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The city of Rio de Janeiro has 5,009,373 registered voters, according to data from the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), out of an estimated 6,211,223 people, based on the 2022 national census. In the 2024 municipal elections, set for October 6, these voters will choose from 1,023 registered candidates vying for the 51 seats in Rio’s City Council. For this article, RioOnWatch analyzed various sources in an effort to identify which candidates have origins in or currently live in the city’s favelas, to highlight potential representatives from these communities running in this year’s election.
The primary challenge to this end, is that the TSE website does not provide information about candidates’ places of origin or residence, only their city of birth. This makes it impossible to determine exactly how many candidates come from or currently live in favelas. To work around this limitation, we used candidates’ social media profiles, information published in community and favela media outlets, including Conexões Periféricas RP’s project 2024 Municipal Elections: Political Participation of Favelas, which interviews favela candidates running for City Council.
Having identified some of these candidates, below we share their mini-bios. This emphasis on candidates from favelas is due to the importance of increasing representation in spaces of power for these territories, which, despite being home to a quarter of the city’s population, have been neglected rather than represented by the government for over a century.
Currently, the Rio de Janeiro City Council has four women who identify as Black, all from favelas or peripheral areas of the city, who are listed below as running for a second term: Monica Cunha (PSOL), from Manguinhos; Tainá de Paula (PT), from Praça Seca; Tânia Bastos (Republicanos), from Ilha do Governador; and Thais Ferreira (PSOL), from Vaz Lobo—all in the North Zone, with the exception of Praça Seca, which is in the West Zone.
Babu Santana, Vidigal — 50050
Babu Santana is an actor born and raised in Vidigal, in Rio’s South Zone, whose artistic journey was shaped by his training with the community theater group Nós do Morro. With over 15 years in the film industry, he has starred in over 40 national and international films, and gained further prominence through his politically and racially conscious participation in a highly popular TV reality show. Santana is running for City Council in Rio de Janeiro under the PSOL party.
If elected, Santana plans to develop projects in social and cultural areas, where he already has a history of engagement. On his social media, he advocates for popular culture, peripheral and favela art, and supports community empowerment through art, culture, and education.
Learn more on Babu Santana’s Instagram
Camila Moradia, Complexo do Alemão — 13578
A Black woman from Complexo do Alemão (CPX) in the city’s North Zone, Camila Moradia is a candidate for City Council with the Workers’ Party (PT). Born and raised in Favela da Grota, she has been an activist for human rights from a young age, particularly advocating for housing rights in her community, inspired by her mother. Camila Moradia is also the founder of Women of Alemão in Action (MEEA), a project dedicated to the fight for human and women’s rights, working to reduce violence against women, promoting female empowerment, and supporting vulnerable families in Complexo do Alemão, Penha, and Favela da Galinha, located between Inhaúma and Engenho da Rainha.
Moradia became a community leader in 2010, after the forced evictions that took place in Favela da Skol, when she began representing approximately 1,300 families. She gained international recognition in 2021 when she was selected by Front Line Defenders, an organization that honors the work of human rights defenders, in the Latin America category.
Learn more on Camila Moradia’s Instagram
Carol Santos, Turano — 16555
Carol Santos, a candidate for City Council from the Revolutionary Workers’ Movement (MRT), is running under a democratic slate—using the PSTU party affiliation while the movement seeks official party registration. She was born in Iguaí, Bahia, and later moved to Turano, Rio de Janeiro while she majored in History at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) thanks to opportunities afforded to her through affirmative action. Her campaign aims to promote a “socialist and revolutionary project, focusing on the working class,” while also strengthening the struggles of youth, women, Black individuals, LGBTQIAPN+ people, and indigenous communities.
In her proposals, Santos emphasizes the fight against any form of class reconciliation that negotiates the rights of the working class in the name of governability. She opposes the war on drugs and advocates for their legalization, supports the rights of outsourced women workers, and fights for daycare facilities and support for the retention of working mothers in public universities.
Learn more on Carol Santos’s Instagram
Clatia Vieira, Morro da Coroa — 13456
A resident of Morro da Coroa in Santa Teresa, Clatia Vieira is a City Council candidate for the Workers’ Party (PT).
