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 was never shown to residents.
Families with infants and others with children with special needs are desperate. The options given by the municipality are: compensation (reports have been from R$7000 to R$30,000, which recognize only the structural investments made without considering the land itself which is owned by residents who occupied the land more than five years ago), a mini-apartment of Minha Casa Minha Vida in Campo Grande, located 30 kilometres from Largo do Tanque, or social rent of R$400. Residents are told compensation will be reduced if they don’t agree immediately. The situation is serious as are the reports of psychological torture being committed on residents. Ten families are still resisting. Please support them!
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