By Maria Conde, Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The state of Rio issued 2,091 land titles to residents in the iconic favela Rocinha last Friday. These are the first of 9,000 titles the Instituto de Terras e Cartografia do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, (ITERJ – Institute of Lands and Cartography of the [...]
By Anna Kaiser, Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Around 25,000 people gathered in Parque de Madureira in Rio’s Zona Norte (North Zone) Sunday, April 28th, for the third annual Batalha do Passinho semi-final. The dance battle gives dancers mostly from Rio’s favela communities the opportunity to compete for a grand prize of R$10,000. [...]
Opinion, by Anna Kaiser RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Minha Casa Minha Vida, Brazil’s flagship public housing program, attempts to provide housing to mid-low income Brazilians. While the goal of the program is admirable, in practice this endeavor seems to be doomed by a system of corruption, inefficiency and bureaucracy. With a R$72 billion (US$36 [...]
By Leo Byrne, Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – An attack on two UPP (Police Pacification Unit) officers last Friday in the Morro São João favela of Engenho Novo is the latest in a recent spate of violence directed at Rio’s pacification forces. The attack took place at around midnight on March 27th in [...]
By Robbie Blakeley, Senior Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Rugby is a sport on the rise in Brazil, especially in Rio as in 2016 Rugby Sevens – the faster version of the sport – will compete in Olympic Games for the first time. The Rio Rugby Club has been doing its part in [...]
By Ben Tavener, Senior Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Violence is no longer among the major concerns experienced by Rio residents, a survey by O Globo newspaper has revealed. The report attributed the findings to the local government’s successful policy of introducing UPPs (Police Pacification Units) and a reduction in the number of [...]
By Andrew Willis, Senior Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The new cable car, or ‘Teleférico’, which is planned for Rio’s Morro da Providência favela community, is now set to open this May according to authorities. The second of its kind in Rio, the large infrastructure project has divided local residents, with transportation improvements [...]
By Andrew Willis, Senior Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A number of celebrities visiting Brazil for the country’s famous Carnival celebrations have taken time out from the festivities to visit a favela, one of the informal housing developments that are common in cities like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Actor Will Smith [...]
By Andrew Willis, Senior Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Roughly half the tourists that travel to Rio de Janeiro plan on visiting one of the city’s favelas, according to a new study by researchers at the Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) institution. Also, perhaps surprisingly, the study suggests that Brazilian tourists are more inclined [...]
By Anna Kaiser, Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In Rio the Police Pacifying Unit (UPP) program has made notable strides in improving security in favela communities, removing the visibility of powerful drug gangs, as well as helping local businesses grow in some cases. In addition, new research shows a reduction of “gatos” – [...]
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