A battle between rival gangs Saturday in a city slum killed at least 12 people and saw a police helicopter shot down.

 

Two suspected drug traffickers were killed in another slum.

 

It led to unwelcome headlines just two weeks after Rio was awarded the Games.

 

Paes said: "We never tried to hide our problems.

 

"During the bid process we always told people we had problems.

 

"We are facing these problems.

 

"We still have a lot to do.

 

"What happened this weekend showed that.

 

"But we are sure the policy we are bringing to Rio will make this a lot better.

 

"We are not worried about delivering a safe Games.

 

"Rio delivered a safe Pan Am Games [in 2007] and we will deliver a safe Olympic Games.

 

"We still have a lot of problems, we are facing those problems, we are being tough on those problems.

 

"Rio is a fantastic city, a city of celebration, a city of hardworking people, but a city of contrasts, a city of a lot of problems, a city of poor people.

 

"We know that the Olympic Games means an opportunity to close these gaps between the poor and rich."

 

Sir Craig Reedie, a member of the IOC Evaluation Commission that delivered a glowing assessment of Rio's readiness to stage the Olympics, warned the world not to overdramatise what happened.

 

He said: "I deeply regret what happened in Rio recently but I have to say that it pales into insignificance compared to what happened in London in 2005."

 

The day after London won the right to host the 2012 Olympics four suicide bombers killed 52 innocent people with explosions on the British capital's transport system on July 7, 2005.

 

Mike Lee, Director of Communications and Public Affairs for London’s successful 2012 bid and more recently, the more recently lead adviser on the campaign which saw Rio de Janeiro chosen to become the first South American city to be chosen to host the Games, said: "Big cities are dangerous places with massive challenges.

 

"Craig and I remember the day after London's victory and the terrible events that happened here in London and the impact it had on all of us.

 

"The nature of what is happening in Rio is slightly different but nevertheless if you go to an urban metropolis - it comes with challenges.""

 

Lee dismissed claims that Rio had tried to hide the potential security problems if they were chosen to host the 2016 Olympics.

 

He said: "In presentations we were able to show the progress that is being made in Rio and that everybody is taking it [security] seriously.

 

"We addressed the issues of security.

 

"We hid nothing.

 

"I would say to anybody getting involved in these bidding processes - 'Do not think that you can hide your weaknesses'."

 

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected].

 

 

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October 2009: Dozen killed and helicopter shot out of the sky on day of violence in Rio