“My House” in the Land of the Interest-free Car
Apr 29th
For the original article in Portuguese by Sérgio Magalhães* in O Globo, click here.
Troubled by the quality of construction of projects in the Minha Casa Minha Vida (MCMV, or My House My Life federal housing program), President Dilma Rousseff declared, “I wasn’t elected to give the people shoddy housing.”
The great demographic expansion and territorial occupation that characterize Brazil today date back to the middle of the last century. The cities bore the weight of the population growth and brought marked improvements in social indicators. In seventy years, the urban population has grown from 12 million to 170 million. And urban homes have More >
Communities Celebrate Release of Favela Restaurant Guide
Apr 27th
On Saturday April 6, Rio’s newly launched Livraria Cultura bookstore opened its doors to celebrate the release of the Guia Gastronômico das Favelas do Rio (“Gastronomical Guide to Rio’s Favelas”) and meet those who made it all possible including Sérgio Bloch (concept and editing), Ines Garçoni (text), and Marcos Pinto (photography). The guide, bursting with eye-catching photos and a multitude of interesting facts on some of Rio’s favelas, highlights outstanding restaurants, bars, and other unique businesses typically unheard of in the favelas.
Twenty-two businesses are featured from eight communities, these include: Morro da Providênica, Santa Marta, Tabajaras, Chapéu Mangueira/Babilônia, Vidigal, Rocinha, Morro dos Prazeres, and Complexo do More >
Reshaping Rio [VIDEO]
Apr 25th
Since winning the bids for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games, the City of Rio de Janeiro has embarked on a colossal campaign to enhance its international image. However, this has come with a high price tag for those living in Rio’s favelas, particularly their most vulnerable residents who find themselves being forcefully removed from their homes More >
Voices of Vila Autódromo: José Arimateia, the Baker
Apr 23rd
In 1986, the newlywed José Arimateia moved to Vila Autódromo to buy his first home and to start a family. He moved from his parents’ house in a neighboring community, Vila Sapê, though he was born in Paraíba. He and his wife, Maria das Dores Catanduba de Andrade, were the first of their families to move to Vila Autódromo, a small favela in Rio’s West Zone, which they chose for its safety and peacefulness. Now, 27 years later, their success and happiness have drawn a dozen family members to move to their beloved community.
When José first moved to Vila Autódromo, he More >
‘O Maraca é Nosso!’ Citizens denied entry to stadium bidding process
Apr 19th
On Thursday morning, April 11th, approximately 400 protesters representing various social and political movements marched from Largo do Machado to the Palácio Guanabara in Laranjeiras to demonstrate against the privatization of Rio’s historic Maracanã stadium. Inside the Palace, envelopes were being opened to determine which companies would be able to compete in the bidding process to administer the Maracanã complex for the next 35 years.
“Today is the day the carioca (Rio native) population takes to the streets and says ‘enough!’…These mega-events, the World Cup and the Olympics cannot violate the rights of the city of Rio de Janeiro! [They] cannot violate More >
