RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – If they were a single State, Rio’s favelas would rank 14th on the list of the most affected in the country: a total of 176 confirmed deaths by covid-19 by Thursday, May 21st, according to a survey by the NGO ‘Voz das Comunidades.’
The communities – which, according to the 2010 IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) Census, total 1.4 million people – would be ahead of populous States such as Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná, both with more than 10 million inhabitants.
Rocinha, in Rio’s south zone, is the most affected favela, with 49 deaths – more than twice as many as Maré, in the north zone, which records 23 deaths and ranks second on the list.
The capital’s community numbers also become evident when compared to neighboring municipalities. With a population of almost one million, Duque de Caxias, in suburban Baixada Fluminense, is the city most affected by the coronavirus after Rio. And it accounts for fewer deaths than the favelas: 167.
In addition, favelas face another long-standing problem: police operations to fight drug trafficking. Despite the pandemic, the Complexo do Alemão in the north zone, experienced one last week. The result was 13 deaths – the favela records 14 Covid-19 deaths.
“During the pandemic, there’s a police operation in the favela. Right here where water is lacking, and hunger is present… Look, this was the way the State dealt with our current moment. The false notion of a war on drugs does not positively change reality and increases violence. Regrettable. If you don’t die of a virus or hunger, they will kill you with gunfire, in the name of public safety that does not include our people,” activist Raull Santiago wrote on social media.
The State of Rio de Janeiro records a total of 32,089 people infected and 3,412 deaths from the disease. It is the second-most affected state in Brazil, behind only São Paulo.
Source: Estadão Conteúdo
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