem faced by Rocinha and some other favelas is that of violent crime A large number of murders are committed every year, mostly connected to drug trafficking fueled by the appetite of the Rio elite for designer and traditional drugs Several drug lords fight for control and create havoc among the civil population Children are obviously exposed to this violence Rocinha, Brazil 2005