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Latest News
  • [ December 4, 2025 ] Portrait of a Centenary-Old Favela of Stilt Houses: Belém’s Vila da Barca Resists, Organizes and Fights for Sanitation and Adequate Housing #HousingWatch
  • [ November 30, 2025 ] The Story of Dona Pascoalina, Midwife and Healer of Morro do Borel by Community Contributors
  • [ November 15, 2025 ] ‘There’s No Such Thing as Normal After a Massacre’: One Week After Police Mega-Operation Kills 121 People, Residents From Complexos do Alemão and Penha Speak Out #UPPWatch
  • [ November 13, 2025 ] ‘Human Beings Forget That They Are Nature’: Favelas Teach the Path to the Future at the 2nd Favela Sustainability Festival Civil Society
  • [ November 12, 2025 ] Food Sovereignty and Culinary Heritage Connect with Fight for Climate Justice at the 2nd Sustainable Favela Festival Civil Society
HomeOpinion

Opinion

'Favela residents are not at fault!'
#UPPWatch

Stuck in Mistakes: Rather than Pursue Reform, They Blame Favelas and Prisons

By Raull Santiago • Translation by Tamara Katoni • January 29, 2017

Clique aqui para Português The original text was published by Raull Santiago on his Facebook page. Raull is a media-activist from Complexo do Alemão and contributes to Coletivo Papo Reto. ON LAST NIGHT’S JORNAL DA GLOBO […]

#ParticipationWatch

We Are Bleeding Together with Democracy [OPINION]

By Cléber Araujo • Translation by Adam Lee • September 15, 2016

Clique aqui para Português This article by Cleber Araujo is part of a series of opinion pieces on the impeachment by community reporters published on RioOnWatch. In a sad moment of great global shame, Brazilian politicians far removed […]

#ParticipationWatch

I’m Going to the Streets So We Don’t Lose the Basic Rights We’ve Won [OPINION]

By Gizele Martins • Translation by Emma Platais • September 9, 2016

Clique aqui para Português This article by Gizele Martins is part of a series of opinion pieces on the impeachment by community reporters published on RioOnWatch. I was born in the Complexo da Maré favela. I have lived […]

#EvictionsWatch

Reflecting on the Games: A Look Behind the Olympic Smokescreen and the Rio 2016 ‘Success Story’

By Adam Talbot • August 22, 2016

Clique aqui para Português The entire world has spent the last two weeks gripped by incredible feats of sporting achievement and superhuman athletic prowess, all occurring right here in Rio de Janeiro. The plethora of […]

#Rio2016

The Sahara Tram: The Soul of Santa Teresa under Attack

By Maristela Grynberg • Translation by Felicity Clarke • August 16, 2016

Clique aqui para Português On August 27, 2011, there was a terrible accident on the Santa Teresa tram, or bonde, in the hilltop neighborhood in Central Rio which resulted in serious injuries and several deaths. Among […]

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RioOnWatch’s anti-racist reporting series won silver in the 2022 inaugural The Anthem Awards, in the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion category among Best Local Awareness Programs.
A Project of

About

In May 2010, Catalytic Communities launched what was originally Rio Olympics Neighborhood Watch (hence RioOnWatch), a program to bring visibility to favela community voices in the lead-up to the 2016 Rio Olympics. This news site, RioOnWatch.org, grew into a much-needed and unique reference featuring favela perspectives on the urban transformation of Rio. With diverse and deeply interlinked articles by a mix of community reporters, resident opinions, solidarity reporters, international observers, and academic researchers, we work to engender a more accurate picture of favelas, their contributions to the city, and the potential of favela-led community development in Rio and around the world.

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Awards

Special Thanks

Fundação Heinrich Böll Brasil
World Habitat
Fideicomiso de la Tierra Caño Martín Peña
Pastoral de Favelas
Center for CLT Innovation
Global Land Alliance
Ecocity Builders
Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation
SDSU Behner Stiefel Center
The Rio Times
Forum Grita Baixada
Beto Paixão Graphic Design
Architecture Museum of Vienna
Yale School of Architecture

  • Home
    • Highlighted Stories
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  • Communities
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  • Policies
    • Public Security
    • Housing
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Health
    • Sanitation
  • Violations
    • Human Rights
    • Housing Rights
    • Police Violence
    • Government Neglect
  • Organizing
    • Community Organizing
    • Community Solution
    • Resistance
    • Sustainability
    • Participation
    • Protest
    • Culture
    • Responsible Tourism
  • Content Map
    • by Community Contributors
    • by Int’l Observers
    • Series
      • Anti-Racist Series
      • Energy Justice Series
    • Event Reports
    • Video Stories
    • Photo-Essays
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    • Research & Analysis
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    • Listicles
    • Opinion
    • Reference
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  • About
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