As one of the world’s most visually impressive cities, it is no surprise that Rio de Janeiro was selected to host the 2016 Olympic Games. But behind the beautiful beaches and rosy economy of Brazil, the favelas or shantytowns cast a dark and long shadow on the capital. Private armies control different quarters of the favelas, terrorizing the neighborhood and killing civilians. Deaths occur at seven casualties a day (2,757 homicides were reported last year), with some due to the police force cracking down on gangs and criminals. Their location on the country’s prized real estate—a seaside hill—belies the terrible poverty and terror of more than one million residents in their day to day lives.

Favela Vidigal paints a serene picture that hides the terror of organized crimes.
(Photo by Roney)

“Shoot first and ask questions later”

Maiza Madeira, a resident of the Rocinha favela, points to a nearby house where a seven-year old boy was hit in the head by a stray bullet after stepping out to get his school shoes a little over a year ago. “I love it up here,” she says, “but I only come out during the day, never at night.”

Everyday, favelas double as a battlefield where shootouts between gangs and police are as routine as looking for something to eat. Boys as young as 12 years old compose the bulk of various gangs that strut around the shantytowns, trafficking guns and drugs. Thus, Rio police often raid the favelas, although violent reception has led then to unofficially adopt a policy of “shoot first and ask questions later” – thousands die every year as a result.

Those who survive are taken into custody and thrown into jail, where they await release to re-join their gangs. In fact, a visit to local detention centers will yield the sight of young boys held for armed robbery, weapons possession, and murder.

Burning the favelas to the ground

Rio is often derided as one of the most violent cities in the world, and the favelas deserve much of the blame for the city’s reputation. The obvious solution would be to just do away with them. But in Rio’s crime hotspot, nothing is simple. 

First, the relocation of shantytown residents presents a formidable logistical challenge. An estimated 19 percent of the city’s population lives in the favelas, which is no small number, considering that Rio is inhabited by more than six million people. Second is the fact there could be a possible uprising once this happens. How can you pit hundreds of thousands of people, some of them armed with deadly weapons, to a police force whose some members trace their roots to the favelas?

Government intervenes

So far, the Brazilian government hasn’t gotten very far from the drawing board in its effort to solve the favela problem. Though many actions have been taken over the decades, they simply were applied on too small a scale, as well as being sparsely funded and half-heartedly implemented.

Recently, Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva revealed to BBC the government initiatives to make a dent on favelas’ dire poverty which is the root cause of their many problems. "We have the biggest investment programme of shanty town urbanisation, basic sanitation and house building that Brazil has ever had. When we created our growth acceleration programme in 2007, we invested more than 100bn reais (£30bn) to take care of basic sanitation and build houses," he was quoted as saying.

The program, called the Habitar Brasil (Inhabit Brazil), aims to urbanize and modernize the country’s shantytowns. Instead of trying to relocate the favela residents, it will concentrate on improving infrastructure and delivery of basic services as well as creating job opportunities.

Rio and the challenge of the Olympics

The big question, of course, is if Rio will be able to complete its makeover by the 2016 Olympics, given its government’s penchant for slow action and fund misuse. One thing is for sure: nothing will tarnish Rio’s image more than an outbreak of violence during the Olympics.

The favelas provide a stark contrast to the improving economy of Brazil.
(Photo by Dornicke)

Rio would do well using the precious funds and income generated by its preparation for the Games in the best way possible – improving the favelas’ quality of life, and setting its inhabitants up for the long term. But with the crimes still rampant as ever and the gangs gathering power and influence by the day, it seems that Brazil has still a lot of blood to clean up.