Holding a degree in Law and currently a master’s student in the Graduate Program in Ethnic-Racial Relations at the Federal Center for Technological Education (CEFET), Vieira is an activist in the Rio de Janeiro Forum of Black Women and an active defender of human rights, especially the rights of Black women. She has served as president of the Morro da Coroa Residents’ Association twice.
On social media, Vieira presents proposals centered around the fight for food security, employment, adequate housing, health care, and universally accessible quality education. She is also dedicated to fighting violence and promoting policies that ensure equal opportunity. She is committed to building a fair city, free from social inequalities, where everyone has the right to live without fear of violence, racism, or any form of discrimination.
Learn more on Clatia Vieira’s Instagram
Collective for Jacarepaguá, Asa Branca, Anil, Gardênia, and City of God — 23456
The Collective for Jacarepaguá is a collective candidacy formed by: Bezerra, a historical leader and former president of the Asa Branca Residents’ Association in Curicica and of the Federation of Residents’ Associations of Barra, Recreio, Jacarepaguá, and Adjoining Areas (FACBARJA); physical education instructors and soccer coaches Laerte from Anil and Lorival from City of God, who have been coaching in their social projects for over 20 years; business administrator Elaine Leite, who creates opportunities to support women after incarceration; Mary from Gardênia Azul; and psychologist Arony Andrade, who provides free counseling to children from the communities of Anil, City of God, and Freguesia.
They are running on the Cidadania party ticket. Among the collective’s proposals is the unification of efforts for Jacarepaguá, aiming to develop continuous work through public policies that defend the rights and interests of the residents of the region and its surroundings, with eleven proposals for Rio, including: the creation of an Autistic Support Center, making Physical Education mandatory in schools, putting an end to passing grades automatically, and ensuring psychologists across the entire municipal educational system.
Learn more on the Collective’s Instagram
Douglas Heliodoro, Rio das Pedras — 18003
Douglas Heliodoro is a teacher, communicator, and popular educator from Rio das Pedras in the West Zone. He is running for City Council with the REDE party. He is a founding member of the Conexões Periféricas Collective, which develops community organization and communication initiatives focused on mitigating issues related to social inequality, public health, and access to basic services, such as the fight for energy justice faced by favela residents.
Heliodoro is running for City Council to seek greater representation for favelas in positions of power, building a local grassroots candidacy to rethink and shape the city from the perspective of favelas and peripheral areas. His focus areas are education, the environment, and youth. In education, Heliodoro criticizes the lack of appreciation for teachers in Rio’s municipal school system and emphasizes the need for ongoing training for educators with a focus on anti-racist education. He proposes partnerships with institutions such as the Instituto Pretos Novos and public universities to improve teacher training. Regarding the climate crisis, he advocates for public policies that prepare the city for environmental challenges that are already affecting the most vulnerable areas.
Learn more on Douglas Heliodoro’s Instagram
Felipe Brasileiro, Complexo da Maré — 55570
Felipe Brasileiro, a candidate for City Council with the Social Democratic Party (PSD), was born and raised in Complexo da Maré. He is known for his strong involvement with community causes. Through the “Yellow Wave” campaign, he aims to represent the interests of favela residents in City Council.
Brasileiro, who calls himself a “Son of Maré,” is dedicated to defending the interests of his territory, and on social media emphasizes proposals focused on community improvements, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, security, and access to basic public services.
Learn more on Felipe Brasileiro’s Instagram
Maíra do MST, Jacarepaguá — 13713
Maíra do MST, a candidate for City Council with the Workers’ Party (PT), is an activist in the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) and the Popular Youth Uprising. Born and raised in Jacarepaguá, she holds a degree in education from UERJ and has a long history of fighting for marginalized communities through social movements, focusing on mobilizing and organizing young people around popular and democratic causes.
Her proposals, if elected as a city councilor, focus on building a collective mandate, with a central aim of fighting hunger among residents of Rio, defending public education, and ensuring the Right to the City. Additionally, she advocates for the development and strengthening of grassroots movements, and for unity between rural areas, favelas, and youth in the struggle for a people-led agrarian reform.
