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Latest News
  • [ July 31, 2026 ] Right to Housing in Rio de Janeiro Faces Blow As Community Land Trust Bill Rejected by City Council #GentrificationWatch
  • [ July 30, 2026 ] 10 Years After Rio Olympics: The Persistence of Structural Disinvestment in Rio’s Majority Working-Class Suburbs [OPINION] #LegacyWatch
  • [ July 29, 2026 ] Largest Favela in Niterói, Morro do Preventório, Launches Popular Mapping Initiative to Support Upgrading Policies by Community Contributors
  • [ July 23, 2026 ] Surf Legend Ricardo Bocão’s Enduring Legacy in Rocinha [OBITUARY] *Highlight
  • [ July 17, 2026 ] ‘Favela Tourism as Citizenship: Pathways to a Community-Based, Sustainable Model’ — Public Hearing Highlights the Potential of Community-Based Tourism in Rio de Janeiro by Community Contributors
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Photo by Thiago Firmino
#GentrificationWatch

Light’s Abusive Billing and Questionable Service in UPP Favelas

By Benjamin Parkin • April 2, 2014

Clique aqui para Português Light Serviços de Eletricidade S.A. (Light) has long provided electricity–officially and unofficially–to Rio’s favelas. With the installation of Pacifying Police Units (UPPs) (the police occupation of a number of favelas over the […]

Reviews

Essential Reading on Rio’s Favelas [Book Review]

By Nyasha Weinberg • March 18, 2014

Rio is a fascinating and multi-layered city. For visitors and students, unravelling the complex relationships between the sun, sand, samba and enduring crime and poverty in the city can prove difficult. Fortunately, the books available […]

*Highlight

History of Rio de Janeiro’s Military Police Part I: 19th Century Beginnings

By Patrick Ashcroft • February 18, 2014

Clique aqui para Português This is Part 1 in a four-part series on the History of Rio de Janeiro’s Military Police. Click for Parts 2, 3, and 4. To fully understand the nature of the Brazilian […]

#EvictionsWatch

Public Hearing on Removals: Fiery Speeches and Absent Authorities

By Courtney Allen Crumpler, Kate Steiker-Ginzberg • December 8, 2013

Clique aqui para Português On Tuesday morning, December 3rd, the Municipal Legislative Chamber filled with approximately one hundred people–favela residents, public defenders, professors, and human rights advocates–eager to participate in the public hearing on “Removals […]

Civil Society

The People Will Govern: South African Anti-Eviction Activists Visit Rio

By Catherine Osborn • November 18, 2013

S’bu Zikode and Bandile Mdlalose, founding members of the Abahlali baseMjondolo social movement, were interviewed by RioOnWatch when they traveled to Rio at the beginning of the month as part of the tour of the film “Dear Mandela.” […]

Posts pagination

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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.

Contact & Support

contact@rioonwatch.org
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10 Years! Check Out Our Story:

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
    • Understanding Rio
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  • Communities
    • Central
    • South Zone
    • North Zone
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    • Greater Rio
  • 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
    • Interviews/Profiles
    • Research & Analysis
    • Reviews
    • Listicles
    • Opinion
    • Reference
    • Podcasts
    • Translated Articles
  • About
    • Timeline
    • Our Reporting Policy
    • License
    • Feedback
  • For Journos
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