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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/jul/12/rio-olympics-view-from-the-favelas-the-segregation-of-rio-de-janeiro-is-notorious
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| Rio Olympics: view from the favelas – ‘The segregation of Rio is notorious’ | Rio Olympics: view from the favelas – ‘The segregation of Rio is notorious’ |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| 2 March | 2 March |
| Teachers and other education professionals go on strike today with massive support from high school students. Classes have also been shut down at the State University of Rio de Janeiro. The watchword in the city is “I’ll give up the Olympics, I want more funds for health and education.” Rocinha is one of the few places that doesn’t have an occupation by students. There is only one high school in Rocinha, so many young people have to study in neighbouring districts. The André Maurois school, in the Leblon neighbourhood, is one of the occupied schools. Many young people in Rocinha study there and are taking part in the occupation. | Teachers and other education professionals go on strike today with massive support from high school students. Classes have also been shut down at the State University of Rio de Janeiro. The watchword in the city is “I’ll give up the Olympics, I want more funds for health and education.” Rocinha is one of the few places that doesn’t have an occupation by students. There is only one high school in Rocinha, so many young people have to study in neighbouring districts. The André Maurois school, in the Leblon neighbourhood, is one of the occupied schools. Many young people in Rocinha study there and are taking part in the occupation. |
| 9 March | 9 March |
| Progress of sorts. The city government inaugurates a municipal centre for community mediation in Rocinha. This initiative seeks to resolve problems without the need for residents to turn to the justice system. It aims to promote citizenship and reduce the burden on the courts. | Progress of sorts. The city government inaugurates a municipal centre for community mediation in Rocinha. This initiative seeks to resolve problems without the need for residents to turn to the justice system. It aims to promote citizenship and reduce the burden on the courts. |
| Related: Rio Olympics: view from the favelas – ‘Violence here has become trivialised’ | |
| 10 March | 10 March |
| National politics sparks a neighbourhood debate. A week after police take former president Lula in for questioning, resident Adelson Guedes drapes a banner reading “Rocinha supports President Lula” above one of the busiest entrances of Rocinha. This action divides opinion. Guedes says he wants to show support for the man who changed the history of the country. But a few hours later, somebody removes the banner. This is widely praised on social networks. Although Lula and President Dilma Rousseff have directed funding to Rio’s favelas, residents are very critical of corruption. | National politics sparks a neighbourhood debate. A week after police take former president Lula in for questioning, resident Adelson Guedes drapes a banner reading “Rocinha supports President Lula” above one of the busiest entrances of Rocinha. This action divides opinion. Guedes says he wants to show support for the man who changed the history of the country. But a few hours later, somebody removes the banner. This is widely praised on social networks. Although Lula and President Dilma Rousseff have directed funding to Rio’s favelas, residents are very critical of corruption. |
| 12 March | 12 March |
| Heavy rain turns the community into a river. That’s not news. It is always like this in a storm. One resident – 58-year-old Carlos M da Silva – dies after being dragged into a ditch. When it rains, the volume of water and garbage that comes down the hillside is huge. Residents say Carlos was trying to unclog a manhole and was carried by the force of the current and debris. He was a street cleaner and worked clearing ditches. He died trying to help the community, as he had always done. His body was buried in the São João Batista cemetery in Botafogo in the south zone of Rio. His family didn’t comment and asked for privacy in their moment of grief. | Heavy rain turns the community into a river. That’s not news. It is always like this in a storm. One resident – 58-year-old Carlos M da Silva – dies after being dragged into a ditch. When it rains, the volume of water and garbage that comes down the hillside is huge. Residents say Carlos was trying to unclog a manhole and was carried by the force of the current and debris. He was a street cleaner and worked clearing ditches. He died trying to help the community, as he had always done. His body was buried in the São João Batista cemetery in Botafogo in the south zone of Rio. His family didn’t comment and asked for privacy in their moment of grief. |
| 25 March | 25 March |
| Our community feels slighted after a comparison is made with the corrupt businessmen and politicians who have been exposed by the Lava Jato investigation. Federal police release spreadsheets detailing how much cash the contractor Odebrecht paid to lawmakers and government officials. The list includes the mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, and the [now former] speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Eduardo Cunha. When this scandal is revealed, a journalist called Nelson Motta sneeringly jokes in the O Globo newspaper: “This is not a gang of bandits in Rocinha; these are the men who run Brazilian politics.” | Our community feels slighted after a comparison is made with the corrupt businessmen and politicians who have been exposed by the Lava Jato investigation. Federal police release spreadsheets detailing how much cash the contractor Odebrecht paid to lawmakers and government officials. The list includes the mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, and the [now former] speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Eduardo Cunha. When this scandal is revealed, a journalist called Nelson Motta sneeringly jokes in the O Globo newspaper: “This is not a gang of bandits in Rocinha; these are the men who run Brazilian politics.” |
| 29 March | 29 March |