Learn more on Maíra do MST’s Instagram
Maria dos Camelôs, Centro — 50014
Maria dos Camelôs (Maria of the Street Vendors) is a class leader in Rio de Janeiro, running for City Council with the PSOL party. She has been known for advocating the rights of street vendors for over 25 years. Born in Caratinga, Minas Gerais, she moved to Rio de Janeiro at a young age. After enduring a marriage marked by violence, Maria separated from her first husband, leaving home with her children. With no means of support, she turned to a profession that became both her livelihood and a platform for popular activism: street vending.
Currently, she serves as coordinator of the United Movement of Street Vendors (MUCA), founded in 2003, an organization that fights against the repression of informal workers and advocates for better working conditions. Throughout her intense activism, Maria dos Camelôs has faced significant brutality and violence from the Municipal Guard during crackdowns on street vendors. Beyond advocating for their rights, Maria lived in the Chiquinha Gonzaga Occupation and was actively involved in the People’s Committee for the World Cup and Olympics in Rio, exposing human rights violations related to these mega-events. She is a mother, a feminist, and is committed to defending dignified housing and women’s rights.
Learn more on Maria dos Camelôs’ Instagram
Mônica Benício, Complexo da Maré — 50123
Mônica Benício is a current city councilor and a candidate for re-election with the PSOL party. Born and raised in the favelas of Maré, she holds a master’s degree in architecture specializing in “Violence and the Right to the City.” As a lesbian and feminist, her path has been deeply shaped by activism on human rights and the defense of the LGBTQIAPN+ community. Her work as councilor has been strongly centered on seeking justice for Marielle Franco, her wife, who was brutally murdered in 2018 for her role advocating for the right to housing as a Rio city councillor.
Benício promotes public policies that ensure social inclusion and defend the rights of women and the LGBTQIAPN+ community. She serves as president of the Culture and Women’s Defense committees. Her projects emphasize the fight against gender oppression in Rio de Janeiro. If elected for a second term, Benício aims to continue working towards a city that offers more dignity for all residents, especially women, LGBTQIAPN+ individuals, and those living in favelas and peripheral areas.
Learn more on Mônica Benício’s Instagram
Monica Cunha, Manguinhos — 50007
Monica Cunha is a current city councilor and a candidate for re-election with the PSOL party. A resident of the Manguinhos favela, she has been an activist for over 20 years, fighting against State violence—which claimed the life of her son, Rafael da Silva Cunha—and advocating for human rights. She founded the Moleque Movement, focused on supporting adolescents and youths fulfilling socio-educational measures imposed by the State. During her first term as a councilor, Cunha established the first Commission to Combat Racism, where she serves as president, and is also the vice president of Rio’s City Council’s Human Rights Commission.
Cunha is a recognized leader for her commitment to social justice and achieving an anti-racist city. Her candidacy for re-election represents the continuation of her term, which has been dubbed the “anti-racist train.” In addition to this activism, she has been responsible for creating laws such as the Municipal Week in Memory of Victims of Armed Violence and the Municipal Day of Jongo, honoring the memory of victims of State violence and promoting the appreciation of Black culture.
Learn more on Monica Cunha’s Instagram
Mônica Francisco, Borel — 13888
Mônica Francisco is a social and political activist from Borel and a candidate for City Council with the Worker’s Party (PT) in 2024. With a degree in Social Sciences, she is known as a feminist and evangelical pastor, as well as a strong advocate for women’s rights and a promoter of racial equality. In her political career, Francisco served as a state deputy for PSOL from 2019 to 2022, where she made history as the first Black woman to preside over the Rio de Janeiro State Legislative Assembly’s (ALERJ) Commission on Labor, Social Legislation, and Social Security.
Francisco’s political journey is marked by her work in human rights, with a special focus on populations in favelas and marginalized communities. Recently, she joined the PT, where she continues her activism, focusing on valuing favelas and creating public policies that empower these territories.
