Articles written by Comitê Popular do Rio:
At City’s Request, Google Carries Out Virtual Eviction on Rio’s Map
Apr 9th
For original post in Portuguese on Comitê Popular do Rio click here.
After Rio’s City government asked Google to reduce the presence of favelas on the map of Rio de Janeiro, the word “favela” was practically eliminated from the map, replaced by “morro,” or hill. Some communities simply vanished. The image above compares an area of Rio Comprido in 2011 and 2013.
The virtual removals are part of the city’s plans to make poverty and the poor invisible, in the virtual realm as well as in the real world, with forced evictions.
Serious Human Rights Violations in Largo do Tanque, Jacarepaguá
Feb 22nd
For original article in Portuguese click here. This version includes additional information by author.
February 22–Approximately 50 families are currently being evicted from Largo do Tanque in Jacarepaguá, West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, by Rio de Janeiro’s City government, with no respect for human rights or local legislation regulating relocation procedures, and only laughable compensation. The eviction process began the week before carnival and the assistant to the Sub-Mayor of Barra and Jacarepaguá, Igor Guarrato, is pressuring residents saying all houses must be demolished by February 28th. He argues the removal is taking place in order to construct the Transcarioca highway, but the plan More >