| Financial problems hit one of our community’s most important cultural events. Organisers of the stations of the cross of Rocinha, now in its 24th year, are putting on a show highlighting the murder of black and mixed-race residents in Rio’s marginalised communities. But this year the event has to be scaled down because the sponsor – the private electricity firm Light – says it is unable to renew sponsorship due to the poor economic climate. The company was given a tax exemption worth 85m reais (£17m) to provide power to the Olympic Games. | Financial problems hit one of our community’s most important cultural events. Organisers of the stations of the cross of Rocinha, now in its 24th year, are putting on a show highlighting the murder of black and mixed-race residents in Rio’s marginalised communities. But this year the event has to be scaled down because the sponsor – the private electricity firm Light – says it is unable to renew sponsorship due to the poor economic climate. The company was given a tax exemption worth 85m reais (£17m) to provide power to the Olympic Games. |
| 12 April | 12 April |
| Rocinha residents are promoting a dance funk-party protest against the impeachment of Rousseff. It is organised by the famous DJ sound production team Furacão 2000 on Copacabana beach. The organiser, Romulo Costa, says it is important to mobilise against the “coup” taking place in Brazil. Other favelas on the slopes of the south zone, such as Vidigal and Cantagalo, also came out in force. Organisers estimate the crowd at about 100,000 people. As the samba musician Wilson das Neves warned: “The day the favela comes down [from the hill] and it’s not for carnival …” | Rocinha residents are promoting a dance funk-party protest against the impeachment of Rousseff. It is organised by the famous DJ sound production team Furacão 2000 on Copacabana beach. The organiser, Romulo Costa, says it is important to mobilise against the “coup” taking place in Brazil. Other favelas on the slopes of the south zone, such as Vidigal and Cantagalo, also came out in force. Organisers estimate the crowd at about 100,000 people. As the samba musician Wilson das Neves warned: “The day the favela comes down [from the hill] and it’s not for carnival …” |
| 21 April | 21 April |
| A newly built bicycle lane collapses after being hit by a strong wave. Among the fatalities is a 60-year-old Rocinha resident, Ronaldo Severino da Silva, who used to go for walks along that cycle path on his days off. The construction, which was inaugurated in January, cost 44m reais but failed to account for the impact of waves. This is absurd because it is built on the coast. But it is not an isolated accident. Rio de Janeiro is full of botched work. | A newly built bicycle lane collapses after being hit by a strong wave. Among the fatalities is a 60-year-old Rocinha resident, Ronaldo Severino da Silva, who used to go for walks along that cycle path on his days off. The construction, which was inaugurated in January, cost 44m reais but failed to account for the impact of waves. This is absurd because it is built on the coast. But it is not an isolated accident. Rio de Janeiro is full of botched work. |
| 22 April | 22 April |
| An anti-Zika operation gets under way near a Rocinha nursery called Lacyra Frazão. Staff and officers from the police pacification unit collect rubbish and clear potential breeding grounds of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is thought to transmit the disease. The nursery’s director, Cláudia Regina, said several staff have contracted Zika. There are not enough awareness-raising campaigns in the community, even though many residents are contracting the virus. The city government does not disclose data on viral diseases, but just walk around and you can see that the problem is critical. | An anti-Zika operation gets under way near a Rocinha nursery called Lacyra Frazão. Staff and officers from the police pacification unit collect rubbish and clear potential breeding grounds of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is thought to transmit the disease. The nursery’s director, Cláudia Regina, said several staff have contracted Zika. There are not enough awareness-raising campaigns in the community, even though many residents are contracting the virus. The city government does not disclose data on viral diseases, but just walk around and you can see that the problem is critical. |
| 30 April | 30 April |
| Once again, national politics prompts debate and action in Rocinha. There was a demonstration in Rocinha against the [now former] speaker of the chamber of deputies, Eduardo Cunha. There was an open microphone where anyone could share their opinions. Cunha orchestrated the impeachment of the president, but much of the protest focused on his homophobic, sexist or racist statements. This demonstration was very unusual because the residents normally stage protests about local issues, such as lack of basic sanitation. | Once again, national politics prompts debate and action in Rocinha. There was a demonstration in Rocinha against the [now former] speaker of the chamber of deputies, Eduardo Cunha. There was an open microphone where anyone could share their opinions. Cunha orchestrated the impeachment of the president, but much of the protest focused on his homophobic, sexist or racist statements. This demonstration was very unusual because the residents normally stage protests about local issues, such as lack of basic sanitation. |
| 3 May | 3 May |
| Government officials and NGOs begin a campaign to remove rubbish from the favela’s streets, streams and alleys. About 32 environment agents take part in the “Eye on the Trash” operation, which involves collecting, separating and removing plastics, cardboard, tin cans, glass, wood and other recyclable products. The project is run by Viva Rio Socioambiental, with the backing of the state environmental institute. Some community leaders criticise the campaign because they say there is little point picking up rubbish when Rocinha does not even have the basic sanitation needed to improve the quality of life of the residents. | Government officials and NGOs begin a campaign to remove rubbish from the favela’s streets, streams and alleys. About 32 environment agents take part in the “Eye on the Trash” operation, which involves collecting, separating and removing plastics, cardboard, tin cans, glass, wood and other recyclable products. The project is run by Viva Rio Socioambiental, with the backing of the state environmental institute. Some community leaders criticise the campaign because they say there is little point picking up rubbish when Rocinha does not even have the basic sanitation needed to improve the quality of life of the residents. |