Learn more on Mônica Francisco’s Instagram
Pai Dario, Serrinha — 50077
Pai Dário Onísègun, from Serrinha in Madureira, is a candidate for City Council with the PSOL party. As a babalorixá (a priest in Afro-Brazilian religions) and defender of religions of African heritage, he advocates for the rights of quilombola communities. His platform includes promoting the city’s occupation by practitioners of Afro-Brazilian religions, the axé people, as well as the appreciation of the Black population, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and residents of peripheral areas.
His main political project, if elected, is the fight against racism and religious intolerance, which have been on the rise with attacks on Candomblé and Umbanda temples. He proposes the creation of public policies that ensure respect and protection for these sacred spaces of worship. Pai Dário also highlights the importance of a truly secular state and the need to strengthen education on Afro-Brazilian history and culture in schools.
Learn more on Pai Dário Onísègun’s Instagram
Rafaela Albergaria, Baixada Fluminense — 65000
Rafaela Albergaria is a Brazilian activist and researcher, originally from Greater Rio de Janeiro‘s Baixada Fluminense region, and a candidate for City Council with the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB). Holding a Master’s degree in Social Work from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), she is dedicated to studying and advocating for issues related to Human Rights, institutional racism, public security, and reparative policies. Albergaria is one of the coordinators of the “Black Women Decide” movement, a political education initiative focused on elevating key issues on the public agenda and electing Black women. In addition, she is the founder of the “Train Observatory,” which addresses safety and inequality in Rio’s railway transportation system.
Albergaria began organizing around public transportation safety and denouncing the socio-spatial segregation affecting Black and peripheral populations in Rio de Janeiro after the tragic death of her cousin, Joana Bonifácio, in a SuperVia train accident. She is also a co-author of books on urban mobility and racism, including It Was Not in Vain and Anti-racist Mobility.
Learn more on Rafaela Albergaria’s Instagram
Salvino Oliveira, City of God — 55255
Salvino Oliveira is a young candidate for Rio de Janeiro City Council, running with the PSD party. A native of City of God, he holds a degree in public administration from UFRJ. Oliveira served as the Secretary of Youth for Rio de Janeiro during part of Eduardo Paes‘s third term as mayor, where he focused on developing public policies aimed at the city’s youth. According to him, his “mission is to work on dreams.”
In his campaign for City Council, Oliveira emphasizes the importance of creating opportunities to promote social and economic development in the municipality, with a particular focus on youth from favelas. On social media, he highlights the number of projects developed during his tenure as secretary, which he claims positively impacted over 200,000 young people, including the creation of public centers dedicated to professional training and sports activities.
Learn more on Salvino Oliveira’s Instagram
Tainá de Paula, Praça Seca — 13777
Born and raised in Praça Seca, Tainá de Paula is an architect and urbanist, and an advocate for social and urban rights, with a focus on favelas and peripheral communities. As a councilwoman for the Worker’s Party (PT) and candidate for re-election, de Paula also headed the Mayor’s Secretariat for Environment and Climate. She is a parliamentarian committed to fighting social injustices, dedicating herself to creating legislation and public policies aimed particularly at Black people, women, mothers, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and populations from favelas and peripheral areas.
Her work is distinguished by the development of policies based on grassroots initiatives, with a focus on favelas and vulnerable communities in Rio de Janeiro. de Paula introduced over 100 bills in the City Council, with a special emphasis on the Pedro Gonzaga Law, which addresses racism and homophobia, and the Law to Combat Obstetric Violence, ensuring humane care to expectant mothers in the public health system (SUS). As Secretary for Environment and Climate, she placed women from favelas at the forefront of the debate with the Forest Guardians Program, and also engaged youth in this agenda through the Young Climate Negotiators Program.
Learn more on Tainá de Paula’s Instagram
Thais Ferreira, Vaz Lobo — 50010
Thais Ferreira is a councilwoman from the PSOL party, running for re-election, and a native of Vaz Lobo, a neighborhood in Rio’s North Zone. She is well-known for her active advocacy for women’s rights, particularly in areas related to early childhood, women’s health, racial equality, and the fight against racism.