| 4 May | 4 May |
| Residents commemorate the fourth anniversary of the death of Hugo Silva, a father of two who was killed by military police in a Rocinha alleyway. He was carrying construction material, but the police chief at the time claimed he was a drug dealer. Police operations are criticised by residents because they always take place when the streets are crowded. Recently there hasn’t been much armed conflict. According to the public security institute in Rio, the number of criminal incidents is high. Over the past five years, 22 residents have died and 129 have been targets of homicide attempts. It’s hard to say how many of these were by the police, because this information isn’t made public. | Residents commemorate the fourth anniversary of the death of Hugo Silva, a father of two who was killed by military police in a Rocinha alleyway. He was carrying construction material, but the police chief at the time claimed he was a drug dealer. Police operations are criticised by residents because they always take place when the streets are crowded. Recently there hasn’t been much armed conflict. According to the public security institute in Rio, the number of criminal incidents is high. Over the past five years, 22 residents have died and 129 have been targets of homicide attempts. It’s hard to say how many of these were by the police, because this information isn’t made public. |
| 7 May | 7 May |
| The Rio 2016 Olympic committee sponsors a festival in the Rocinha sports complex, from 8am to 1pm. People can try out popular and unusual Olympic sports and children can pose next to the Olympic and Paralympic mascots. It was a one-day event. There wasn’t much information about the event, and not many people came. It was the first time the mascots visited Rocinha. Unlike during other sports mega-events, there aren’t many Olympics-related products being sold in shops. Until now, there hasn’t been any legacy for the community. Just marketing. | The Rio 2016 Olympic committee sponsors a festival in the Rocinha sports complex, from 8am to 1pm. People can try out popular and unusual Olympic sports and children can pose next to the Olympic and Paralympic mascots. It was a one-day event. There wasn’t much information about the event, and not many people came. It was the first time the mascots visited Rocinha. Unlike during other sports mega-events, there aren’t many Olympics-related products being sold in shops. Until now, there hasn’t been any legacy for the community. Just marketing. |
| Related: Rio Olympics: view from the favelas – ‘In Alemão, deaths aren’t investigated' | |
| 12 May | 12 May |
| A historic day for Brazil, especially for the poorer classes, as Dilma is suspended while the Senate begins impeachment proceedings against her. This a blow not just to democracy, but to the social programmes that Lula and Dilma put in place. Dilma tried to educate the country and respond to the requests of the poor, but she was attacked by an elite that felt uncomfortable with the rise of the C-class (newly emerged from poverty). | A historic day for Brazil, especially for the poorer classes, as Dilma is suspended while the Senate begins impeachment proceedings against her. This a blow not just to democracy, but to the social programmes that Lula and Dilma put in place. Dilma tried to educate the country and respond to the requests of the poor, but she was attacked by an elite that felt uncomfortable with the rise of the C-class (newly emerged from poverty). |
| People were watching the process live on TV or the internet. There are different opinions in the favela. Some people defend Dilma, and others support the impeachment because of corruption in the Workers’ party. There are also those who would prefer to have a new presidential election. | People were watching the process live on TV or the internet. There are different opinions in the favela. Some people defend Dilma, and others support the impeachment because of corruption in the Workers’ party. There are also those who would prefer to have a new presidential election. |
| 17 May | 17 May |
| The extension of Metro Line 4, which will finally give Rocinha residents a subway station, has been delayed – and when it does open, we will not initially be allowed to use it because priority will be given to Olympic pass holders, including athletes, organisers and tourists. Only after the Olympic and Paralympic Games have ended will locals get to travel on the line. | The extension of Metro Line 4, which will finally give Rocinha residents a subway station, has been delayed – and when it does open, we will not initially be allowed to use it because priority will be given to Olympic pass holders, including athletes, organisers and tourists. Only after the Olympic and Paralympic Games have ended will locals get to travel on the line. |
| There has also been some controversy about the name of the station. Although it is located at the entrance to our favela, it was initially named São Conrado after the more upmarket neighbouring community. But this generated a wave of criticism because it ignored the existence of the favela and so there is now a move to call the station Rocinha. | There has also been some controversy about the name of the station. Although it is located at the entrance to our favela, it was initially named São Conrado after the more upmarket neighbouring community. But this generated a wave of criticism because it ignored the existence of the favela and so there is now a move to call the station Rocinha. |
| This anti-favela prejudice is visible in many aspects. On official and virtual maps, favelas are often ignored and something else is inserted instead. The segregation of Rio is notorious when it comes to favelas and the city. A divided city exists, which many people ignore, despite the fact that social movements have been fighting for years to show that the favela is also the city. | This anti-favela prejudice is visible in many aspects. On official and virtual maps, favelas are often ignored and something else is inserted instead. The segregation of Rio is notorious when it comes to favelas and the city. A divided city exists, which many people ignore, despite the fact that social movements have been fighting for years to show that the favela is also the city. |