She was one of the founders of projects aimed at mothers and children in vulnerable situations, such as “Mom&More,” which offers health education for mothers and children in the periphery, and the community campaign “Supporting Mothers Through the Curve,” which supported over 2,000 mothers in vulnerable situations during the 2020 pandemic. Her term in the City Council is known as “Momdate,” a play on the words “mom” and “mandate,” reflecting her advocacy for mothers’ issues and policies. If re-elected, she plans to continue her work focused on early childhood, culture, creative economy, the Right to the City, and education, as well as the fight against racism.
Learn more on Thais Ferreira’s Instagram
Tiago Santana, Vila Kennedy — 13021
Tiago Santana, president of the PT in Rio de Janeiro and candidate for City Council, was born and raised in Vila Kennedy, in the city’s West Zone. His career has been defined by his defense of racial equality and social justice. He advocates for policies that guarantee the rights of the working class, with a focus on improving public transportation systems, education, health, sports, culture, and leisure.
Santana also prioritizes proposals that ensure adequate affordable housing through urban planning, expanding sanitation, improving security, and increasing green spaces in low-income neighborhoods. Another priority is the upgrading of Rio’s favelas, with a firm stance against the policy of forced evictions in these areas.
Learn more on Tiago Santana’s Instagram
Vânia Dutra, Guadalupe — 40404
Vânia Dutra, a candidate for City Council with the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB), was born and raised in Acari and currently lives in the neighborhood of Guadalupe.
Dutra is a civil servant, holds a doctorate in social work, and is founder of the Araújo Dutra Educational Institute, a non-governmental organization that assists children, teenagers, and the elderly through education, aiming to reduce social inequalities.
Among the proposals highlighted on her social media channels, Vânia emphasizes the local development of Rio de Janeiro’s North Zone, focusing on infrastructure improvements in favelas and peripheral areas; promoting health programs for women aged 45 to 60; establishing a parliamentary chamber for an inclusive and anti-racist economy, prioritizing socio-productive inclusion; advocating for budgetary resources to create a community center for the elderly in Guadalupe; and implementing a salary and career plan for civil servants in the Municipal Secretary of Social Assistance.
Learn more on Vânia Dutra’s Instagram
Updated List of Candidates for City Council in Rio de Janeiro Born and Raised in or Residents of Favelas:
| CANDIDATE | PARTY | FAVELA/REGION | NUMBER | |
| ADELSON PEREIRA GUEDES | PT | Rocinha | 13011 | https://www.instagram.com/guedesadelsonpereira/ |
| ANA CLAUDIA DOS SANTOS | PT | Complexo do Chapadão | 13007 | N/A |
| BABU SANTANA | PSOL | Vidigal | 50050 | https://www.instagram.com/babusantana |
| CAMILA MORADIA | PT | Complexo do Alemão | 13578 | https://www.instagram.com/camilamoradia |
| CAMILA PEÇANHA | PT | Vila Kennedy | 13137 | https://www.instagram.com/acamilapecanha |
| CARLINHOS DA MARÉ | PP | Complexo da Maré | 11221 | https://www.instagram.com/carlinhosdamare |
| CAROL SANTOS | PSTU | Turano | 16555 | https://www.instagram.com/a.carolina |
| CLÁTIA VIEIRA | PT | Morro da Coroa | 13456 | https://www.instagram.com/clatiavieira |
| COLETIVA CARIOCA | PSOL | Baixada/peripheral areas | 50021 | https://www.instagram.com/coletivacarioca |
| COLETIVO JPA | CIDADANIA | Asa Branca, Anil, Gardenia, City of God | 23456 | https://www.instagram.com/bezzeracuricica |
| COLETIVA MARACAJÁ | PT | Ilha do Governador | 13313 | https://www.instagram.com/coletivamaracaja/ |
| DEL | Agir | Complexo da Maré | 36555 | https://www.instagram.com/delsemprepresente |
| DJ BRANDON LEE | PT | Rio das Pedras | 13091 | https://www.instagram.com/vjbrandonlee |
| DOUGLAS HELIODORO | REDE | Rio das Pedras | 18003 | https://www.instagram.com/profdouglasheliodoro |
| EDNA GOMES | PSD | Complexo da Maré | 55433 | https://www.instagram.com/edna.gomesoficial |
| EDSON SANTOS | PT | Horto | 13222 | https://www.instagram.com/edsonsantosrio/ |
| FABINHO DA FEIRA | Agir | Complexo da Maré | 36789 | https://www.instagram.com/fabinho_da_feira |
| FELIPE BRASILEIRO | PSD | Complexo da Maré | 55570 | https://www.instagram.com/felipebrasileirorj |
| GIOVANNA ALMEIDA | UP | West Zone | 80000 | https://www.instagram.com/gioalmeida_up/ |
| INDIANARAE SIQUEIRA | PT | Santíssimo | 13169 | https://www.instagram.com/indianaraesiqueira/ |
| IONE FAVELA | PMB | Rocinha | 35331 | https://www.instagram.com/ione.favela |
| LUCIANA OROZIMBO | MDB | Complexo da Maré | 15794 | https://www.instagram.com/luciana_orozimbo |
| LUCIANO MEDEIROS | PSD | Complexo do Alemão | 55181 | https://www.instagram.com/lucianomedeirosrio |
| MARCELINHO DO CIEP | PSB | Rocinha | 40555 | https://www.instagram.com/marcelinhodociep |
| MAÍRA DO MST | PT | Jacarepaguá | 13713 | https://www.instagram.com/mairadomst/ |
| MARIA DOS CAMELÔS | PSOL | Japeri and Ocupação Chiquinha Gonzaga | 50014 | https://www.instagram.com/mariadoscamelos |
| MONICA BENICIO | PSOL | Complexo da Maré | 50123 | https://www.instagram.com/monicaterezabenicio |
| MONICA CUNHA | PSOL | Manguinhos | 50007 | https://www.instagram.com/monicacunhario |
| MÔNICA FRANCISCO | PT | Borel | 13888 | https://www.instagram.com/monicasfrancisco |
| OKINGA | PDT | Gabão | 12321 | https://www.instagram.com/okingaoficial/ |
| PAI DARIO | PSOL | Serrinha | 50077 | https://www.instagram.com/ile__onisegun |
| PATRÍCIA FÉLIX | PSOL | Padre Miguel | 50800 | https://www.instagram.com/patriciafelixrj/ |
| RAFAELA ALBERGARIA | PCdoB | Baixada Fluminense | 65000 | https://www.instagram.com/rafaalbergaria |
| ROBERTO ESTÁCIO | MDB | Estácio | 15234 | https://www.instagram.com/robertoestacio.oficial |
| RICARDO MARATONA | AVANTE | Bangu | 70654 | https://www.instagram.com/ricardomaratona2023 |
| SALVINO OLIVEIRA | PSD | City of God | 55255 | https://www.instagram.com/salvino.oliveira |
| THAIS FERREIRA | PSOL | Vaz Lobo | 50010 | https://www.instagram.com/sou_thaisferreira |
| TAINÁ DE PAULA | PT | Praça Seca | 13777 | https://www.instagram.com/tainadepaularj |
| TIAGO SANTANA | PT | Vila Kennedy | 13021 | https://www.instagram.com/tiagosantana.pt/ |
| VANDERLEA AGUIAR | PSOL | Vila Isabel | 50500 | https://www.instagram.com/vanderleaaguiarpsol |
| VANIA DUTRA | PSB | Acari | 40404 | https://www.instagram.com/vaniadutra_ |
| WILLIAM SIRI | PSOL | Km 32 (Nova Iguaçu) and Campo Grande | 50222 | https://www.instagram.com/williamsirirj |
| WILLIAM DA MARÉ | PP | Complexo da Maré | 11910 | N/A |
If you know of any candidacies by favela residents not listed above, please let us know by emailing contact@rioonwatch.org so we can update this article.
About the author and photographer: Bárbara Dias was born and raised in Bangu, in Rio’s West Zone. She has a degree in Biological Sciences, a master’s in Environmental Education, and has been a public school teacher since 2006. She is a photojournalist and also works with documentary photography. She is a popular communicator for Núcleo Piratininga de Comunicação (NPC) and co-founder of Coletivo Fotoguerrilha.